Hello,
@Bhima! Welcome to the forum.
I have two important questions, the first which route would I take to go from Chandigarh to Nainital?
There are two routes that you can take to reach Nainital from Chandigarh:
- Route No. 1 via NH44 - Chandigarh > Ambala > Kurukshetra > Karnal > Shamli > Muzaffarnagar > Bijnor > Kashipur > Ramnagar > Nainital.
This route is about 449 kms long. You can reach Nainital in 9 hours, more or less. From Chandigarh to Ambala, you won't encounter any problems. Roads are smooth and in good condition due to the fact that it's well-maintained. There's also a toll here so be prepared for that.
From Ambala to Shamli, this is about 128 kms. Overall, it's in good condition due to recent road updates and maintenance. There's another toll here so do be prepared for that as well.
From Shamli to Muzaffarnagar, this is a two-lane road. There are constant speed breakers along the way so you cannot go beyond 60 to 70 km/h. However, road conditions are excellent and it's a smooth drive.
From Muzaffarnagar to Nainital, road conditions are okay. There's an hour stretch from Muzaffarnagar to Bijnor, where the roads are in bad shape. But after that, the roads are smooth again until Nainital.
- Route No. 2 via NH709A - Chandigarh > Ambala > Kurukshetra > Karnal > Shamli > Meerut > Gajraula > Moradabad > Rampur > Nainital.
This route is about 484 kms long. It can take you 9 hours or more to cover this distance. From Chandigarh to Shamli, you can just refer to the road conditions posted above.
From Meerut to Moradabad, road conditions are excellent. The distance covered is around 117 kms and it can take you 2 hours or less to reach Moradabad. This route also has a toll so do prepare some money for that.
From Moradabad to Rampur and finally to Nainital, road conditions are good. You might encounter some diversions but you can pass through them easily.
It's up to you really which route you want to take. I'd recommend the first route since it's what most travellers use anyway and the roads are in good condition. Some travellers use the other route for reaching Mukteshwar so if you'd like to include that in your itinerary, then take this route.
As the distance is quite a bit where should I make a stop over?
You can either have stopovers at Muzaffarnagar (Route No. 1) or at Meerut (Route No. 2). Both of these towns/cities are halfway through your journey and you can have some quick snack and toilet break in them.
As mentioned above the distance is a lot, should I take public transport or drive my car there?
I think it's still more convenient to bring your own car as you can control the stopovers along the way. Since you're going with your family as well, it's better to bring a car especially if you have children or elderly members with you. Bus and train rides can be exhausting especially for the younger or older people.
I hope this helps!
