[narayans80]

Originally Posted by rahulb22

The plan is to start around 6 PM from Bangalore and reach late night

Leave a little early like 4pm or so spend some extended time at rest stops. This way you'll see little of Bangalore traffic as well. You can take the conventional Poondamalee Bypass-Kattupakkam-Porur-Kathipara-Airport. Beyond 930pm Porur isn't much of a bottleneck.

Its beyond 10pm that is peak time at MAA, pretty much all international flights from the west land/takeoff between 11pm and 6am.

[binand]

Originally Posted by rahulb22

I am driving to Chennai from Bangalore next week to catch an early morning flight. The plan is to start around 6 PM from Bangalore and reach late night, so that I could reduce the wait time at the airport. Few questions to friends here on the forum:
1. What is the best route to reach the airport directly from the Bangalore highway?
2. Is there a safe long term parking option at Chennai airport?
3. Any idea if there is a restriction on early entry into the airport since my wait time there would be about 5 hours?

My spider sense tells me you are flying to Port Blair?

1. To reach the airport - the best route would be to go: Sriperumbudur-Poonamallee (avoid the market)-Porur-Kathipara interchange-GST Road-Chennai Airport.

2. I think yes. The airport of late is in a perennial state of construction so things could be altered abruptly though.

3. There are 3-4 domestic flights in the 2 AM to 5 AM window, not to mention all-night international operations. So it is unlikely that there are any entry restrictions.

[aargee]

Originally Posted by rahulb22

1. What is the best route to reach the airport directly from the Bangalore highway?

Usual NH7 - NH46 - NH4 (Hosur - Krishnagiri - Ambur - Vellore - Wallajah - Kanchipuram - Sriperumbudur - Chennai) - Maduravoyal bypass - Porur - Guindy - Airport

Originally Posted by rahulb22

2. Is there a safe long term parking option at Chennai airport?

Yes, very safe & very expensive is what I hear, not sure on exact charges

Originally Posted by rahulb22

3. Any idea if there is a restriction on early entry into the airport since my wait time there would be about 5 hours?

None

Other option will be is to drive to Koyambedu bus terminal; park your car there, take metro rail straight into airport. Parking charges will be way too less.

I've parked only based on hourly; so airport is Rs 150 & Koyambedu Rs 20

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

When i went through these towns, traffic was very minimal. Infact in no time i managed to exit these towns. Inside Arakkonam some road repair work was going on as a result of which I took some time to exit Arakkonam

Folks, For the return trip,I took the Mudchur, Manimangalam, Chennasamudram toll plaza, Ranipet, Chittoor by pass and the regular Old Madras Road to Bangalore.
Post Navalur, the roads are not that great. Infact I saw some factory buses going slow to negotiate broken sections of the road
The stretch from Sriperumbudur to Chennasamudram toll plaza is pretty decent. I saw some stretches where the third lane has been laid. Overall i would say it is very much motor-able and many sections have been relaid as well.
The stretch from Ranipet to Chittoor bypass is extremely good on the TN side with broad 2 lane roads and good as well in the AP side. As you near the Chittoor by pass, the top surface of the tarmac has been broken at many places and it requires some zig zag driving to avoid this. By the time I started climbing the Palamaner ghat section, it was almost 7 PM. I took care while overtaking especially around corners. Fortunately lorry traffic was less.

[theexperthand]

I am planning a day drip to Kancheepuram later this month - general plan is to start by 4.30 am, reach Kancheepuram and do the shopping and start back by 5.00-6.00 PM.

Since we prefer to eat breakfast really early (preferably around 6.00 AM), where can I stop for breakfast after I pass Krishnagiri? I am open to take chittoor route if the restaurant availability is better on that route.

Alternatively, I can also start by 4.00 AM if I can reach any good places to eat breakfast after travelling for 2 hours.

Please suggest.

--Anoop

[m8002?]

Originally Posted by theexperthand

I am planning a day drip to Kancheepuram later this month - general plan is to start by 4.30 am, reach Kancheepuram and do the shopping and start back by 5.00-6.00 PM.
=====
Alternatively, I can also start by 4.00 AM if I can reach any good places to eat breakfast after travelling for 2 hours.

Not sure how many will be open/ready that early. There is a McD after Hosur which is open 24/7. You can try Sai Sangeet after Vaniyambadi. You should reach there around 6:30. Go a bit further, you have many restaurants at Vellore.

[theexperthand]

Originally Posted by m8002?

Not sure how many will be open/ready that early. There is a McD after Hosur which is open 24/7. You can try Sai Sangeet after Vaniyambadi. You should reach there around 6:30. Go a bit further, you have many restaurants at Vellore.

Thank you. Is this on the highway itself? Or do I need to go inside Vaniyambadi town?

--Anoop

[hserus]

Originally Posted by theexperthand

Thank you. Is this on the highway itself? Or do I need to go inside Vaniyambadi town?

--Anoop

Sai Sangeet is right on the highway and it is an excellent place to shop. If you're going to Kanchi for wedding related shopping - check out the gift shop attached to Sai Sangeet for framed god paintings, all sorts of cast iron cookware / clay pottery etc etc. Very very nice value for money, if you want to give gifts to specific guests.

[theexperthand]

Originally Posted by hserus

Sai Sangeet is right on the highway and it is an excellent place to shop. If you're going to Kanchi for wedding related shopping - check out the gift shop attached to Sai Sangeet for framed god paintings, all sorts of cast iron cookware / clay pottery etc etc. Very very nice value for money, if you want to give gifts to specific guests.

Thank you. yes - going to Kanchi for wedding related shopping and this tip will sure come handy. I hope they open at least by 6.30 AM

--Anoop

[hserus]

Originally Posted by theexperthand

Thank you. yes - going to Kanchi for wedding related shopping and this tip will sure come handy. I hope they open at least by 6.30 AM

--Anoop

They open around 6.30 so you should be ok.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by theexperthand

Since we prefer to eat breakfast really early (preferably around 6.00 AM), where can I stop for breakfast after I pass Krishnagiri?

Anoop - earliest we've reached Sai Sangeet, Vaniyambadi was 6:15am and they only had Idlis, but in about 15 minutes most other items on the menu were available
Last time we traveled to Chennai, Sai Sangeet was not open (since we started at 4am we passed by Sai Sangeet very early), so we stopped at the A2B in Arcot, on the service road, no detour.

With a 4am start we were at Arcot A2B at 7:15am (3hrs 15minutes, ~230Km)

[theexperthand]

Originally Posted by NPV

Anoop - earliest we've reached Sai Sangeet, Vaniyambadi was 6:15am and they only had Idlis, but in about 15 minutes most other items on the menu were available
Last time we traveled to Chennai, Sai Sangeet was not open (since we started at 4am we passed by Sai Sangeet very early), so we stopped at the A2B in Arcot, on the service road, no detour.

With a 4am start we were at Arcot A2B at 7:15am (3hrs 15minutes, ~230Km)

Thank you - then I will start by 4.30 so that I can stop at Sai Sangeeth for breakfast. 7:15 is too late for me

--Anoop

[NPV]

Originally Posted by theexperthand

Thank you - then I will start by 4.30 so that I can stop at Sai Sangeeth for breakfast. 7:15 is too late for me

If you're open to having breakfast at A2B @6:30, it may still be possible considering you will be starting your journey closer to Attibele.
2.5hrs should be enough for you to get to Arcot A2B, so now you have a plan B (of course, if you want to stop at Sai Sangeet only, then go ahead with Plan A).

[ampere]

Originally Posted by theexperthand

I am planning a day drip to Kancheepuram later this month - general plan is to start by 4.30 am, reach Kancheepuram and do the shopping and start back by 5.00-6.00 PM.

There are just too many of them. You dont even have to worry. Nowadays even the Chennai highway is like a food court like the Mysore road.

Also in the end even if you start very early and dont get to see the hotels open, you can as well go all the way to Kanchi have a good fill! Original Saravana Bhavan, GRT, Sangeetha etc! You name it!

[aargee]

Originally Posted by theexperthand

Since we prefer to eat breakfast really early (preferably around 6.00 AM), where can I stop for breakfast after I pass Krishnagiri?

Right at Krishnagiri there're super plenty options such as Mangalam, Aishwarya, Murugan or something I remember vaguely. There should be atleast 7-8 of them between Krishnagiri toll to Krishnagiri junction & there're 2 of them right at Krishnagiri junction where it says Chennai 255 Km sign board next to the hospital.

Say you leave by 4:30 or 5:00 AM, its easy for you to reach Krishnagiri junction at 6:00 AM. Alternatively you may also want to try Chola, The Restaurant which is located precise 52 Km from Krishnagiri junction.

Other options include, Hosur A2B, Shoolagiri Krishna Inn, Chinnar A2B, Ambur Arya Bhavan, Arcot A2B, Ranipet Aryaas; basically you can choose the restaurant at the time you leave