Driving down:
If you are driving down from South Mumbai, take the Eastern Express highway from Sion in North-eastern Mumbai and turn at the traffic light that leads to the Sion-Panvel Highway (this is NH4). Drive past the suburbs of Chembur, Deonar, Mankhurd and past the new townships of Vashi, Navi Mumbai, Nerul and Konkan Bhavan through to Kalamboli, Panvel, Khalapur and Khopoli. Drive up the Bor Ghat after Khopoli past Khandala, Lonavala, Karla, Kamshet, Vadgaon and Talegaon up to Dehu.

From the Dehu junction you can approach Pune from two routes. If you proceed straight on, you will encounter the industrial townships of Nigdi, Pimpri-Chinchwad and enter the city's municipal limits at Dapodi. This route is crowded with traffic except late at night. Avoid this route if you are entering the city between 15:00 and 19:00 hours. Taking a right turn at the Dehu Road junction will take you on the Pune bypass from where you can enter Pune at several points depending on where you are headed. Turn left at Tathawade for Pimpri-Chinchwad townships, at Wakad for Aundh and Shivajinagar, at Bavdhan for Kothrud and Karve Road and at Katraj for Satara Road and Bibvewadi.

Recommended stops:
Between Panvel and Khopoli, there are several clean, multi-cuisine restaurants where you could stop for a snack or a meal while resting your vehicle for the arduous climb of the Bor Ghat. If you prefer to cross the Ghat and stop later, there are restaurants and hotels from Khandala to Lonavala and beyond. These, too, serve a wide range of dishes in several styles. Some of the hotels have swimming pools and buffets.

Typical non-stop driving times:
Sion-Panvel: 1 hour
Panvel-Khopoli: 1 hour
Khopoli-Lonavala: 0.45 hour
Lonavala-Dehu: 1 hour
A non-stop drive usually takes between 3.5 to 4.15 hours. Of course, a lot depends on the traffic conditions.

By taxi
The Mumbai-Pune taxi service runs between Dadar Circle and Pune railway station. Ambassador and Premier Padmini taxis take about 4.5 hours to cover the distance. They seat four (Padmini) to five (Ambassador), which can be a little uncomfortable. You can book the entire taxi or pay for two seats, if you would like a more comfortable ride. The taxis run round-the-clock. The fare for the ride is to be paid at the starting point and costs Rs 200 per seat. A full Ambassador taxi costs Rs. 1,000 while a Padmini costs Rs 800.

By Bus
Across the road from the Mumbai-Pune taxi stand is the terminus for the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation's Dadar-Pune bus service, popularly known as the Asiad Bus Service. Buses leave for Pune every fifteen minutes between 5 a.m. and well past midnight. The last bus often leaves at 2:30 a.m. A ride costs Rs. 90. The fare is Rs 140 for the air-conditioned bus. The buses most often take the old highway (not by pass) and you can request the driver to allow you to get off at almost any point after Pimpri-Chinchwad. The buses terminate at Pune Railway Station.