[ampere]

Originally Posted by samish_g

We are planning for a 1 day chennai visit (near Mylapore - Ramakrishna Math). We intend to reach Mylapore by 11:30 AM, so, is a 5 AM start from Bangalore (Basavanagudi) sufficient?

Should be sufficient. But it would be better if you can do a 4AM start. You can reach the destination by 10 at your own pace. Post Ranipet you can break at Arya Bhavan for breakfast.

[vulcanize]

Have not done a Chennai-Bangalore trip by road in almost two decades.
Used to stop at the good old Hotel Tamilnadu (wonder if it is still there or if it is now renamed).
Would be wonderful to relive the old memories on the next visit with OP

[vipinendran]

Did Chennai Bangalore on Friday and the return on Sunday. Started from chromepet at 9am and took the Manimangalam - Hosur and reached Bangalore at 2.45 in the afternoon. It could have been minus 45 min. but hosur town is still a nightmare. I am sure it would be better when the six laning is complete. Saw the work going on in full swing. Vellore to krishnagiri, six laning is complete but for a bridge. The Ambur town strech is still four lane and looks like it might remain so. Return was 5hrs 10 min, as hosur was free of traffic on a sunday morning. I must also mention that it is the first time I did the sriperambadur - manimangalam - tambaram strech on a sunday afternoon and it took me just 35 min, there was near zero traffic on the road.

[samish_g]

Originally Posted by ampere

Should be sufficient. But it would be better if you can do a 4AM start. You can reach the destination by 10 at your own pace. Post Ranipet you can break at Arya Bhavan for breakfast.

Thank you @ampere. I too wanted a 4 AM start, but the ladies in the house literally revolted on hearing the time. As usual, they had the last say on the start time.

Can you please advise on the route? (Manimangalam or Poonamalle High Road?)

Regards,

Samish

[ampere]

Originally Posted by samish_g

Can you please advise on the route? (Manimangalam or Poonamalle High Road?)

Since its Mylapore, Manimangalam does not make sense. Poonamalle is a better option. Use the Poonamallee bypass.

Route Link

[vipinendran]

Originally Posted by ampere

Since its Mylapore, Manimangalam does not make sense. Poonamalle is a better option. Use the Poonamallee bypass.

Route Link

+1, use the poonamallee bypass, Peak hour in chennai especially in areas around Mylapore would be 9 to 1pm and 5.30pm to 8pm

[Geo_Ipe]

Need to drive to Bangalore from Vellore tomorrow.

Need to get to Channasandra/Kadugodi.

Google Maps tells me to take either:

Vellore - Gudiyattam - Kolar Gold fields - Kadugodi; (173 km)
or
Vellore - Chittoor - Palamaner - Kolar - Dasarahalli - Kadugodi. (196 km)

I'm planning to start by 11.30 - 12 noon, and hopefully starting back by ~ 7 pm

Which is the better route, considering road conditions, traffic.

I've always driven to Bangalore by AH45. Would that be a bad option?? How will the traffic conditions be when I enter Bangalore?? I don't mind doing the extra kms.

Please advise fast! Thanks in advance!

[NPV]

Originally Posted by Geo_Ipe

Need to drive to Bangalore from Vellore tomorrow.

Need to get to Channasandra/Kadugodi.

Google Maps tells me to take either:

Vellore - Gudiyattam - Kolar Gold fields - Kadugodi; (173 km)
or
Vellore - Chittoor - Palamaner - Kolar - Dasarahalli - Kadugodi. (196 km)

I'm planning to start by 11.30 - 12 noon, and hopefully starting back by ~ 7 pm

Which is the better route, considering road conditions, traffic.

I've always driven to Bangalore by AH45. Would that be a bad option?? How will the traffic conditions be when I enter Bangalore?? I don't mind doing the extra kms.

Straight forward route is the one via Chittoor-Palamaner-Kolar. Just after Hoskote you will need to turn left (look for Whitefield signboard). Road conditions are good, after the Andhra border at Palamner it is 4 laned and there are 2 tolls as well.
You'll not encounter too much Bangalore city traffic till you turn left and reach near Hope Farm junction and from there you're very close to Kadugodi .

Getting out also should be easy since you don't have to traverse the city and meander through peak traffic inside.

[Geo_Ipe]

Originally Posted by NPV

Straight forward route is the one via Chittoor-Palamaner-Kolar...

...Getting out also should be easy since you don't have to traverse the city and meander through peak traffic inside.

Could you please give me an estimate of driving time, both ways?

Never driven through AP before! Anything to be particularly noted? I'll be driving a KL reg car, documents intact.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by Geo_Ipe

Could you please give me an estimate of driving time, both ways?

Never driven through AP before! Anything to be particularly noted? I'll be driving a KL reg car, documents intact.

I think at sedate speeds, you could do this in about 4 hours easily.
If your documents are in place there is nothing to worry, better to have a valid Emission test/Pollution under control certificate as well (the cops/RTO at Palamaner check sometimes).

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by samish_g

Thank you @ampere. I too wanted a 4 AM start, but the ladies in the house literally revolted on hearing the time.

5AM start should be fine. Morning traffic actually subsides only post 11AM, so 4AM start shouldn't help much in terms of Madras city traffic. Maybe will help with Hosur mess.

[binand]

Originally Posted by narayans80

5AM start should be fine. Morning traffic actually subsides only post 11AM, so 4AM start shouldn't help much in terms of Madras city traffic. Maybe will help with Hosur mess.

Hosur mess sort of peaks at around 4:30 AM - all the truckers who parked overnight waiting for entry to TN get going around then. Not to mention the milk/poultry/veggies/stuff deliveries coming into Bangalore. I prefer entering TN and clearing Hosur town before this chaos starts.

[kaushibeta]

Originally Posted by NPV

Straight forward route is the one via Chittoor-Palamaner-Kolar. Just after Hoskote you will need to turn left (look for Whitefield signboard). Road conditions are good, after the Andhra border at Palamner it is 4 laned and there are 2 tolls as well.

So now the road from Kolar till Hosakote is four laned? Wow!!!

I tried this route from Chennai about 3 years back and roadwork was in progress.

I love to drive on the Chn - Chittoor - Blr highway because of the pleasantries offered by the trees alongside the road; and driving thru the Palamner ghat road! I would definitely prefer taking this route for my next Bengalooru trip

[ampere]

Originally Posted by kaushibeta

So now the road from Kolar till Hosakote is four laned? Wow!!!

Not just that but Bangalore-Hoskote-Kolar-Mulbagal is 4-laned.

I tried this route from Chennai about 3 years back and roadwork was in progress.

Yes it was quite pathetic then esp the Bangalore-Kolar section.

I love to drive on the Chn - Chittoor - Blr highway because of the pleasantries offered by the trees alongside the road; and driving thru the Palamner ghat road! I would definitely prefer taking this route for my next Bengalooru trip

Very nice roads, but one needs to be vary of truck traffic.

[red.devil_19]

Did the Bangalore-Chennai-Bangalore section via GQ a couple of weeks back.

Onward Journey: This was a solo trip. Started from Bangalore on Saturday, 17th May at 12.45 pm. Encountered quite a bit of traffic till Hosur. After that there was very little traffic & the drive was mostly a breeze till Manimangalam. The 6 lane roads between Krishnagiri & Vellore are excellent. To make things interesting, there was torrential rain between Hosur & Ambur! Visibility became very poor & there were small streams of water flowing across the road, which really tested the handling & stability of the Chevy Beat (skinny tyres & all)! Luckily traffic was sparse, so it wasn't much of an issue. But it did slow me a down quite a bit. Reached Pallavaram around 7.15 pm.
Took two breaks during the journey: first one for refueling at the HP bunk near Krishnagiri & the second one at CCD Erangadu (google maps actually shows it on the wrong side of the road & for a few seconds I was puzzled as to where it was until I spotted it on the other side ). For most of the journey drove steadily at around 105-110 kmph.

Return: This time had my uncle & cousin bro with me. Started from Tambaram on Sunday, 18th May at 4.00 pm. Faced quite a bit of traffic till Sriperumbudur. After that it cleared up completely & was an easy drive all the way till Krishnagiri. This time the weather held up so I was able to cruise comfortably at 110 kmph right through. However, as we approached Krishnagiri, the traffic got dense & soon the tolls became something of a nightmare. Would easily have spent around 35 mins at the Krishnagiri & Hosur toll booths! Reached Murugeshpalya at 10.20 pm.
Took just one coffee break at CCD Erangadu.