[maheshsm12]

Planning to drive next week from KalyanNagar, BLR to Navalur, Chennai. Google Maps is showing Kolar-Chittoor-Ranipet-Sriperumbudur-Navalur as the fastest route.
Do I take this or below alternatives:
1. KalyanNagar-Krishnagiri-Ambur-Arcot-Sriperumbudur-Navalur
2. KalyanNagar-Krishnagiri-Tiruvannamalai-Chengalpattu-Navalur

Also good breakfast options on all 3 routes considering a 5am start.

[ravib]

Originally Posted by maheshsm12

Planning to drive next week from KalyanNagar, BLR to Navalur, Chennai. Google Maps is showing Kolar-Chittoor-Ranipet-Sriperumbudur-Navalur as the fastest route.
Do I take this or below alternatives:
1. KalyanNagar-Krishnagiri-Ambur-Arcot-Sriperumbudur-Navalur
2. KalyanNagar-Krishnagiri-Tiruvannamalai-Chengalpattu-Navalur

Also good breakfast options on all 3 routes considering a 5am start.

From Kalyan Nagar, no point in going via EC-Hosur-Krishnagiri route.
You can very well take Chittoor route.

Look up the Bangalore - Chennai via Chittoor route thread for latest updates.

-Ravi

[RogueRobot]

Hi All,
I am travelling to Kanchipuram with parents, the first stop of a long South India road trip. (Next stop being Mahabalipuram).

From all the posts, especially from the valuable suggestions from BHPian ravib, I understand Hoskote-Kolar-Chittoor-Ranipet is a better option than Hosur-Krishnagiri-Vellore.

I want to spend an entire day in Kanchipuram, hence plan to start around 4 pm Friday from Marathahalli (East Bangalore), and hope to reach Kanchipuram by 10 pm. I have a Grand i10, ground clearance less than desirable. 3 person load.

Seeking advice on:
- Route: Hoskote-Chittoor-Ranipet option is better, right?
- Travel time: I saw suggestions not to travel at night, however, early morning travel and then full day Kanchipuram tour will be a bit much for my mom. Any serious risks to night travel?

Would be very glad for any guidance.

Thanks,
RR

[Slavia2021]

As you are starting from Marathahalli, you could take Old madras road (via Hoskote ) blindly.
Post Chittoor, you could take Ranipet road, but do not continue towards Ranipet. Instead divert to Katpadi and join Chennai highway at Vellore.

[Jazzybala]

Originally Posted by RogueRobot

Seeking advice on:
- Route: Hoskote-Chittoor-Ranipet option is better, right?
- Travel time: I saw suggestions not to travel at night, however, early morning travel and then full day Kanchipuram tour will be a bit much for my mom. Any serious risks to night travel?

Would be very glad for any guidance.

Thanks,
RR

Hi Rogue Robot,

A
Being at Marathalli, you have multiple options to take including the sarjapur hosur krishnagiri or Sarjapur Bagalur Malur route.

That said, I'd suggest you start as early as possible so that you can rest that much in Kanchi. The Chittor route, especially the stretch after Mulabagal to Katpadi/Ranipet was notoriously underlit and unmarked a couple of years ago but things have since improved significantly and the roads are decently marked and pretty well lit too, except for a few stretches.

[RogueRobot]

Originally Posted by Slavia2021

As you are starting from Marathahalli, you could take Old madras road (via Hoskote ) blindly.
Post Chittoor, you could take Ranipet road, but do not continue towards Ranipet. Instead divert to Katpadi and join Chennai highway at Vellore.

Being at Marathalli, you have multiple options to take including the sarjapur hosur krishnagiri or Sarjapur Bagalur Malur route.

Thank you, Slavia and Jazzy!

So: Hoskote (Sarjapur becomes south for me) .. Chittoor .. Katpadi .. Vellore .. on the Chennai Highway to Kanchipuram. Be extra careful on Mulabagal to Katpadi stretch.

That looks set! I'll update how it goes.

Cheers,
RR

[ravib]

Cross posting my post #486 in Bangalore-Chittoor-Chennai thread.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route...ml#post5922749 (Bangalore, Chennai via Chittoor : Route Queries)

Pasting the partial information which is common for both routes, thus others can get to know about current state between Chennasamudram toll to Sriperumbudur and return.


Chennasamduram Toll plaza to Kanchipuram to Sunguvarchatram - Sriperumbudur

First things first - there are NO potholes in the entire stretch or the ones that are currently there are are very small and cannot be really considered as pothole to worry about for a car drive. Negligible or almost nothing.

1) Between Chennasamudram toll to Kanchipuram first exit after Thirputkuzhi, there are only 3 diversions. Of which 2nd one is almost done and may be opened anytime. 4th one is between Kanchipuram first exit and Kanchipuram Arch and the fifth one is the diversion in front of Kanchi Arch itself. Overall not a complaining section at all as the roads are good. Only thing is many places there are no lane markings. So people don't know where they drive and may be literally driving between 2 lane spaces.

The real pain starts post Kanchipuram, right from the diversion in front of Upashana hotel onwards.

2) Kanchipuram to Sriperumbudur - There are 6 diversion and all of them are bad. 5 till Sunguvarchatram and then one after SIPCOT.
3) Even without any diversion, the road alternates between old and new, where the old roads are really bad and new roads are really good.
4) The roads from Sriperumbudur to Kundrathur direction is bad with so many potholes and bumps. Need to drive carefully and slowly as people zig/zag very fast.

Overall, there are about 11 diversions between Chennasamduram to Sriperumbudur.

Sriperumbudur-Kanchipuram to Chennasamudram Toll plaza diversions


6) One solace is, in the opposite direction, the last 1 km just before joining Sriperumbudur highway, they finally laid the roads which was never done in the past. Its truly a medical miracle (those who know the joke will get what i meant, for others sorry - its a funny way of stating it)
7) Sriperumbudur to Kanchipuram - Its better to say, we will be driving heavily in diversions than the main road. There are 11 diversions of which 3 are small ones, not to bother much , but remaining ones are a pain. Thiruputkuzhi diversion is the biggest among all.
8) Kanchipuram to Chennasamudram - There are 3 diversions , but not very bad and manageable.
9) There is a diversion after Chennasamudram toll as well in both directions, but its not that bad or a pain. Just okay.

Overall there are 14 diversions. Phew !

-Ravi

[Corollafan]

Originally Posted by RogueRobot

Seeking advice on:
- Route: Hoskote-Chittoor-Ranipet option is better, right?
- Travel time: I saw suggestions not to travel at night, however, early morning travel and then full day Kanchipuram tour will be a bit much for my mom. Any serious risks to night travel?

Travelled on this route last week. I left Bangalore at 7 am. Even at that time there was fog in couple of places after Hoskote (Around 8 am) probably because weather was cold. So check if there is low visibility due to fog at night on Chittoor road when it is even colder.

[ravib]

Originally Posted by RogueRobot

Thank you, Slavia and Jazzy!

So: Hoskote (Sarjapur becomes south for me) .. Chittoor .. Katpadi .. Vellore .. on the Chennai Highway to Kanchipuram. Be extra careful on Mulabagal to Katpadi stretch.

That looks set! I'll update how it goes.

Cheers,
RR

Originally Posted by RogueRobot

Hi All,
I am travelling to Kanchipuram with parents, the first stop of a long South India road trip. (Next stop being Mahabalipuram).

From all the posts, especially from the valuable suggestions from BHPian ravib, I understand Hoskote-Kolar-Chittoor-Ranipet is a better option than Hosur-Krishnagiri-Vellore.

I want to spend an entire day in Kanchipuram, hence plan to start around 4 pm Friday from Marathahalli (East Bangalore), and hope to reach Kanchipuram by 10 pm. I have a Grand i10, ground clearance less than desirable. 3 person load.

Seeking advice on:
- Route: Hoskote-Chittoor-Ranipet option is better, right?
- Travel time: I saw suggestions not to travel at night, however, early morning travel and then full day Kanchipuram tour will be a bit much for my mom. Any serious risks to night travel?

Would be very glad for any guidance.

Thanks,
RR

For a 4 pm start, you can be in Kanchi at 10 pm comfortably if you take Chittoor route. Read my post in the latest thread.
Do take Chittoor-Katpadi-Vellore route as you are traveling in night and also be aware about irritating traffic in Katpai/Vellore till you join NH.

-Ravi

[RogueRobot]

Originally Posted by ravib

For a 4 pm start, you can be in Kanchi at 10 pm comfortably if you take Chittoor route. Read my post in the latest thread.
Do take Chittoor-Katpadi-Vellore route as you are traveling in night and also be aware about irritating traffic in Katpai/Vellore till you join NH.

-Ravi

Thank you Ravi. I have gone through your posts in the other thread as well. The pics of the Bommasamudram rail crossing are scary, especially for my car.

I will follow the BLUE arrow in the pic below, which leads towards Katpadi - Vellore, instead of going towards the rail crossing, which even now shows crimson traffic conditions.

[Capri89]

More updates on the Chennai - Bangalore route (both old highway and new expressway) on the link below.

Looks like Vande Bharat is the best option for the time being.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/.../118127040.cms

[sameerchavan]

Guys, I just came yesterday from Chennai to Bangalore via Chennai > Kanchipuram > Ranipet > Chittor > Kolar > hoskote.

And my God..


The road between Chittoor and Ranipet is closed.

Do not use that route..Its unders construction and railway crossing.

Also, the road from Kanchipuram to Ranipet is just hell. Its a small road without dividers. Just 2 lanes. The road from Chittor to Banglore is good. But from Chittor to Chennai is all hell, whichever route you take.

Dont understand after 70 years of independence, we do not have a simple highway connecting Bangalore to Chennai. I have to return back to Chennai from Bangalore and I am just confused about what route I should choose.

[maheshsm12]

Originally Posted by sameerchavan

I have to return back to Chennai from Bangalore and I am just confused about what route I should choose.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route...ml#post5917670 (Bangalore, Chennai via Chittoor : Route Queries)
You could use this route to avoid Chittoor town route and proceed to Ponnai and then to Ranipet->Chennai.
You could refer to @ampere and @srvm posts on this and the via Chittoor thread.

[peugeot96]

Two weeks back I had to travel to Chennai and back for personal reasons. Started From home/Hebbal in my Slavia at 6:45 am. I reached the new link road at Devanahalli in 30 mins and Hoskote was bypassed at 7:35am. I maintained 90-95 and the road was in good shape till Chittoor except for a few diversions. I entered Chittoor town at 9:40am and joined the Sholingur/Thiruttani road. I crossed Thiruttani at 11:10 am and traffic was light through Tiruvallur into Chennai. I reached my Hotel in Mount RD at 12:50pm. Roads were good from Chittoor to Chennai but watch out for the speed breakers. Return trip started next day at 12pm and I was home at 6:15pm. I have been using this road for almost two years now and it is the best one as far as avoiding torture for my dear car. It is only slightly slower than the usual suspects. Mileage in my Slavia 1.0 MT was 17.5 for the round trip.

[Car_fanatic]

Originally Posted by peugeot96

Two weeks back I had to travel to Chennai and back for personal reasons. Started From home/Hebbal in my Slavia at 6:45 am.

I am scheduled to drive to Chennai tomorrow for the weekend and was looking at options. I am not too familiar with the route but this does seem like an excellent option. Would you be able to share a Google Maps link for your route pls?