Cabanatuan City Travel Forum

Its my 1st time to visit the province. I'll be bringing a car and im driving. What's the best route to take in going to cabanatuan? What provinces do i pass? do i go via the north luzon expressway and go all the way till the end? after that then what?

thanks for the help! =)

You take the North Luzon expressway and go for 57km (counting from the center of Manila, I think Rizal Park). About 9km before the exit of San Fernando you get out of the expressway to the right (north-east), to Sta Ana, Arayat, ... Gapan (about 50km). There you turn left (north) to San Leonardo, Sta Rosa, Cabanatuan (20km).

A second option:
You take the North Luzon expressway and go for 38km. Get out of the expressway to the right (north-east, on the "National Highway" that is not really a highway) to Plaridel, Baliuag, San Ildefonso, San Miguel, Gapan ... etc (about 54km, then you join the previous itinerary at Gapan).

Not sure, but I think the first option is faster, although a little longer.

Stefanos

The first suggested route above is quicker, you get off the NLEX at the San Simon exit instead of the Sta. Rita exit that you first encounter when headed north.
Before Gapan however there is a short cut at the town of Jaen where you take a left at an intersection (don't know the street's name but there's a Lhuiller pawnshop at the corner) that will take you to San Leonardo and thus avoid the traffic at Gapan town.

recommend the option through the san simon exit by stamporama. Taking that route would bypass the traffic along the maharlika highway from pulilan to gapan.

bong

going to cabanatuan city by bus (buses ply the bulacan route) takes you around 3-4 hours approximately... private transportation, such as by car saves you 30 minutes of precious time (3 hours or 2 hours to the max), depending on traffic conditions... the only consequence is the rising gas prices (premium fuel @ P44/lit. - this requires you to fill up ur car around P1,000+ so you can get back and forth Manila-Cabanatuan); however, if money is not an issue, travelling by car is more speedy and comfortable... I also recommend you taking NLEX and exiting San Simon Exit (before Sn. Fernando Exit), turn right towards Mexico, Pampanga, and then again turning right towards the way to Arayat (called highway 7 or the Olongapo-Gapan Road)... Avoid turning left (shortcut to Jaen, Nueva Ecija) for the road is under construction as of now, head straight to Gapan, then turn left towards (Maharlika Highway) Cabanatuan (about 20 kms. from Gapan), and after passing around 3 towns, you will be able to reach the City of Cabanatuan!

by the way cabanatuan city reads Km. 109 on the highway post (Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija-Cabanatuan City border), and upon reaching the vicinity, you will be greeted to the sight of the massive N.E. Pacific Mall at the left side of the highway... the town proper is located approximately 115 kilometers away from Manila... slightly a few kilometers nearer than Tarlac, Tarlac, from Manila, which is about an hour away from Cabanatuan City...

Hint:
approaching the city is characterized by the sight of countless tricycles in the streets (i think cabanatuan city has the most numbers of cabs)... there are no taxis in cabanatuan, add to that... so be careful in driving for these cabs go haywards in all directions...

if there is only an NLEX exit nearer to Cabanatuan, then it would be very great, imagine avoiding all traffic issues in Bulacan... i have heard that the NLEX will be extended all the way to Pangasinan (so that people going to Baguio will have a shorter time travelling), traversing all of Tarlac and eventually crossing a part of Nueva Ecija (Aliaga/Zaragoza)... Now that would be remarkable... but that proposal came way back in the early 90's when then President Fidel Ramos (whose hometown is Umingan, Pangasinan) was still head of the country... i hope they will continue to push through this project...