Hyderabad to Hampi to Aurungabad to Hyderabad

Could anyone help as I have a little problem. And if this is not the appropriate thread could a mod please redirect it to a more suitable one.

I have searched the Railway timetables, threads etc, and can only find 'not quite right' resolution for my dilemma.

My wife and daughter who arrive on a BA flight in Hyderabad at 04:30 hrs wish to travel as soon as possible to Hampi, the direct trains to Hospet which leave in the evening are not quite suitable for a variety of reasons. They are somewhat constrained for time and want to revisit Hampi and before progressing via Badami towards Aurungabad and then back to Hyderabad for their flight home about 16 days later.

The best resolution could be to hire a car with driver, to take us to Hampi as she finds it possible to partially recover from the flight during a car journey.

Other possibilities could include using a hotel room in Hyderabad to recover before catching one of the two evening trains to Hospet, finding a destination between Hyderabad and Hampi with interesting sights/archeology/architecture and breaking our journey there for a quick gawp and recuperate before proceeding to Hampi the next day or going the other way round by finding an intermediate destination such as possibly Bidar on the way to Aurungabad.

I would also like to hear opinions on whether it pays to hire a driver with car for several days or hire day to day as needed.

We do not want to dilly-dally in Hyderabad as my daughter has worked there for a year and would have to negotiate a social round and perhaps risk her parents discovering aspects of her private life she does not want to reveal.

All suggestions about routes, itineraries and possible sites to see along the way, as well as modes of transport and if at all possible/relevant places to arrange a car with driver in advance of our arrival at Hyderabad would be appreciated.

If the Hyderabad part is straightforward enough for a jet lagged person I could simplify my travel plans by meeting them somewhere other than Hyderabad Airport at a very ungodly hour.

Even if their arrival was smooth an on time Train 2650 which passes through Guntakal is not running as they arrive on a Saturday.

Bijapur, though not on the shortest route, (not longer by a huge amount) is a good place to stop overnight between Hyderabad and Hampi. But it is 400 km/7-8 hours drive away. Some stuff to see there, search this forum.

Generally speaking, it is wise to hire a car and driver for the whole trip if going by road. And since you are retrning to Hyderabad, will be easier, since you don't have to pay him for return.

I am not too familiar with the Aurangabad route, have done it only once and long ago.


It will be more comfortable going by train, however, unless you enjoy road trips.


If you hire a car at Hyderabad and let him go at Hampi you will almost certainly have to pay until his return to Hyderabad

we had gone to hampi from hyderabad
hyd - raichur-sindhnur-gangawati-hospet.

The road is excellent and it had taken us less than 7 hours to cover the distance.

When was this? In December 2007 the road was terrible.

If 7 hours, then makes sense to go there straight.

we went in nov 2007. the road was excellent.

are you sure you are talking about the hyd-raichur-sindhnur route?

the hyd-bellari-hospet route is really bad - that is what we heard and thats why avoided it.

we started from hyd at 6am and reached hospet around 1pm.

Talking about the same route

The Hospet route is always avoidable. It is terrible whenever I have been that way. One of the worst roads I have seen.

which part of the route are you talking about?

After Raichur, should be about the last 130/140 km. Deep potholes right across. Snapped one leaf spring.

Maybe there were some rains? Can't recall.

Still better than the Hospet route. After Gooty it is the pits.

must havebeen some unusual circumstances.

We found the road from raichur to gangawati so good that it reminded me of roads in europe.... not a single pothole/patchwork... barriers in place on the sides of the roads etc....

the road is a state highway I think. we were going ga-ga as to how well maintained even the non-NH road was.

I think we drove that stretch in 80-100km/hr speed... and we are usually very careful and slow drivers.

the road condition was excellent in Nov'07......in my maruti 800 with a/c on I could maintain an avergae speed of 65+ km/hr without any signifeicent break.........also there was no traffic except the city/town areas like mehbubnagar, raichur etc..

Capt
i still cannot believe that road could have been so bad in 1 months time.......Capt are you sure it was dec 2007 when you travelled..........because i remember asking about best route to take before going and you told me to avoid bellary route

Uncle_Martin
it is much more convinient if you hire same driver and car for the whole journey.......you don't have to load/unload all your lugagges everytime, saves hassles of finding and bargaining with a driver ........ and in any case for one way travel you will be charged return fare also

For travelling to Aurangabad (including Ajanta and Ellora Caves, I presume) it would be better to go by train and for Hampi I would advise the car even though the roads may be bad on some stretches. It is true that you would have to pay the return fare for sending the car back if you take it one way only. That is the sad part of hiring a car in India. In some other countries it is possible to pick up a car in one place and leave it at another without paying anything more. Wish that would be possible in India soon too.

Actually I would suggest going to Aurangabad directly by train and then come down to Hampi on the return leg. Belur, Halebid, Badami, Aihole and Pattadakkal are also worth seeing. These would of course require a car to give you the flexibility to travel at your own pace. Public transport in these small places is almost non-existant or not comfortable or good.

Cheers,
Aadil.

Yes, that would be the Gooty/Bellary/Hospet bit. After Bellary it usually gets very bad, must be because of all the steel/iron ore movement there.

Strange about the Raichur road. It was Dec all right, just before the new year.

which new year?

Interesting info.

How long would you say it takes to get from Gangawati to Hampi?

And how long in total from Raichur to Hampi?

Gangawati to Hampi?
there are two routes for Gangawati-Hospet (hospet to hampi is 30 mins drive)
1) via Kampli - road is bad, took around 1hr+
2)via Budugumpa while returning - excellent road along NH/SH although distance is more, took around 45mins

Raichur to Hampi
approx 3 hrs