[astrodex]

We have been debating for a while but have finally decided to plan a trip to Kochi next week. Wanted some pointers on the route, timing and any gotchas to look out for.


Route:
Our plan is to follow NH-47 all the way.
Goa - Karwar - Mangalore - Kannur - Kozhikode - Ernakulam

Timing:
Start at around 5 am and drive all the way to Kozhikode. Halt overnight there and leave for Kochi the next day morning. While coming back also drive leisurely from Kochi to Kozhikode the previous day and start from Kozhikode early morning to reach Goa before sunset.

Trusted Steed: BMW 3 Series, only 5000 kms on the odo.

What I need help with are ...

- What are good eateries that are safe and clean on the way.

- Route options, last time I did this route was in December. Now being monsoon, what to look out for?

- COVID Restrictions - Everchanging regulations. Both adults are fully vaccinated but not the kids (12 and 8 years old). What delays to be expected? Am planning to take COVID test for kids before travel.

- Luggage - Its gonna be tricky loading stuff for a long trip into the tiny trunk and I can't take out the spare wheel like I do normally.

[voldemort]

I've done hundreds of trips throughout the length of Kerala during daytime, and here's what I learnt:

Assuming you drive like a sane person, in between Kannur and Thrissur, it's generally difficult to maintain an average speed of more than 35 km/h during the day. The situation is slightly (but not substantially) better as you travel South.

Originally Posted by astrodex

Start at around 5 am and drive all the way to Kozhikode. Halt overnight there and leave for Kochi the next day morning.

The 100 km stretch from Kannur to Kozhikode can be brutal especially in the evening due to narrow two lane undivided roads, insane traffic, and the usual lack of lane discipline like everywhere else. This stretch usually takes nearly 3 hours if you start from Kannur at around 6:45 am; will take longer as the day progresses, because traffic increases.

Driving all the way from Goa to Kozhikode in a single day can become tiring. I suggest you halt at Kannur instead. Start from Kannur to Kochi at around 6 the next morning.

If you start at around 6:30 am from Kannur, you'll reach Kochi by 2:30 pm. This is including an hour's break each for breakfast (at Kozhikode) and lunch (at Thrissur).

Speaking of which, before you start your travel ensure that restaurants in Kerala would be open. Covid-19 restrictions are still active in Kerala, and most restaurants are permitted to give only takeaway food.

While coming back also drive leisurely from Kochi to Kozhikode the previous day and start from Kozhikode early morning to reach Goa before sunset.

Again, you might want to drive leisurely till Kannur, unless you plan to go sightseeing in and around Kozhikode.

- What are good eateries that are safe and clean on the way.

I don't know what the best eateries are, but the following are good places (not affiliated with them in any way):

1. MRA, near Kannur railway station (parking can be tricky)
2. Park Residency, Ramanattukara, Kozhikode is our usual breakfast stop
3. Casino Hotel Thrissur is our usual lunch stop.

The above are on the slightly expensive side; before covid the above hotels had fabulous food. Unsure of the current situation. Food served at all those places were clean, and we never had stomach problems or anything.

- Route options, last time I did this route was in December. Now being monsoon, what to look out for?

Monsoons by itself normally don't cause problems in the above route. The roads were good back in April.

The route via Ponnani, Guruvayoor has less traffic, roads are generally ok (with occasional bad stretches) and you'll probably reach Kochi faster. However, the roads are undivided, and there are occasional small towns with dense traffic. Not sure of good restaurants in this route, but then again, you might reach Kochi faster thereby avoiding the need to make a lunch stop in between.

The other slightly longer route — the one via Thrissur — definitely has better roads. But I think there's a small diversion due to construction of a flyover at Edappal. Expect traffic in Thrissur town. Also, there's a toll plaza where you'd have to pay close to 100 bucks (forgot the exact amount).

Looking forward to reading about your long drive in the 3 series.

[ike]

Originally Posted by astrodex

Route:
Our plan is to follow NH-47 all the way.
Goa - Karwar - Mangalore - Kannur - Kozhikode - Ernakulam



- What are good eateries that are safe and clean on the way.

- Route options, last time I did this route was in December. Now being monsoon, what to look out for?

- COVID Restrictions - Everchanging regulations. Both adults are fully vaccinated but not the kids (12 and 8 years old). What delays to be expected? Am planning to take COVID test for kids before travel.

- Luggage - Its gonna be tricky loading stuff for a long trip into the tiny trunk and I can't take out the spare wheel like I do normally.

Isn't this NH17(Old nomenclature) (Kanyakumari - Panvel), not sure what it is called now.

Regarding eateries, dine in is not allowed in restaurants in Kerala due to COVID restrictions. You will probably have to buy packed food and dine in the car.
I did Kozhikkode - Thrissur 2 weeks back, roads are decent. The flyover under construction that Voldemot mentions does become nasty during peak hours but is manageable as heavy vehicles no longer pass through Edappal and are diverted.

[aargee]

Originally Posted by ike

Isn't this NH17(Old nomenclature) (Kanyakumari - Panvel), not sure what it is called now

You're right it's NH17
NH47 runs from Salem - CBE - Palakkad - Thrissur - EKM - Allapuzha - Kollam - TVM - Kanyakumari

[Bibendum90949]

Originally Posted by aargee

You're right it's NH17
NH47 runs from Salem - CBE - Palakkad - Thrissur - EKM - Allapuzha - Kollam - TVM - Kanyakumari

The erstwhile NH47(Salem - Kanyakumari) is now called National Highway 544(Salem-Kochi).

From the Wiki

National Highway 544, commonly referred to as NH 544, (old number NH 47) is a 340-kilometre-long (210 mi) National Highway in South India connecting Salem city in Tamil Nadu to the city of Kochi in Kerala. It is also called the Salem-Kochi Highway. The highway runs through the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, connecting various important cities and towns such as Salem, Erode, Coimbatore, Palakkad, Thrissur and Kochi. It is a spur of National Highway 44, which forms the North South Corridor of the National Highway network of India. It passes south of Coimbatore. It was formerly designated National Highway 47.

Presently, National Highway 47 (NH 47)starts from Bamanbore in Gujarat and terminates at Nagpur in Maharashtra.

[astrodex]

Originally Posted by voldemort

Driving all the way from Goa to Kozhikode in a single day can become tiring. I suggest you halt at Kannur instead. Start from Kannur to Kochi at around 6 the next morning.

The route via Ponnani, Guruvayoor has less traffic, roads are generally ok (with occasional bad stretches) and you'll probably reach Kochi faster.

Looking forward to reading about your long drive in the 3 series.

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll keep it in mind. Regarding Kozhikode, I have a place to stay there and hence it is going to be a required pitstop. Hence the reason to stretch to Kozhikode rather than at Kannur. I plan to leave early from Kozhikode so the Ponnanni - Guruvayoor route might make better sense.

Originally Posted by ike

Isn't this NH17(Old nomenclature) (Kanyakumari - Panvel), not sure what it is called now.

Sorry, yes NH 17. I always get confused since the only NH I knew when growing up in Kochi was 47 and it stuck. I think NH 47 is redesignated.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll keep an eye out for Edappal, and yes, we plan to have packed food as backup. Our plan is to have lunch at Mangalore and then only stop somewhere in Kerala for tea before reaching Kozhikode.