Hello,
@Ladoo! Welcome to the forum!
1. Which route would I need to take?
Here are the road routes you can take to reach Diu from Surat:
- Route No. 1 via NH51 - Surat > Ankleshwar > Karian > Dholera > Bhavnagar > Mahuva > Una > Diu.
This route is about 536 kilometres so you need about 10 hours or more to cover this distance. This is a suitable route for those not wanting to pass by Somnath. It is also the usually chosen route by travellers going by car because of its shorter distance. Most state buses also take this route to reach Diu.
- Route No. 2 via NH48 - Surat > Ankleshwar > Karjan > Dholera > Vallabhipur > Savar Kundla > Una > Diu.
This route is about 530 kilometres long and you need about 10 hours and 30 minutes to cover this distance. This is also another good route, but you'd pass by Vallabhipur instead of Bhavnagar with this one. The advantage of this one is that the state buses don't pass through here so traffic won't be an issue.
- Route No. 3 via NH151 - Surat > Ankleshwar > Vadodara > Anand > Dholka > Rajkot > Gondal > Jetpur > Junagadh > Somnath > Kesaria > Diu.
This route is about 724 kms long and it can take you 11 hours or more to cover this distance. This is the longest route but a good choice if you'd like to include Somnath in your itinerary.
I'd recommend the second route as it is the shortest out of the three. Road conditions are also good in this route and you won't encounter as much traffic as compared to the first one since it is not taken by state buses.
2. What are road conditions and traffic like on this route?
So again, here is the route:
- Route No. 2 via NH48 - Surat > Ankleshwar > Karjan > Dholera > Vallabhipur > Savar Kundla > Una > Diu.
From Surat to Karjan, roads are in good condition. You won't encounter much problems in this route. It's also fairly short at 122 kilometres and you can reach Karjan in about 2 hours.
From Karjan to Vallabhipur, roads are in two lanes and again, in good conditions. Average speeds would be 80 to 90 km/h. You can reach the latter in about 4 hours or more.
From Vallabhipur to Una, roads are mostly in single lanes or two lanes. You can reach the latter in about 4 hours. Average speeds would be 55 to 65 km/h though due to the single lanes.
From Una to Diu, this is just 16 kms long and you can reach the latter in about 30 minutes. Roads are good as well although this is a hilly and jungle region so petrol pumps are sparse here. Do fill your fuel tank before reaching this route.
3. How long would the journey take bearing in consideration the traffic?
The journey for the second route can take around 10 hours and 30 minutes to complete. There's not much traffic in this route so the maximum time it can take you to cover this distance is about 11 hours.
4. Is it safe driving during the night?
It is possible to drive at night time with this route but I really won't recommend it. Maybe if you are already familiar with this route, then it can be okay. But if it's your first time driving through this route, it's better to drive during the day so you won't encounter any problems or even if you do, it is easier to ask for help.
I hope this helps!