Bangalore - Kochi : Route Queries

silversteed · 9th April 2018, 12:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by nair

Thanks. How many tolls will I encounter? And what is the damage at these toll booths.

This one would be of use:

http://tis.nhai.gov.in/tollplazasonmap?language=en

It does not include the BETL and L&T tolls

binand · 9th April 2018, 12:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by silversteed

Tried and tested fuel stations on the route:

In addition to all these, there is a new Essar pump that comes on the left when going towards Kerala, at the far end of the Coimbatore bypass.

nair · 13th April 2018, 21:53

Left Bangalore at around 2:20PM yesterday and reached home near Kakkanad by 12:05AM. Took 2 breaks that probably amounted to almost an hour. Really good roads at the moment except for 10-15kms in Palakkad. Tried cruise control and was genuinely surprised at how long I could use it. Probably because of low traffic on Thursday evenings. My Polo GT gave me 18.1kmpl and it was a fun drive. Looking forward to the drive back on Monday morning. Thanks a lot guys.

binand · 14th April 2018, 06:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by nair

Left Bangalore at around 2:20PM yesterday and reached home near Kakkanad by 12:05AM. Took 2 breaks that probably amounted to almost an hour.

Almost identical timing, scheduling and feedback from me too. Started from Indiranagar at 2.30 pm and reached home near Perumbavur at 11.30 pm. Same car too - did you notice a KA-53 red Polo with IDS sticker on it along the route? My two breaks that added up to 1 hour were at A2B Vaiguntam and a forgettable restaurant at Kannadi near Palakkad.

nair · 14th April 2018, 10:32

Nope sorry. I didn't notice. Maybe catch you on the way back. ;-)

binand · 14th April 2018, 12:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by nair

Nope sorry. I didn't notice. Maybe catch you on the way back. ;-)

Heh. My mistake. You drove on 12th, I on 13th.

nair · 16th August 2018, 11:44

Are the roads closed on the Bangalore Kochi route given the floods? I want to know just in case my parents have to drive out of Kochi.

ravib · 16th August 2018, 11:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by nair

Are the roads closed on the Bangalore Kochi route given the floods? I want to know just in case my parents have to drive out of Kochi.

Per latest WhatsApp forward messages (can't confirm authenticity though) the roads between Thrissur and Palghat are severely affected and in many roads in Kerala are cut off.
Unless absolutely necessary/emergency, best is to avoid travel until things become normal. My 2 cents.

-Ravi

binand · 16th August 2018, 11:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by nair

Are the roads closed on the Bangalore Kochi route given the floods? I want to know just in case my parents have to drive out of Kochi.

On the national highway, there was waterlogging at Kalamassery and landslides and blockages on Kuthiran.

There is severe flooding in Aluva, Chalakkudi and Thrissur; it not clear if the highway is affected or not.

Best is to stay put.

nair · 16th August 2018, 11:59

Slightly OT: but any suggestion on where one can drive to in case of emergencies other than Bangalore. I am getting slightly anxious about my parents who are in Kochi right now.

Mods, please delete if not relevant.

Jaggu · 16th August 2018, 12:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by nair

Slightly OT: but any suggestion on where one can drive to in case of emergencies other than Bangalore. I am getting slightly anxious about my parents who are in Kochi right now.

Only low lying areas are affected, so it is pockets where water has breached. If your parents are at a relatively higher location, they should be fine. Trivandrum is relatively ok in kerala, heard even water levels have gone down and things are returning back to normal.

naveen.raju · 16th August 2018, 12:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by nair

Slightly OT: but any suggestion on where one can drive to in case of emergencies other than Bangalore. I am getting slightly anxious about my parents who are in Kochi right now.

Mods, please delete if not relevant.

Where exactly in Cochin are they? Safe locations - Kadavanthara, Elamkulam, Panampilly.

Please do follow the "All roads to Kerala" thread. I have updated some stats as my sister is currently on their way from Cochin to Blore. Aluva (NH) is really bad and Chalakudy is even worse. Kuthiran is closed but when they checked with local people in Thrissur (where they are right now) they said they are letting few vehicles pass Kuthiran. Anyways, they are sticking with Alathur route which is the best option as of now even though it's slow moving.

Parthasarathig · 23rd September 2018, 01:58

Hi all
I am planning to drive down to Kochi and then Kottayam from Bangalore in the next month for some work related stuff. I wanted to know if it is advisable to drive down from Bangalore currently, or take a flight to Kochi and head over to Kottayam from there?
Also, How are the roads between Kochi to Kottayam? And what options would be available at around 10 pm in the night from the airport? Since program starts at 8 am next morning, I would need to plan accordingly.

I am also open to alternative route suggestions, with good drive times, if any. I will probably start at 4 pm from Bangalore, if Im driving.
Thank you in advance.

Night Raven · 23rd September 2018, 07:09

Hi, I live in Kottayam and I drove to Kottayam from Vellore via krishnagiri - dharmapuri - coimbatore route last week. So I will try to answer your queries for that part assuming you plan to take the same route.
The roads are good from krishnagiri till coimbatore. You can easily drive at 3 digit speeds all throughout. The problem starts at coimbatore L&T bypass which is quite crowded during the day even though it is in good condition. I was not able to do more than 50kmph there. After that till vadakkancherry it is again good 4 lane highway with a little bit more traffic. The worst part comes in the kuthiran section where there is practically no road left. I got stuck there in traffic for more than an hour, my car had a bad underbody hit in a giant pothole even though I was at crawling speeds and to make matters worst the ksrtc and private buses drive through that road as if they just want to kill anyone who comes in their way. It took me nearly two hours to just travel those 10-15 kms. It was so traumatic that my wife swore we would never drive this way again until the tunnel road opens up. I really would not recommend driving through this area after sunset.
After you reach mannuthi it is again good 4 lane highway with typical Kerala traffic. From kochi to Kottayam the roads are currently in good condition except for few potholed areas in thripunithura and poothotta. Altogether it took me nearly 14 hours to reach Kottayam from Vellore whereas I had done the same route in about 9 hours 7 months back.
About your airport travel question, I guess at night the only option will be prepaid taxi service from the airport.

Hope this helps.

ramases6 · 7th December 2018, 05:47

Dear Members,Any updated route suggestions for Bangalore to Kochi ?Am planning a road trip later this month. Am specifically looking for the stretch from Coimbatore to Kochi. Though I have used that route once in 2015, the flood damage to the roads as well as Kuthiran section( if it is enroute) are confusing me as in road conditions and traffic congestion. Would love to know the experience of a recent user. Thank you.

13th April 2018, 21:53	#543
nair BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 192 Thanked: 96 Times	Left Bangalore at around 2:20PM yesterday and reached home near Kakkanad by 12:05AM. Took 2 breaks that probably amounted to almost an hour. Really good roads at the moment except for 10-15kms in Palakkad. Tried cruise control and was genuinely surprised at how long I could use it. Probably because of low traffic on Thursday evenings. My Polo GT gave me 18.1kmpl and it was a fun drive. Looking forward to the drive back on Monday morning. Thanks a lot guys.
	() Thanks

14th April 2018, 10:32	#545
nair BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 192 Thanked: 96 Times	Nope sorry. I didn't notice. Maybe catch you on the way back. ;-)
	() Thanks

16th August 2018, 11:44	#547
nair BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 192 Thanked: 96 Times	Re: Bangalore - Kochi : Route Queries Are the roads closed on the Bangalore Kochi route given the floods? I want to know just in case my parents have to drive out of Kochi.
	() Thanks

16th August 2018, 11:59	#550
nair BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 192 Thanked: 96 Times	Re: Bangalore - Kochi : Route Queries Slightly OT: but any suggestion on where one can drive to in case of emergencies other than Bangalore. I am getting slightly anxious about my parents who are in Kochi right now. Mods, please delete if not relevant.
	() Thanks

23rd September 2018, 01:58	#553
Parthasarathig BHPian Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Pothole-city Posts: 892 Thanked: 541 Times View My Garage	Re: Bangalore - Kochi : Route Queries Hi all I am planning to drive down to Kochi and then Kottayam from Bangalore in the next month for some work related stuff. I wanted to know if it is advisable to drive down from Bangalore currently, or take a flight to Kochi and head over to Kottayam from there? Also, How are the roads between Kochi to Kottayam? And what options would be available at around 10 pm in the night from the airport? Since program starts at 8 am next morning, I would need to plan accordingly. I am also open to alternative route suggestions, with good drive times, if any. I will probably start at 4 pm from Bangalore, if Im driving. Thank you in advance.
	() Thanks

23rd September 2018, 07:09	#554
Night Raven BHPian Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Kottayam Posts: 194 Thanked: 851 Times	Re: Bangalore - Kochi : Route Queries Hi, I live in Kottayam and I drove to Kottayam from Vellore via krishnagiri - dharmapuri - coimbatore route last week. So I will try to answer your queries for that part assuming you plan to take the same route. The roads are good from krishnagiri till coimbatore. You can easily drive at 3 digit speeds all throughout. The problem starts at coimbatore L&T bypass which is quite crowded during the day even though it is in good condition. I was not able to do more than 50kmph there. After that till vadakkancherry it is again good 4 lane highway with a little bit more traffic. The worst part comes in the kuthiran section where there is practically no road left. I got stuck there in traffic for more than an hour, my car had a bad underbody hit in a giant pothole even though I was at crawling speeds and to make matters worst the ksrtc and private buses drive through that road as if they just want to kill anyone who comes in their way. It took me nearly two hours to just travel those 10-15 kms. It was so traumatic that my wife swore we would never drive this way again until the tunnel road opens up. I really would not recommend driving through this area after sunset. After you reach mannuthi it is again good 4 lane highway with typical Kerala traffic. From kochi to Kottayam the roads are currently in good condition except for few potholed areas in thripunithura and poothotta. Altogether it took me nearly 14 hours to reach Kottayam from Vellore whereas I had done the same route in about 9 hours 7 months back. About your airport travel question, I guess at night the only option will be prepaid taxi service from the airport. Hope this helps.
	(2) Thanks

7th December 2018, 05:47	#555
ramases6 BHPian Join Date: May 2013 Location: Bangalore Posts: 56 Thanked: 28 Times	Dear Members,Any updated route suggestions for Bangalore to Kochi ?Am planning a road trip later this month. Am specifically looking for the stretch from Coimbatore to Kochi. Though I have used that route once in 2015, the flood damage to the roads as well as Kuthiran section( if it is enroute) are confusing me as in road conditions and traffic congestion. Would love to know the experience of a recent user. Thank you.
	() Thanks