If I Have Not Driven on Any Hilly Area Which Place Should I Visit First, Near Delhi, in My Own Car?

No matter what the leading opinion might be about driving in the hills, but even in its most simple form riding and driving on mountains does require a bit more care and concentration than your average day driving. We Understand the inspiration travellers draw from different social media outlets to drive along the mountains, and hence, to help all such aspiring travellers, we have articulated this article with in-detail instructions about how you can safely and quickly drive to your favourite destinations in the North with the added comfort of your own vehicle.

Over time the road network that leads to these locations has developed well, and hence reaching them has become easier. You can easily plan to visit a few of these locations over the weekend while the others might need a bit of pre-planning and a bit more time than the weekend.

Weekend Getaways in Hilly areas near Delhi –

Rishikesh –  237 km from Delhi

One of the locations closest to Delhi in our list, is Rishikesh, a trip to Rishikesh can be easily planned over the weekend. With good stretches of road connecting Rishikesh and Delhi, you would be able to cover the distance between them with ease. You can also plan to go through Haridwar and take a holy dip in the river Ganges before reaching Rishikesh.

Rishikesh is not as hilly as some of the other locations on our list, so it could be the best place for a first-time driver on the hills. The curvy roads would put you through your paces and help you gain the necessary confidence for driving in the mountains.

Rishikesh offers a bunch of recreational activities that you can take part in, such as  river rafting, trekking, rappelling, and a few others.  If you are a spiritual person and want to explore the true beauty of Rishikesh you can also visit the numerous temples that are situated here.  All in all if you are a new driver or someone who has not yet ever driven on hilly paths then Rishikesh could be the best possible location for you to start with.

Shimla -343 km from Delhi

Shimla offers an eclectic mix of the most beautiful landscapes as well as a unique blend of culture and cuisine that would help you relax and enjoy. If you plan to drive to Shimla for the first time here are the routes that you would probably choose between.

Via NH 44 and NH 5 

The most used route leads to Shimla, so you can plan your travels along this route. Here is a basic route through the different cities you would be following: Delhi—Panipat—Karnal—Kurukshetra—Ambala—Chandigarh—Kalka—Solan—Shimla. Shimla could be the best destination to start travelling and driving up in the mountains.

Manali- 538 km from Delhi

One of the most used routes from Delhi to Manali would be through route no 44, as per travellers the route is about 536 km long.  The overall travelling time period of around 10 hours. Being a first-time traveller, you can either end your trip in Manali and return, or you can plan a trip ahead. Consider Manali to be a junction from where in various routes originate to various beautiful locations up high in the mountains, since this can probably be your first trip up high in the mountains we would not recommend you to drive yourself up high; instead, we would suggest that you park your car here and rent a cab or a self-drive vehicle from Manali to locations like Leh Ladakh, Spiti Valley,  and a few other places as well.

In case you want a self-drive car in Manali, you can contact RenTrip for that as well; we provide a wide range of self-drive vehicles for rent in Manali; all you have to do is contact us or book through our application, and you can be able to quickly move ahead with your plans and our vehicles. 

Kullu – 550 km from Delhi

The distance between Kullu and Lucknow is about 550km; in most cases, if you travel by the main route, your journey would start along National Highway no 1, and then along the road, you would have to join along National highway no 21 to reach the final destination. The total time that the journey would take would be around 10 to 12 hours.

In case you want to travel via Chandigarh

If you want to take a rest stop at Chandigarh, Kullu is only 280 km away. To reach Kullu through Chandigarh, it would take about 5-6 hours. This route would take you through places like Kharar, Rupnagar, Swarghat, Bilaspur, Mandi, and Aut.

Ranthambore – 394 km from Delhi

If you are travelling from Delhi National Highway 8 and National Highway 11A which connects to Delhi. Further along the route National Highway 76 connects Ranthambore to Udaipur and Ahmedabad. Further NH3 connects Ranthambore to Mumbai.

If in case you are travelling through Rajasthan, its own state highways connect national parks to many places. SH connects Ranthambore to Rajasthan’s capital city. Jaipur and SH1 join Agra and Bharatpur.

Jim Corbett – 300 km from Delhi

The distance between Delhi to Corbett is about 245km, and the drive itself takes about 6 hours. You can quickly drive to the place in your own car. Here is a detailed guide as to how you can reach Jim Corbett. The shortest route that you can follow to get the location.

Whether you are travelling in your own private vehicle or a hired vehicle. The route would go through Delhi-Gajrola-Moradabad-Kashipur and then Ramnagar. 

You can start your journey from Delhi by crossing into Ghaziabad and then lead your way through NH 24 which would take you straight to Hapur. Following this route, you would cross through Gajrola, Garhmukteshwar, all the way till Moradabad.  From here on, take the bypass that does not go through the inter-city. Instead, it passes through the outskirts and crosses the Thakurdwara and then the Kashipur location to finally reach the Ramnagar area where the national park is.  The whole trip would take about 6 hours for a distance of about 245 km.

Here is your comprehensive guide to driving in the mountains

Before you set out to reach the summit of your choice, here are some of the precautions that will help you have a safe drive over the hills without any issues.Here are a few pieces of equipment that would help you drive easily over the mountains and in case of emergencies and issues.

• A portable air pump
• A tyre repair kit
• Car lifting Jack
• A toolkit
• Warm clothes and warmers in case you are travelling to cold places.
• Edibles.

Here are a few checks that you should always conduct before going out on a trip or an adventure by car.

A breakdown can spoil your spirit for adventure and hence a pre-trip checkup of the vehicle is a must. You can take your vehicle to the nearest service centre for the same or do it yourself. Here are a few of the necessary checks that would help you travel seamlessly without any breakdowns or issues.

• Check the engine oil levels. Instructions on how to do this are always in your car’s user manual. If the engine oil levels are lower than necessary, always refill with the same grade as was used earlier.
• Similarly, check the coolant levels and break reservoir fluid. In case they are low refill the reservoir tank with the right grade of brake oil and coolant levels.
• Check the other essential items that are necessary for regular driving.
• Check the headlights to ensure that night drives in the mountains do not become an issue.
• Check your rear as well as front wipers, to ensure that you can keep your windscreen clear in all conditions.
• Check your tyres, in case any of your tyres have been worn beyond the necessary levels, then replace your tyres as they might slip during rains. Necessary precautions for driving on the Highway roads.

• Stay on your side of the road, and keep a distance of about a vehicle between the vehicle you are following and yourself. This is to ensure that if the car in front of you stops at an incline, it has enough space for a restart.
• Always stay under the speed limit.
• If you are travelling above Manali to places like Khardungla and Spiti, ensure that you reserve a full tank of petrol, as the availability of petrol stations in such places could be pretty scarce.
• When driving along windy roads of the mountains ensure that you let traffic that wants to overtake you with safety by pulling to a side when the road allows.
• Never try and pass a vehicle in a long turn. 
• If in case you plan to take a stop to witness the beauty around ensure that you stop at the side of the road,  pull up the parking brake and ensure that you put up a substantial rock behind the wheels of your vehicle.

Saving yourself from  Excessive Break wear.

Break wear is a common issue that travellers face while driving in the mountains, hence we would recommend that you carry a pair of extra break shoes in case you face a similar situation. And further You can also use Engine braking to ensure that the vehicle keeps itself in the right speed.  Before you drive along a long downhill path shift to a lower gear. This would allow you to drive the car slowly without any issues and would also save on brake pad wear and tear. This would keep your vehicle in the right speed without any issues.

If you are driving an automatic car, you can shift your vehicle into L or 2 mode so that the vehicle can maintain its speed and save on brake pads. Once you are at ground level, shift back to the optimum gear to ensure that your car drives the right way.

Using GPS signals as well as Maps for travelling

Whenever you plan to travel along the mountains, beware that in certain areas, internet connectivity and network might be erratic; whatever region you travel to, ensure that you download offline Google Maps of the area. These would help you even if the network reception of the place is not up to the mark. No matter which mountain range you drive to, having a little knowledge of your vehicle limits and information about the routes would help you travel safely without any issues or problems.

If in case you have been planning such a trip but don’t have a vehicle of your own to travel around we would recommend that you rent cars from RenTrip. We provide top-of-the-line well, well-maintained vehicles and bikes on rent for all your travelling needs. Our extensive fleet of vehicles throughout India await your arrival. Plan a trip without worrying about the hassles of maintaining a vehicle. Stop worrying about the hassles of servicing the vehicle or other aspects just rent and drive and reach the summits of your dream with ease without any challenges or issues. Contact us today and leave for the trip of your dreams with ease without any problems.