Picking the season
The monsoon, from about July to September, is the riskiest time at the Jammu end, with landslides on nearby hill roads and streams that can flood suddenly. In December and January, fog settles over the Punjab plains between Pathankot and Chandigarh. May and June are hot throughout.
October to November and February to March are usually the most comfortable and predictable months.
Leaving Jammu
If your home is in the old city's lanes above the Tawi, a truck can't reach the door, and goods will be carried down to the nearest road. Colonies such as Gandhi Nagar, Bakshi Nagar and Sainik Colony are easier. If you're leaving cantonment housing, fix the vacating notice, inspection and passes with the unit office before booking.
Roll carpets rather than folding them, and wrap walnut-wood pieces in blankets.
From the hills to the plains
The road runs south through Samba and Kathua into Punjab near Pathankot, then on across the Doaba region, either through Mukerian and Hoshiarpur or by way of Jalandhar, before reaching Chandigarh from the west. Ask the mover which way they'll go.
At about 339 km, goods usually arrive the morning after dispatch. A shared truck may wait for other goods first, so ask which you're getting.
Into the tricity
Chandigarh's numbered sectors have kothis, government housing and apartment blocks on wide roads that suit a truck. Mohali, in Punjab, has new towers and phases towards the airport, and Panchkula, in Haryana, has quieter sectors under the hills. Give the mover the exact house number, sector or phase, and the floor. Apartment societies usually ask for notice and a lift slot.
Arriving from the west brings the truck past Mohali and Kharar first, which can make moves there simpler.
Defence and government families
Chandigarh and its surroundings have a large defence and government presence, so plenty of families on this route are moving between postings, or retiring to the tricity. If you're moving into official housing, ask when the keys are handed over, so the truck isn't kept waiting. If your employer is paying, check the paperwork they need; the movers we work with all issue GST invoices.
Choosing a sector
Daily life in Chandigarh revolves around each sector's own market, so check what's close by, including schools, a chemist, a gurdwara or temple, before choosing a home. Chandigarh's roads are calmer than Jammu's hill lanes, but traffic at the main roundabouts can be heavy at peak hours.
Settling in
Find out how water, power backup and heating work in your new home, and book internet as soon as you have the address. Punjabi and Hindi are widely spoken, and Dogri speakers will find others in the tricity. Our guide to moving to Chandigarh covers the first weeks in more detail.
Retiring to the tricity
Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula are popular with families retiring from service, drawn by the planned sectors, parks and hospitals. If you're moving an older parent, keep their medicines, documents and familiar things in a bag that travels with them, and set up their room first so they can rest while the rest of the home is unpacked.
Ground-floor homes or buildings with lifts are worth prioritising if anyone in the family struggles with stairs.