subject: From Pune To Lonavala By Road/rail [print this page] Pune is located in the state of Maharashtra surrounded by several lakes and hills of the Western Ghats. The small but exciting city has a rich history and was the centre of operations of the legendary king Shivaji Maharaj and later on for the British Empire. There are many places of natural beauty and historical importance like the Shaniwar Wada, Aga Khan Palace, Parvati temple and the Pataleshwar rock cut temple and many forts. Pune is famous for educational institutions, art, crafts and theatre works due to which it is rightly called as the Cultural capital of Maharashtra.
Lonavala is a hilly town among the Sahyadri ranges situated in Pune district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Bhaja and Karla Caves, Tugauli, Lonavala and Bhushi Lakes, Walvan Dam, Tikona, Tung and Visapur forts and the wax museum are the interesting places to visit in Lonavala. There are also various viewpoints that offer panoramic view of the misty green valleys, rolling hills and natural waterfalls. Fishing, trekking, paragliding and bird watching are the popular sports seen in this calm hill station.
Pune is quite close to Lonavala hill station and so reaching Lonavala is quite easy. Lonavala is the best place for a weekend trip from Pune especially during and just after monsoon. The distance from Pune to Lonavala is 65 kilometers. This popular holiday destination is placed on the Mumbai Pune Express Highway. The time taken to cover this distance by road is just one hour and a little more. There are plenty of buses and taxis plying on this route through the National Highway 4 with Kanhe and Kamshet being the major towns in between. The frequency of these buses is also quite good. The fare of the bus varies from Rs. 150 to Rs. 250 depending on the type of bus like ordinary or A/C Volvo. Private taxis charge Rs. 2000 to Rs. 2500. This may vary for a round trip or single journey. One can travel by own car if keen on driving along the hilly roads offering ample scenic beauty. Monsoon rides in the middle of the night is also very popular among Puneites.
Lonavala station lies on the main railway line between Mumbai and Pune. There are many trains running from Pune to Lonavala. Cape Mumbai Express (16382), Lokmanya Tilak Express (11044), Rajkot Express (17018) and Kakinada Town Bhavnagar Terminus Express (17204) are a few of them. There are local trains also from Pune to Lonavala with seventeen stations in between. The frequency is half an hour to one hour.
There are no flights available from Pune to Lonavala as the distance is too short. Also, Lonavala does not have an airport. The nearest airport is at Pune itself.
