Every day, an estimated 60,000 cars use the 94-kilometre (58 miles) six-lane Mumbai-Pune Expressway linking the two bustling cities in the western state of Maharashtra. You can easily drive along the Expressway for a day’s work, leisure, a family occasion or a weekend getaway to the two popular hill stations, Khandala and Lonavala, located on the way.
Pune and its smaller satellite towns are just 50 minutes away by air. But if you're not flying, the Expressway is the quickest way to reach this culture-rich city from Mumbai, which is separated by 152 kilometers (94 miles). The travel time is roughly three to four hours, depending on traffic, especially on weekends and holidays. If you enjoy train journeys, you can opt for one of the many daily express trains to Pune. Though it takes a bit longer, the scenic views make it worthwhile.
Whether you travel by road or rail, both routes are scenic, cutting through the Western Ghats, a majestic mountain range that stretches across six states, including Maharashtra, for about 1,600 kilometers (994 miles). Also known as the Sahyadri, this range is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the 36 biodiversity hotspots in the world.
Although my wife and I frequently drive to Pune, we prefer taking the train for its charm. The journey through two-dozen tunnels becomes more beautiful in the rains, with hills and mountains bathed in a vibrant green, rivulets and waterfalls picture-perfect, and tribes of monkeys from the valley below observing the human spectacle as the train passes by.
Even for a weekend trip, train journeys make you feel like you're embarking on a long vacation. There's a unique joy in that.
Here are a few photos from one of our recent trips to Pune.
It's all so very beautiful! I can really see why you enjoy that trip so much. There's so much beautiful greenery, and I'll bet that it's even more magical during the monsoon. Thank you for sharing these photos.