Islamabad to Lahore by car: planning the trip

The M-2 starts just west of Rawalpindi, where it meets the M-1, and runs south to Thokar Niaz Baig, on the western edge of Lahore. On the way it passes through the hills of the Salt Range around Kallar Kahar, then crosses the plains of Punjab.

Because the motorway starts and ends outside the city centres, the drive to it and away from it is part of the trip too. A slow crawl out of Islamabad at rush hour, or into Lahore in the evening, adds noticeably to the journey, and at the far end your driver still has to cross the city to reach your door.

An early start is the simplest plan. You leave before the city traffic builds, you drive in daylight, and you reach the other end with most of the day still ahead of you. If you have to be somewhere at a fixed time, work backwards: around four hours of driving, a break, and a margin for traffic in both cities. Traffic also builds before Eid, when many families travel between cities, so leave earlier than usual then.

Winter needs one more check. Dense fog often settles over the plains of Punjab in the colder months, and when visibility drops the motorway police close sections of the M-2 until it lifts. Before a winter trip, call the motorway police helpline on 130 for the latest conditions, and keep your plans loose enough to wait out a closure. In foggy weather the police advise travelling in daylight.

InterCity has two ways to travel, and the better choice depends on who is going and what you are taking with you.

• Take the whole car if you are travelling as a family or a group, carrying a lot of luggage, or simply want the car to yourselves for the whole way.
• Choose shared seats if you are travelling alone or as a pair and don’t mind company. It is the carpool way to make the trip: you share the car with other passengers heading in the same direction.
• If you are a woman travelling alone, read about safety on InterCity before you pick a shared ride.

A carpool works best when everyone is considerate. A few habits make it easy for all of you:

• Be ready when your driver arrives: on a shared ride, other passengers are waiting too.
• Bring only the luggage you told your driver about, so there is room for everyone’s bags.
• Keep phone calls short and quiet, and use headphones for music or videos.
• If something about the plan worries you, raise it with your driver in the app before you set off rather than on the road.

A long drive goes better with a little preparation:

• Choose a pick-up point where a car can stop safely and your driver can find you easily, such as your gate or a quiet side street rather than a busy junction.
• If you are bringing something bulky, such as a large suitcase or a few boxes, mention it to your driver in the app’s chat, so you both know it will fit.
• Take water and a snack. Service areas are spread out along the motorway, and you may not want to stop at the first one.
• Share your ride live with someone at home, so they can follow your progress without having to call.

Four hours is a long time for small children and older passengers. A private ride gives everyone room to spread out and makes an extra stop easy to arrange, so let your driver know at the start that you may need one. Keep medicines, water and snacks in a bag at your feet rather than in the boot. If anyone is prone to car sickness, give them a window seat, especially for the hilly section through the Salt Range.

The return trip is the same drive in reverse. You join the M-2 at Thokar Niaz Baig and leave it at its northern end, just outside Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The winter fog advice applies just as much, and so does rush-hour traffic, this time as you come into the twin cities.

If you are catching a flight from Islamabad after the drive, leave a generous gap between reaching the city and your flight. Our guide to getting to Islamabad International Airport covers the last leg.