Chennai-Yercaud : Route info

[saurabh711]

Hi,

I am planning on a trip to Yercaud as I have 4 days off coming on the Sep -1 to Sep -4 long weekend.

This is my plan:

Day - 1 : Chennai - Yercaud (stay at Yercaud)
Day - 2 : Yercaud
Day - 3 : Yercaud - Chennai (back Home)

If anyone has driven on either of the following routes

1. Chennai - Tindivanam - Salem - Yercaud
2. Chennai - Krishnagiri - Salem - Yercaud

could you please advise which will be a better one?
Also, info on the road conditions would be really helpful.

I have booked the Hotel Grand Palace at Yercaud, so taken care of the staying part.

Thanks,
Saurabh

[nil]

go thro salem. That is shorter. Also make sure you stop buy at salem for refueling before reaching yercurd. fuel quality might be bad in salem. you may have to start early to reach yercurd before sun set. i guess there are restrictions to go uphill after sunset. pls check with hotel guys. if you are not keen on driving. i will suggest che to salem train and taxi from salem to yercurd

good luck

[saurabh711]

I would anyways be going through Salem. I wanted to know which route out of Tindivanam/Krishnagiri would be better?

[goldsun]

Krishnagiri Route is far better. The Ulundurpet - Salem stretch used to be horrible and you may wish to avoid that. On the Krishnagiri route, the four laning work is in progress in the Krishnagiri - Dharmapuri stretch.

[akroy]

Krishnagiri Route is always better...I can suggest you one more thing...

While going, Take the yelagiri road from Vaniyambadi, that will take you to Tirupattur, battarahalli, dharmapuri...(i know till Tirupattur the road is nice but it will not be that speedy as GQ), dont know the condition after that though, but i guess it should be fine too...by doing this you can bypass the Krishnagiri - Dharmapuri route...

While returning you can try out the Dharmapuri - Krishnagiri route...

Abhi

[saurabh711]

Thanks Abhi. I'll go via the Krishnagiri route then. Is there anything special about the Tirupattur, battarahalli, dharmapuri - route ??

Thanks
Saurabh

[csentil]

Its GQ from Chennai to Krishnagiri. Krishnagiri to Dharmapuri and Dharmapuri till Omulur bypass is bad again except for the Thoppur ghat section which has 6 lane for around 3 kms.

Avoid driving in the Krishnagiri->Salem stretch during nite time. Do not tag buses as they will go over the potholes and you through them !!! Some of them are not potholes but deep pits !!! But its not as bad as the Thindivanam->Ulundurpet->Salem sector

[pjay_in]

I drove to Yercaud from Chennai very recently (on 20th Aug) and stayed in Yercaud for 3 days before driving further to Kerala.

I took the Krishnagiri route, and except for a short stretch immediately after Thoppur ghats (between Dharmapuri and Salem), the roads were driveable throughout. The GQ till Krishnagiri is superb (though you have to pay tolls four times before Krishnagiri), and then the Krishnagiri - Thoppur stretch is driveable. Four laning work is going on, so your speed will be reduced considerably. Immediately after Thoppur the road is very bad for some distance. After that stretch the road is driveable, and closer to Salem it is comparable to the GQ, with four lanes and a wide median.

If you tank up in Chennai before you start, the ideal thing to do will be to drive almost till Salem before filling up again. There is a Reliance filling station with an A1 Plaza about 20 km before Salem. You can fill your tank and if the time is right, have lunch here too.

I might post a travelogue on my Yercaud trip in a few days time. But since you are likely to travel before I post the report, here are some brief statistics of my onward journey to Yercaud:

Route taken: Chennai - Krishnagiri - Dharmapuri - Salem - Yercaud

I set zero on my trip meter at Ashok Nagar, Chennai.

Hit NH4 at 8:00 am (poonamallee).

First toll plaza at 30.8 km ((8:16 am) - Rs.30/-

If you havent had breakfast yet, you have two options before you reach Vellore:

1) Hotel Arusuvai on your left just before 50 km (as per my trip meter)
2) Reliance A1 Plaza at 52 km on my trip meter.

Second toll plaza at 97.9 km (9:08 am) - Rs 26/-

If you missed the above two hotels for breakfast, you can stop at Fisherman Hotel (113.5 km) or wait till you reach Vellore (127 km - 9:30 am)

I had a 20 min tea break at 147 km at a roadside stall.

Third toll plaza at 150 km (9:53 am) Rs. 45/-
Fourth toll plaza at 201.7 km (10:31 am) Rs. 35/-

Krishnagiri at 248.5 km, 11 am.

Dharmapuri at 291 km, 12:00

Reliance A1 plaza (where I tanked up and had lunch) at 333.8 (12:50 pm)

Salem at 353 km (1:00 pm).

Hope this information helps. Yercaud is just about 30 km from Salem, and the road is good all the way up.

Have a good trip!

regards,
Jay

[PRADEEP KUMAR]

Originally Posted by akroy

Krishnagiri Route is always better...I can suggest you one more thing...

While going, Take the yelagiri road from Vaniyambadi, that will take you to Tirupattur, battarahalli, dharmapuri...(i know till Tirupattur the road is nice but it will not be that speedy as GQ), dont know the condition after that though, but i guess it should be fine too...by doing this you can bypass the Krishnagiri - Dharmapuri route...

While returning you can try out the Dharmapuri - Krishnagiri route...

Abhi

FOLKS,
Has anyone used the vaniyambadi-tirupattur-salem route.

Pls update. thnx.

[Proxima]

1. Chennai - Tindivanam - Salem - Yercaud
2. Chennai - Krishnagiri - Salem - Yercaud

Which is the better route?

[esteem_lover]

Originally Posted by Proxima

1. Chennai - Tindivanam - Salem - Yercaud
2. Chennai - Krishnagiri - Salem - Yercaud

Which is the better route?

I think you got your answers already.

Originally Posted by goldsun

Krishnagiri Route is far better. The Ulundurpet - Salem stretch used to be horrible and you may wish to avoid that. On the Krishnagiri route, the four laning work is in progress in the Krishnagiri - Dharmapuri stretch.

Originally Posted by akroy

Krishnagiri Route is always better...I can suggest you one more thing...

While going, Take the yelagiri road from Vaniyambadi, that will take you to Tirupattur, battarahalli, dharmapuri...(i know till Tirupattur the road is nice but it will not be that speedy as GQ), dont know the condition after that though, but i guess it should be fine too...by doing this you can bypass the Krishnagiri - Dharmapuri route...

While returning you can try out the Dharmapuri - Krishnagiri route...

Abhi

and nothing much has changed since then

[pjay_in]

If anyone is visiting Yercaud this winter, please give a report on the weather. How is it like in December and Jan?

[Surprise]

Been there last weekend. Wonderful and manageable climate. But the roads from Krishnagiri to Salem is in very worst condition expect few small good stretches.

[SRShrikanth]

Hey Guys,

Need some help with my road-trip planning.

Am slated to be in Salem for a family wedding in the last week of Jan.

Is this a good time for a Yercaud trip with family and anyone can help me with directions, please. Salem - Yercaud - Salem. Approx 2 days can be spared for this trip exclusively.

The vehicle will be a self Indica Turbo.

Your views on this terrain and the precautions that need to be adhered to, will certainly help.

Cheers

[rjstyles69]

Nothing much to plan here man. Search around the travelogues section, you will find a few pointers for the places to be visited.

Salem Yercuad is a straight drive and honestly there ain't nothing to do in Yercaud for 2 full days unless you wanna laze around.