[vasanth.vaidya]

Hi All,

Which road would you recommend from Trichy to Palakkad?

I am looking for a smooth drive with family.

[ajithbr]

Originally Posted by vasanth.vaidya

Hi All,

Which road would you recommend from Trichy to Palakkad?

I am looking for a smooth drive with family.

Got to be Trichy->Dindigul->Oddanchathram->Palani->Pollachi->Palakkad only !

For a mid-way break, you can stop at Royal Park Hotel in Palani. This would be on the Dindigul->Palani road just before Palani town, in fact just before the small left road that goes directly to the parking lot (near RopeWay station) for the heavy vehicles. You wont miss this hotel as it is relatively big building in the locality and many cars can be spotted in front of the hotel. IIRC, it comes on the left side while going towards Palani.

[ampere]

Add to it the town of Udumalpettai in between. Is there a good way to bypass
Udumalpettai and Pollachi? I dont see many options for these two cities. One can easily loose up to half an hour.

[ajithbr]

Originally Posted by ampere

Add to it the town of Udumalpettai in between. Is there a good way to bypass
Udumalpettai and Pollachi? I dont see many options for these two cities. One can easily loose up to half an hour.

Both the above as well as Oddanchathram dont have a bye-pass, AFAIK !
Let us hear if anyone else knows about a good bye-pass option for these 2 towns. But, my belief is that even if such a route exists, it will be a big detour not worth taking.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by ajithbr

Both the above as well as Oddanchathram dont have a bye-pass, AFAIK !
Let us hear if anyone else knows about a good bye-pass option for these 2 towns. But, my belief is that even if such a route exists, it will be a big detour not worth taking.

How is Trichy-Dindigul-Odanchatram-Dharapuram-Pollachi-Palakkad.

This should be much faster as it avoids Palani, Udumapettai. SH should be decent.
But again we have Dharapuram to cross.

[ajithbr]

Originally Posted by ampere

How is Trichy-Dindigul-Odanchatram-Dharapuram-Pollachi-Palakkad.

This should be much faster as it avoids Palani, Udumapettai. SH should be decent.
But again we have Dharapuram to cross.

I suggested NH-209 because it is a straight-forward and hassle-free ride. I have been to Palani twice in the last month, once went to Calicut and the other time came back to Namakkal via Oddanchatram. Did not find any issues in crossing all 3 towns mentioned in the earlier post, most probably since I did not have to stop and look/ask for directions. However, from my experience, I believe that going around Dharapuram is not fun and the bye-pass(ring road) has too many junctions and some of them were bottlenecks in my last trip because of lorry traffic (esp. the turn-off to Karur where the road is narrow) and lots of haphazard parking.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by ajithbr

Did not find any issues in crossing all 3 towns mentioned in the earlier post, most probably since I did not have to stop and look/ask for directions.

This may be the reason. Crossing Pollachi is quite a trouble with its one way traffic.
I think Udumalpettai should be fine. Its not that big a problem.

[ramzsys]

How about NH 67?

Trichy-Cbe(Sulur-Ukkadam)-Palakkad.

Is the roadwork between Trichy-Karur completed?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by ramzsys

How about NH 67?

Trichy-Cbe(Sulur-Ukkadam)-Palakkad.

Is the roadwork between Trichy-Karur completed?

Trichy-Karur NH67 is under construction and not at all in good condition.
Else this would be a good option.

[ramzsys]

Originally Posted by ampere

Trichy-Karur NH67 is under construction and not at all in good condition.
Else this would be a good option.

Thanks Ampere for the update. Am driving to Srirangam this weekend and since it is at the other end of Trichy, NH 67 was the best way to reach from Coimbatore side avoiding both the Trichy traffic as well as the byepass mess.

For the past 5 year or so, whenever i take the NH 67, i was hopeful that situation would have improved, but only to despair later.

The NH209 then it is!

[ampere]

Originally Posted by ramzsys

For the past 5 year or so, whenever i take the NH 67, i was hopeful that situation would have improved, but only to despair later.

I don't know why I also never hear anything good about that section.
Bangalore folks also never take that route and go via Namakkal/Thuraiyur or Musiri but never Karur.
Don't know when they will finish that 4-lane!

[hvkumar]

I don't think either Udumaliapet or Pollachi are problematic to cross, despite there being no bypasses. NH209 goes straight through Udumalaipet and on entering Pollachi, you will see clear signages indicating the Palakkad road to the left of the Coimbatore road.

[rameshnanda]

Trichy-Dindigul-Palani-Pollachi-Palakkad is the best route from Trichy.

The only pain area from Dindigul-Palani is the 4 railway crossings which are pathetic. If your car has low GC, it will be problematic. And from Pollachi till the Kerala border, the roads are below average. Once you enter Kerala, the road becomes smooth.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by rameshnanda

The only pain area from Dindigul-Palani is the 4 railway crossings which are pathetic. If your car has low GC, it will be problematic.

Been there and done that! Its not that bad, and the wide 2-lane compensates for the 5 bad crossings. BTW isn't it been almost a decade since the gauge conversion started ?

[rameshnanda]

Originally Posted by narayans80

Been there and done that! Its not that bad, and the wide 2-lane compensates for the 5 bad crossings. BTW isn't it been almost a decade since the gauge conversion started ?

I agree that it is bearable. After some smooth drive, this sudden crossings irritate a lot. I did this route 2 weeks back.