How To Reach Mahabaleshwar
Mahabaleshwar is a popular hill station located in the Satara district in Maharashtra and is one of the few evergreen forests in the world. It served as a summer destination for the British Empire. The word Mahabaleshwar translates to the God of Great Power. Mahabaleshwar is also known as the Land of Five Rivers as the rivers Venna, Gayatri, Koyna, Savitri and Krishna originate at this point. The foliage of Mahabaleshwar is one of the most admired destinations visited frequently by the nature lovers.
Located on the Western Ghats, this hill station lies about 270 kms away from the capital of Maharashtra, Mumbai. If you wish to explore it by driving then it will take you around 5 hours to reach Mahabaleshwar from Mumbai by road. This time was calculated for the route through Lonavala and the cultural pervade of Pune. Hence, if you are planning to reach Mahabaleshwar by Road there are well maintained network of roads connecting different parts of the state with this ideal hill station.
Approximate distance of Mahabaleshwar from Pune is around 120 kms while on the other hand the popular tourist destination Lonavala is located at a distance of 180 kms from the town. If you are planning to drive to Mahabaleshwar from Aurangabad then you will be required to cover a distance of about 350 kms while driving from Nasik will require you to cover a distance of about 330 kms. If you are at Shirdi and are paying your trip to the Saibaba Temple, then you will take approximately 6 hours to reach Mahabaleshwar from there after covering a distance of about 310 kms. Kolhapur is situated at a distance of about 180 kms from Mahabaleshwar and Solapur is located at 290 kms distance from the hill station.
Governments as well as Private Buses are available from the entire above destinations to the Mahabaleshwar. Also, one can opt for hiring a private cab in order to enchant their journey. Those inquiring about how to reach Mahabaleshwar can also opt for railways to reach this fascinating hill station. One of the nearest railway stations to the town is situated at Wathar. This railway station in Pune is a convenient way for the travelers to reach Mahabaleshwar from different parts of the country.
On the other hand, if you are planning to visit Mahabaleshwar via airways then you should pick a flight to Pune. The closest airport from Mahabaleshwar is located in Pune. This airport runs a number of flights from various major cities to Pune like New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.
By Road:
There are about 37 bus routes from Mahabaleshwar in which a number of bus operators are providing their services. MSRTC (Maharashtra State Road Transport Service) runs a number of buses from Mahabaleshwar hill station to different cities like Mumbai, Pune, Nasik, Panchgani, Satara and Kolhapur. Some private bus operators also provide their range of buses to the travelers from different parts of the country. These buses are luxury, non luxury, AC, non- AC, Volvo buses, Deluxe and other vehicles to and from Mahabaleshwar.
By Train:
Taxis can be availed conveniently at Mahabaleshwar at a fixed fare of Rs. 450 for local sightseeing and Rs. 750 to go to Pratapgad and coming back.
By Air:
Pune, which is located at a distance of 120 kms is the nearest airport for Mahabaleshwar. If you plan to travel to the hill station, you should board a flight for Pune and then can hire a taxi or private car or can even go by bus. Plenty of facilities are offered in the premises of the airport for tourists visiting the place.
By Rail:
Satara is the nearest railway station located around 58 km, while the nearest major railway junction is located at Pune at a distance of about 120 km. Another major railway station is situated at Wather at a distance of 62 km. If you plan to travel to Mahabaleshwar by train, you should reach the Pune railhead as it is the most convenient station because of its better connectivity with the hill station.