Chennai-Kochi route details

[lloydofcochin]

Originally Posted by Sunney

Can you please give a turn to turn route from Salem-Krishnagiri-Chennai route. I mean those junctions where I need to turn to be on the right route?
I traveled 2 years ago through this route, but of late lot of changes, widening making the route totally different.

Please help, if possible.
Thanks

If you are driving from Cochin when you are approaching Krishnagiri to go to Chennai you have to take the Right turn after the 1st over bridge. You would see signage for Chennai, Pondicherry etc from there just follow directions for Vellore and Chennai.

And when you are approaching Salem pls watch out for the turn off to Bangalore on your Left. There are chances that at speed you may miss it. Post that the signages are good and once you get it you can have a free run to Krishnagiri.

After you hit the 4 lane post Avinashi watch out for those morons driving on the wrong side of the road. I always try to keep my Car towards the center of the road to get some buffer to react in case they come my way

[Sunney]

Originally Posted by lloydofcochin

If you are driving from Cochin when you are approaching Krishnagiri to go to Chennai you have to take the Right turn after the 1st over bridge. You would see signage for Chennai, Pondicherry etc from there just follow directions for Vellore and Chennai.

And when you are approaching Salem pls watch out for the turn off to Bangalore on your Left. There are chances that at speed you may miss it. Post that the signages are good and once you get it you can have a free run to Krishnagiri.

After you hit the 4 lane post Avinashi watch out for those morons driving on the wrong side of the road. I always try to keep my Car towards the center of the road to get some buffer to react in case they come my way

Thanks a lot for the late night advice, thanks. I would like to meet you in the next Cochin TBHp Meet !
Let me set sail now.

[Moonraker]

Hey Guys,
Me and my team are planning for a trip to Kochi this weekend, I did a Kochi to Coimbatore trip 2 months back and my car rim was bent while doing the stretch from Thrissur to Palakkad. Wanted to check if the stretch from Coimbatore to Thrissur is still with pot holes or did the highway department do something about it? Any help on the latest condition of this stretch would be appreciated. thanks in advance.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Moonraker

Hey Guys,
Me and my team are planning for a trip to Kochi this weekend, I did a Kochi to Coimbatore trip 2 months back and my car rim was bent while doing the stretch from Thrissur to Palakkad. Wanted to check if the stretch from Coimbatore to Thrissur is still with pot holes or did the highway department do something about it? Any help on the latest condition of this stretch would be appreciated. thanks in advance.

You can go via Munnar hills instead of Palakkad-Thrichur.

Chennai-Trichy-Dindigul-Theni-Bodi-Poppara-Rajakkad-Adimali-Kothamangalam-Muvattupuza-Kochi

If you want to stick to the regular options you can also try:

Chennai-Trichy-Dindigul-Odanchatram-Dharapuram-Pollachi-Vadakkancherri-Trichur-Angamaly-Ernakulam.

Note that you can bypass Udumalpet by going via Dharapuram. I think crossing Dharapuram would be easier than crossing Udumalpet.

[Moonraker]

Thanks Amp for the route details, woudl try the Dharapuram - Pollachi road instead of Munnar.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by Moonraker

Thanks Amp for the route details, woudl try the Dharapuram - Pollachi road instead of Munnar.

From pollachi you could go via govindapuram-kollengode-alathur-pazhayannur-wadakancheri-thrissur-kochi.from pollachi to kochi via this route should take you around 3hrs.roads excellent and traffic is less.

[kala]

Originally Posted by ampere

You can go via Munnar hills instead of Palakkad-Thrichur.

Chennai-Trichy-Dindigul-Theni-Bodi-Poppara-Rajakkad-Adimali-Kothamangalam-Muvattupuza-Kochi

This may not be advisable in view of this message which says that the Bodi route may have traffic blockages this month.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post3064912 (Current Condition of Road To kerala)

[Moonraker]

Thanks to all for the valuable suggestions, we hired a driver and he took us in a different route 85% of the roads were in good condition.

Tambaram->Tindivanam->Villupuram->Ulundurpet->Salem->Erode->Coimbatore->Pallakkad->Vadakamcherry->thrissur->Kochi

The road till erode was 4 lane and after that the "Take Diversion" Routes started till we reach Coimbatore.

Coimbatore to Vadakamcherry roads were patched and the potholes were missing...However after Vadamcherry till Thrissur the roads were as pathetic as before and we cant cross more than 45KMPH till we reach Thrissur.

This is the latest update as of 18th March

Ulundurpet to Salem road starts with 4 lane and suddenly it would change to two lane then again change to 4 lane. You would have warning sign boards which would say when the roads would change from 4 lane to 2 lane...please watch it and adjust your driving or overtaking.

Till Villupuram there are new Kumbakkonam Coffee shops which serve Excellent Strong Filter coffee for Rs 20, they serve it in copper or brass cups and enough parking space to relax. We stopped 3 times to just drink the coffee

Net - Net excellent trip but the time taken was approximately 15 hours to reach Kochi... We started at 5AM and reached Kochi by 8PM, We had 6 breaks including Breakfast and Lunch and Coffee...

[joecherian]

Has anyone tried Chennai-Dindigul-Pollachi-Trichur route ? Distance wise, it seems 40 kms more than the salem route but I was looking to avoid the heavily "trafficulated" salem-avinashi-(start road construction-palghat-bad road-trichur ) section

Does it make sense to take this for a night drive tonight ?

This is what I am talking about

http://goo.gl/maps/4idwj

[ampere]

Originally Posted by joecherian

Has anyone tried Chennai-Dindigul-Pollachi-Trichur route ? Distance wise, it seems 40 kms more than the salem route but I was looking to avoid the heavily "trafficulated" salem-avinashi-(start road construction-palghat-bad road-trichur ) section

According me thats the best option. People have tried this in bits and pieces and route over all is very good. Some notes :

- From Dindigul dont goto Pollachi via Udumalpet. You can take Odanchatram/Dharapuram route. That way you avoid Udumalpet
- From Pollachi you can either do : Pollachi-Vadakancherry-Trichur (on NH47) are the more round about (but with much better roads) Pollachi-Kollengode-Alathur-Pazhayanur-Wadakancherry-Trichur.

Its 4-lane from there on.

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by joecherian

Has anyone tried Chennai-Dindigul-Pollachi-Trichur route ? Distance wise, it seems 40 kms more than the salem route but I was looking to avoid the heavily "trafficulated" salem-avinashi-(start road construction-palghat-bad road-trichur ) section

The Avinashi-CBE-PGT stretch is quite usable now with just a few points of discomfort in between. Stick to the regular route upto PGT, then take the Shornur route to Trichur and you should be fine. All these roundabout routes may have been useful during the first part of the Avinashi-CBE 4-laning, but is now unnecessary.

This is my personal opinion based on the fact that I took a roundabout route via Munnar-Theni-Dindigul to reach Chennai, but decided to try the regular route on the way back - I guess I wouldve saved a couple of hours if I had stuck to the original route.

The only part you need to avoid now is the Alathur-Vadakkenchery-Trichur route. That does not look like its going to get better anytime in the near future.

[joecherian]

Originally Posted by ampere

According me thats the best option. People have tried this in bits and pieces and route over all is very good. Some notes :

- From Dindigul dont goto Pollachi via Udumalpet. You can take Odanchatram/Dharapuram route. That way you avoid Udumalpet
- From Pollachi you can either do : Pollachi-Vadakancherry-Trichur (on NH47) are the more round about (but with much better roads) Pollachi-Kollengode-Alathur-Pazhayanur-Wadakancherry-Trichur.

Its 4-lane from there on.

Thanks ampere. One question though is, does it make even better to come through Karur ? ie, deviate from Trichy to Karur on to Dharapuram ? Any idea of the road conditions ?

http://goo.gl/maps/i2uae

[ampere]

Originally Posted by joecherian

Thanks ampere. One question though is, does it make even better to come through Karur ? ie, deviate from Trichy to Karur on to Dharapuram ? Any idea of the road conditions ?

@joe Most status updates used to be bad. Not sure how it is today. I would prefer the Dindigul option.

I also tend to agree with what Steeroid mentions. But personally I would prefer going through Dindigul, because smaller towns and easier to pass. And mostly low on traffic. Agreed you cant sprint on these roads, like you can do on a 4-lane, but the pleasure of driving on these roads also adds to the charm. And they are also sufficiently quick. (Till Dindigul you anyway get 4-lane. But you also have to cross Trichy. While on the other you option you have to go through Salem/CBE/Palakkad.

[joecherian]

Originally Posted by ampere

@joe Most status updates used to be bad. Not sure how it is today. I would prefer the Dindigul option.

I also tend to agree with what Steeroid mentions. But personally I would prefer going through Dindigul, because smaller towns and easier to pass. And mostly low on traffic. Agreed you cant sprint on these roads, like you can do on a 4-lane, but the pleasure of driving on these roads also adds to the charm. And they are also sufficiently quick. (Till Dindigul you anyway get 4-lane. But you also have to cross Trichy. While on the other you option you have to go through Salem/CBE/Palakkad.

Thanks @amp. I will stick to this for tonight's drive
http://goo.gl/maps/nXIbQ

[ampere]

Originally Posted by joecherian

Thanks @amp. I will stick to this for tonight's drive
http://goo.gl/maps/nXIbQ

@joe

I didn't realize it is a night drive. I don't know how is at night beyond Pollachi. Maybe in that case as Steeroid mentioned Salem/Shornur may be a better idea? Because at night four lanes would have better services and facilities.

Check with others too.