[babu.sundaram]

Planning a travel tomorrow to Chennai.
Do all the toll booths (via Chitoor & Hosur) accept PayTM/card?

[Red Liner]

Just rode down to Chennai this morning via chittoor ap. Roads are hogwash and the traffic is a nightmare!

Connecting to NH 4, and the roads turn even worse! Potholes, crevices on the road, unruly traffic, its horrific all the way into Chennai proper (100+km). Either I got unlucky today, or this is what things have come down to. This was the way in... I now dread the ride out atleast until chittoor bypass. Will head back via Hosur.

[CorollaDude]

All toll booths between Madras and Bangalore accept credit cards. Not sure about PayTM, though.

[landcruiser123]

Did Bangalore to Chennai yesterday. Started at 1030 (don't ask why I couldn't have earlier) from Arekere and reached TNagar at 1830 with 1.5 hours of breaks. In general, roads after Kanchipuram are bad, with some good stretches in between.

Not too much crowd at toll booths yesterday.

Tip: Avoid entering Sriperumbudur between 1600 and 1730 hours. You'll have to wrestle with buses carrying engineering college students and employees of many companies.

[MDED]

I daily travel from Besant Nagar to Sriperumbudur as my office is in Sriperumbudur. Right till Vellore the road sucks big time with hasty patch works and uneven roads making your travel into a horrible experience. For those who drive from Chennai City towards Bangalore, please be careful not to be in right lane after crossing Saveetha University bus stop near Thandalam as the roads are uneven with steep and if you are driving at higher speeds then you might bounce on the surface. Never tail or drive behind any trucks with inscription of MSI on it as these truck drivers are in a hustle to reach Hyundai factory at Irungatukottai from Mannur Village.
Please be very careful after you cross Muscat Bakery on the left before Hyundai factory as hoards of trucks and heavy vehicles are waiting to cross from NH to SIPCOT Irungatukottai. And as far as fueling options are there you have one COCO of IOCL just before Sriperumbudur toll plaza.
Roads are in horrible condition till Vellore and after that it's wind till Krishnagiri. Never take Chittor route as the roads for the most part are two lane.
NHAI has undertaken road widening work from Vellore to Nazarathpet for conversion to six lanes.

[landcruiser123]

Did Chennai-BLR yesterday. Started from T Nagar at 1130 and reached Arekere at 1830.

Seven hours with 1 hour of break time (split up, of course) and waiting for over 20 minutes at the entrance of NICE road at E City.

A nice place after Kanchipuram (while going to Bangalore): Murugan Idli Shop

Location: https://www.google.co.in/maps/place/...5!4d79.4799766

[suresh_gs]

Folks
I drove from Bommanahalli in bangalore to Nanganallur in Chennai on 27th december. Left home in bangalore by 11 30 AM and reached Nanganallur by 6 15 PM. This time i experimented a new route to avoid paying toll at Vaniyambadi
Took the Natrampalli-Jolarpet route that intersects the SH18. I must say BRILLIANT ROADS on the above mentioned route. Will post snaps of the road shortly.
The other option to avoid paying toll at Vaniyambadi is to go via Bargur and Thirupattur.
Advantage of the Natrampalli route is you get to travel on the NH for more time unlike the bargur route. Also traffic on the Natrampalli route is very minimal.

[procrj]

Anyone here who has recently driven Vellore - Katpadi - Gudiyattam - Venkatagirikote - Mulbagal - Hoskote? Looking for alternate routes for Pondy - Bangalore as I will driving back during the long weekend ending 29th Jan.

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by procrj

Anyone here who has recently driven Vellore - Katpadi - Gudiyattam - Venkatagirikote - Mulbagal - Hoskote? Looking for alternate routes for Pondy - Bangalore as I will driving back during the long weekend ending 29th Jan.

Mate, all said and done, you will encounter maddening traffic at Krishnagiri toll which is unavoidable. I can suggest you another route till krishnagiri where the roads are very good. Infact i drove on the stretch before. Or you can also drive from Tindivanam till Vandavasi and then take the route as shown below.

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

Folks
I drove from Bommanahalli in bangalore to Nanganallur in Chennai on 27th december. Left home in bangalore by 11 30 AM and reached Nanganallur by 6 15 PM. This time i experimented a new route to avoid paying toll at Vaniyambadi
Took the Natrampalli-Jolarpet route that intersects the SH18. I must say BRILLIANT ROADS on the above mentioned route. Will post snaps of the road shortly.
The other option to avoid paying toll at Vaniyambadi is to go via Bargur and Thirupattur.
Advantage of the Natrampalli route is you get to travel on the NH for more time unlike the bargur route. Also traffic on the Natrampalli route is very minimal.

Here are the snap shots of the Natrampalli - Jolarpet stretch

[procrj]

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

traffic at Krishnagiri toll

Is there no route which I can take to avoid this? I am sure upto Krishnagiri I can manage but Krishnagiri & Attibele will be nightmare and hence looking at Mulbagal route while driving back

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by procrj

Is there no route which I can take to avoid this? I am sure upto Krishnagiri I can manage but Krishnagiri & Attibele will be nightmare and hence looking at Mulbagal route while driving back

Here is one option. Take the Krishnagiri - Rayakottai route. Even though it is longer, the roads are good.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by procrj

Looking for alternate routes for Pondy - Bangalore as I will driving back during the long weekend ending 29th Jan.

Since you say Pondy. Here's what I suggest. This would add an additional 50 km on top of Vandavasi-Arcot route.

Pondy-Villupuram-Veppur-V Koot Road-Salem(unfortunately can't avoid). If you are willing to trade more kms for better roads. You can also do Pondy-Tindivanam-Villupuram-Veppur.

From here there are 2 possibilities depending on whether you want to avoid THoppur or not:

a. Avoiding Thoppur: Salem-Omalur-Mecheri-Pennagaram-Sigaralahalli-Palacode-Rayakottai-Uddanapalli-Kelamangalam-TVS Factory-Attibele.
b. Passing Thoppur: Salem-Thoppur-Dharmapuri-Palacode (and follow above route)

You'll see Tindivanam-Pondy toll (if you go via Tindivanam), Sengurichi toll at Ulundurpet, one on Kallakurichi-Salem and Thoppur (if you decide on diverting at Dharmapuri).

NOTE: This is only worth if you have blood reds and chaos at the toll booths. With an empty NH7 it is simply not worth doing this route.

[procrj]

Originally Posted by narayans80

Pondy-Villupuram-Veppur-V Koot Road-Salem(unfortunately can't avoid)

Dont think I want to do that as Salem stretch will also be quiet crowded thanks to folks coming back from Kerala/Madurai/Rameswaram etc.

I would rather take Vellore - Katpadi - Gudiyattam - Palamaner - Kolar - Hoskote

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by procrj

Dont think I want to do that as Salem stretch will also be quiet crowded thanks to folks coming back from Kerala/Madurai/Rameswaram etc.

I would rather take Vellore - Katpadi - Gudiyattam - Palamaner - Kolar - Hoskote

The route you mentioned above also makes sense. You get to avoid Pallikonda toll plaza by going via Katpadi. But you will have traffic post Hosakote, KR Puram.