[Thinking_Slow]

The fort campus is huge and google maps will take you to that area. First you will see a temple campus on the left and about 300 meters later, you will reach the fort parking area with a ticket counter. Take the tickets and go inside. Please be aware that the actual fort is on top of a hill and climb is permitted only till 3pm. They are very strict about it. I know because i was late and was not allowed to climb even a meter up

I'm not sure about pet friendliness.

[bnkmp]

Recently completed my first ever long drive from Bangalore to pondicherry during the republic day long weekend. We were a group of 4 and took the Tiruvanmalai - Gingee - Tindivinam route. The route krishnagiri till Tindivanam was a single lane but in excellent condition with very less heavy traffic. On the way we stopped at Gingee fort and it was really beautiful and ideal as well as its on the route without any significant diversion.

We also went to Pichavaram mangroves which were beautiful. The route has a mix of good and bad roads but there were some beautiful spots towards the end of the drive. Would recommend the paddle boat at pichavaram instead of the motor boat, they lead to some beautiful mangrove canopies.

We also went on a random drive towards Mahabalipuram and stumbled on an off beat fort by the sea named Alamparai fort. It was an excellent spot for an evening drive.

Food - had breakfast at Murugan idli in Krishnagiri, the food was decent but we felt 900 was expensive for a breakfast for 4. At pondi, liked Bread & choclate, Canteen 18, Boku Ramen, Fruit Bae (guess thats a franchise but we really liked the juices there). Tanto's was not so great probably due to the heavy long weekend crowd. GMT gelato was decent but we all agreed it dosent need a dedicated visit.

One of the facts im really pleased about was that the total toll amount for one side was just around 80 rs only at NECE road and Krishnagiri. The rest is free which I believe people can take advantage of as long as it lasts. As others have mentioned earlier, the toll booths are still under construction. We were also not checked for any alcohol in our car by any police which was an added bonus

Overall a really good first road trip and would recommend for any beginner drivers looking to go on a drive from Bangalore.

[SouthCity987]

Made a trip from Bangalore to Pondicherry on the weekend of 3rd May. Wrong time to go due to the heat but had no choice. However, wanted to give an update on the route for the benefit of anyone planning to go.

While travelling from Bangalore to Pondicherry, took the Krishnagiri - Tiruvanmalai - Gingee – Tindivinam route. Very good road conditions although it’s a two lane road. Was able to make the trip in 5 ½ hrs with a short breakfast break at Krishnigiri. There were some toll booths under construction and hence less toll in this route. Speed is limited here and you need to be patient when trucks/buses are in front of you. Not for the enthusiastic driver.

Return journey back to Bangalore was via Arcot-Vellore-Krishnagiri. Excellent roads and due to the multiple lanes in the Vellore-Bangalore section, great for enthusiastic drivers. Total time taken was 6 ½ hrs with a short lunch break. This route has toll booths, so one needs to be aware of this.
Overall, whichever route is taken, roads in general are very good. The tradeoff is between the time taken and fun of highway driving.

[sanjaykk]

Originally Posted by sidsden

I completed my 3-day trip yesterday. Thanks to the members who guided me with their insights and the others who had shared some valuable tidbits before, as those were of immense help!

Onward route: Hoskote (breakfast at Kamat Hosaruchi)- Kolar - Chitoor - Ranipet - Arcot - Arani - Chetpet - Gingee - Tindivanam - Puducherry (lunch at hotel)

Travelling to Pondicherry tomorrow. Will be starting from around the same area as you (between TC Palya and Whitefield).
Still confused which route to take. See the screenshot from Maps.



The Hosur > Krishnagiri seems shorter and takes lesser time than the Chittoor > Ranipet route. The toll charges are lesser as well.

Any specific advantages is taking the Chittoor > Ranipet route?

[sidsden]

Originally Posted by sanjaykk

Travelling to Pondicherry tomorrow. Will be starting from around the same area as you (between TC Palya and Whitefield).
Still confused which route to take. See the screenshot from Maps.

My recommendation would be to take the route via Hoskote - Kolar - Chittoor, mainly due to my personal experience. I have not travelled via the Krishnagiri route so can't speak of the pros and cons. Main benefit for the Kolar route is less traffic - both city and highway. However do keep in mind the route has a confusing interchange at Arcot, see my post for details.
Also, from Arcot, I would recommend taking the Vandavasi route, since I faced a lot of traffic around Gingee market, and the roads are better as well.

Happy journey, and do let us know how it went upon returning!

[sanjaykk]

Originally Posted by sidsden

My recommendation would be to take the route via Hoskote - Kolar - Chittoor, mainly due to my personal experience. I have not travelled via the Krishnagiri route so can't speak of the pros and cons. Main benefit for the Kolar route is less traffic - both city and highway. However do keep in mind the route has a confusing interchange at Arcot, see my post for details.
Also, from Arcot, I would recommend taking the Vandavasi route, since I faced a lot of traffic around Gingee market, and the roads are better as well.

Happy journey, and do let us know how it went upon returning!

Thank you! Took this route to Pondicherry. Like you said, got onto the highway easily and the route had very less traffic throughout. Started at 5am and was in Pondicherry by noon (including breakfast break and a couple of short breaks).

On the return though, I ended up taking the Krishnagiri route. Not sure what happened; I might have accepted a 'faster route' suggestion by Google Maps. From Krishnagiri onwards it was a pain - too much traffic and diversions.

[NPV]

^^^With Krishnagiri-Tiruvannamalai route in great shape now, I would think one doesn’t actually need to use the Arcot-Vandavasi route anymore for Pondicherry. Surprised you guys did Kolar route and then went via Arcot-Vandavasi.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by NPV

^^^With Krishnagiri-Tiruvannamalai route in great shape now, I would think one doesn’t actually need to use the Arcot-Vandavasi route anymore for Pondicherry. Surprised you guys did Kolar route and then went via Arcot-Vandavasi.

By the way just to update: Vandavasi is also getting an updated bypass. It already shows up in Google maps.

[sidsden]

Originally Posted by NPV

^^^With Krishnagiri-Tiruvannamalai route in great shape now, I would think one doesn’t actually need to use the Arcot-Vandavasi route anymore for Pondicherry. Surprised you guys did Kolar route and then went via Arcot-Vandavasi.

Thanks for that suggestion. For people like me living in and around KR Puram, Whitefield, taking the route via Kolar is kind of a no-brainer, especially while coming back since it lets you avoid the entire city traffic. I have however no idea on the road conditions of the Kolar - Krishnagiri route, can you please shed some light? If this route is good enough, I will surely avoid going via Arcot the next time.

[vj_torqueaddict]

Took the Krishnagiri - Gingee route today from Bangalore, I must say this has been the most frustrating and taxing journey ever. Have been driving since 11 years and 2 lakh km now. This highway has to be one of the worst I have driven so far. Roads are fine, it's the utter chaos and traffic which is mind boggling. That too on a Thursday. Haphazard two wheelers, trucks what not. I am already shivering thinking about driving back the same route to BLR. This route desperately needs atleast a 4 lane if not 6 lane.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by vj_torqueaddict

Took the Krishnagiri - Gingee route today from Bangalore, I must say this has been the most frustrating and taxing journey ever. Have been driving since 11 years and 2 lakh km now. This highway has to be one of the worst I have driven so far. Roads are fine, it's the utter chaos and traffic which is mind boggling. That too on a Thursday. Haphazard two wheelers, trucks what not. I am already shivering thinking about driving back the same route to BLR. This route desperately needs atleast a 4 lane if not 6 lane.

You can do Gingee-Arani-Sripuram-Pallikonda (here you get on to Chennai 6-lane to Krishnagiri)

[itwasntme]

Folks, exploring a quick trip to Pondicherry. Google Maps suggesting two routes from with a 0500 start. Vehicle is my low-slung 330i.

1. Yelahanka - Hebbal - Hosur - Krishnagiri - Tindivanam - Pondy with ~350 km & 5 hours
2. Yelahanka - Devanahalli - STRR - Hoskote - Kolar - Chittoor - Ranipet - Gingee - Tindivanam - Pondy with ~400 km & 6 hours.

Which would be better? I don't mind the extra 50 km if it allows for a smoother trip with relatively less traffic. Further, where are the traffic congestion points, considering I will be passing a bunch of towns during the peak rush hour?

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

1. Yelahanka - Hebbal - Hosur - Krishnagiri - Tindivanam - Pondy with ~350 km & 5 hours
2. Yelahanka - Devanahalli - STRR - Hoskote - Kolar - Chittoor - Ranipet - Gingee - Tindivanam - Pondy with ~400 km & 6 hours.

Which would be better? I don't mind the extra 50 km if it allows for a smoother trip with relatively less traffic. Further, where are the traffic congestion points, considering I will be passing a bunch of towns during the peak rush hour?

For an early morning journey, I would suggest you to stick to the first option which is more direct and in terms of road surface quality, Kolar - Chittoor highway is also a bit patchy and will not really help save a lot of time over option 1.

Hosur - Krishnagiri has a few diversions now, but in the early morning these should not sap any time at all. Between Krishnagiri (once you exit the expressway) and Tindivanam it is a single lane highway but the road surface is excellent. The only caveat about this road would be the frequent towns which keep cropping up every now and then. There are bypasses around all the villages and towns, but there will still be slow moving village traffic spilling over to these areas. Nothing to bother about at all though.

For the return journey (assuming you will return in the evening) please consider option 2. The construction work between Krishnagiri and Hosur eat up time with the usual traffic snarls at service road deviations, plus Attibele toll is infamous for delays in the evenings. Getting to Yelahanka via option 1 will be quite a task on weekend evenings.

[itwasntme]

Super! Cutting straight through BLR is doable early mornings, but I agree it’s a complete no-no on the return leg.

Frankly, I’d much rather do 40-50 km more on a ring road rather than fight my way through peak evening traffic.

Same with returning on the Tumkur Road. Taking the STRR at Dobbspet is a no-brainer.

[srvm]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Folks, exploring a quick trip to Pondicherry. Google Maps suggesting two routes from with a 0500 start. Vehicle is my low-slung 330i.

1. Yelahanka - Hebbal - Hosur - Krishnagiri - Tindivanam - Pondy with ~350 km & 5 hours
2. Yelahanka - Devanahalli - STRR - Hoskote - Kolar - Chittoor - Ranipet - Gingee - Tindivanam - Pondy with ~400 km & 6 hours.

Which would be better? I don't mind the extra 50 km if it allows for a smoother trip with relatively less traffic. Further, where are the traffic congestion points, considering I will be passing a bunch of towns during the peak rush hour?

Originally Posted by KarthikK

For an early morning journey, I would suggest you to stick to the first option which is more direct and in terms of road surface quality, Kolar - Chittoor highway is also a bit patchy and will not really help save a lot of time over option 1.
......

There is one recent development to consider though.
Between Chitoor and Ranipet, near AP-TN border there are couple of places where barricades (concrete ones) were placed. My most recent trip in this sector was on 9th June.
First barricade is near the junction where road from Chittoor forks into two - one to Vellore via Katpadi. Another to Ranipet.
Second barricade is at Serkadu-Vallimalai cross road near Thiruvalluvar University.

The gaps in the barricade are small - 2 and 4 wheelers can just about pass through but LCVs and trucks cannot. There are small boards warning traffic to take detour via Vellore but most 2 & 4 wheelers ignore. When trucks ignore this sign, then they get stuck at the barricades with a long line of vehicles on both sides also stuck due to this.

I was lucky on both onward and return journeys while passing these barricades since traffic in my direction was passing through the narrow barricade. But I did observe traffic in the opposite direction was piled up for quite a distance.

The problem is the lack of decent alternatives:
If one takes Chittoor-Katpadi-Vellore route, one has to manage the chaotic Katpadi-Vellore section.
Else one has to go inside Chittor town (again can become tiresome due to chaotic traffic) and go via Ponnai-Ranipet.

Kindly keep this in mind before choosing your route.