[sbkumar]

Originally Posted by 9tMax

Great info.
I will be going to Poovar during the Dussera vacation and was planning for exactly the same route by looking at google maps and then I came across your post. So now I am going to stick to this route.
Any idea about how is the road condition after the monsoon? And will it be difficult to navigate on this route, I mean, are the directions properly available in english? (I don't have any knowledge of malayali)

This route is still good (from my trip about a month back). I remember adequate sign boards in English and so it should not be an issue. You need to keep following the route marked for Kovalam and not TVM/other cities.

[9tMax]

Originally Posted by sbkumar

This route is still good (from my trip about a month back). I remember adequate sign boards in English and so it should not be an issue. You need to keep following the route marked for Kovalam and not TVM/other cities.

Thanks for the prompt reply.
Since you have done it a month back, so it should be a smooth ride for me also.

[RSUDARSANAN]

Planning a Bangalore - Trivandrum trip. To avoid the congested Nagercoil-Trivandrum sector, contemplating Madurai-Tenkasi-Trivandrum. What is the latest on the road and traffic conditons on this route ?

[manjubp]

Originally Posted by RSUDARSANAN

Planning a Bangalore - Trivandrum trip. To avoid the congested Nagercoil-Trivandrum sector, contemplating Madurai-Tenkasi-Trivandrum. What is the latest on the road and traffic conditons on this route ?

Agree, passing through Nagercoil is turning out to be really bad.

How about bypassing nagercoil by taking right turn at Thovazhai and then Thovazhai --> Veeranarayan mangalam --> and joining NH-66 before chunkan kadai

[pramodpk]

Originally Posted by RSUDARSANAN

Planning a Bangalore - Trivandrum trip. To avoid the congested Nagercoil-Trivandrum sector, contemplating Madurai-Tenkasi-Trivandrum. What is the latest on the road and traffic conditons on this route ?

Nagercoil route will be faster than Tenkasi route even though the latter is shorter. Plan to cover Nagercoil - trivandrum in off peak time.

[jayded]

Did Bangalore-Trivandrum and back last week. The route taken was the usual one, Bangalore-Salem-Madurai-Thirunalveli-Nagercoil-Trivandrum. The roads are in pretty good condition. The only pain area still remains the same, Nagercoil-Tvm. While going to Tvm, we entered this stretch around 8:30 am and it was bad, took 2 hours (tiring 2 hours!) to reach city, also the roads are not that great in this stretch with tarmac peeled off at numerous patches. While doing Tvm-Blr, we started around 5:45 am and this is the time that one should aim for since by that time the dawn will be breaking, and hence better visibility and also the traffic will be sparse. You should be hitting the divided highway after Nagercoil around 7:30 am this way.
Blr (Near IIMB)-Tvm (Kawdiar): Started: 9:30 PM, Reached: 9:30 AM, Breaks: 1 hr, Total time:12 hours
Tvm (Kawdiar)-Blr (Near IIMB): Started: 5:45 AM, Reached: 4:15 PM, Breaks: 1 hr, Total time: 10.5 hours.
Total toll: 617 Rs. one way. I used the Nice road to enter Hosur road.
Car: Ford Figo TDCi

[sarathlal]

Hi,
Am planning for a Tvm-Bangalore road trip taking the NH 7 with stop over at Madurai during the onward journey, somewhere in Jan beginning, with my family including my year old baby.
The plan is to start at around 6 AM from Tvm and reach Madurai by noon.
Checkin to a hotel there, have a small town visit followed by temple visit in the evening, stay overnight and then proceed towards Bangalore the next day morning by around 5 AM, so as to reach Bangalore by noon.

Can you please advice on good hotels for stay, priorities on the hotel being safe and clean, with secure car parking, and ease to reach temple.
In case you feel the plan can be altered in another efficient way, please feel free to let know the suggestions.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by sarathlal

Can you please advice on good hotels for stay, priorities on the hotel being safe and clean, with secure car parking, and ease to reach temple.
In case you feel the plan can be altered in another efficient way, please feel free to let know the suggestions.

Hotel Metropole is good http://www.the-metropolehotel.com/home.html

Best would be to leave your car at the hotel and take a rickshaw to the temple and back else driving through the temple roads and finding parking can be a nightmare!Call early and request for parking and the hotel should be able to help

Tbhpian NPV stayed at this place,might be a good idea to check with him

Originally Posted by NPV

Hotel Metropole

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by sarathlal

Can you please advice on good hotels for stay, priorities on the hotel being safe and clean, with secure car parking, and ease to reach temple.
In case you feel the plan can be altered in another efficient way, please feel free to let know the suggestions.

Couple of weeks back I went to madurai to attend my friends wedding and during this visit we stayed in "Hotel Keerthi". Its a decent option and has parking space as well. Located close to Railway station and couple of KMs away from the Meenakshi temple. The streets around this hotel are narrow. As mentioned by ranjitp1, It is better to take auto to go around the city.

The below links has some pics of this hotel.
http://hellomadurai.in/hotelkeerthi/index.htm
This area has lot of other options as well.

[arun_josie]

I drove to Nagercoil yesterday and here is the latest toll charges from Bangalore to Nagercoil/Trivandrum. Now this is more than the Bangalore-Hyderabad stretch.

Kapalur is a new toll on the Madurai bypass.

The last 20 Kms towards Nagercoil is in a very bad state. Couldn't go more than 30-40Kmph.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by sarathlal

Can you please advice on good hotels for stay, priorities on the hotel being safe and clean, with secure car parking, and ease to reach temple.
In case you feel the plan can be altered in another efficient way, please feel free to let know the suggestions.

@sarath - When coming from Tvm side towards Madurai you need NOT come all the way till Samayanallur which is the first junction to get into Madurai when coming from Blr/Dindigul side.
From the Tvm side, when you reach the Tirumangalam bypass/junction you will see Airport Ring road to right. Take this and proceed straight. After few Km you will see a turn to left for aiport, ignore this keep going straight. Then you will see a right turn to go towards Rameshwaram NH49 and a road to left that goes into Madurai, take this left. If confused any anyone there for District Court or Raja Muthaiah Manram. After you cross Dsitrict Court on your left is Metropole and next to it you will also see Raja Muthaiah Manram.
Hope this helps.

[gandalf]

Reposting here from the current conditions of the road to Kerala thread

Planning to drive to kerala on the 22nd.

Due to a few major change in plans I have to reach TVM on the 22nd. hence driving From bangalore to TVM.
This is my plan (so far) for the trip
Leave on 21st afternoon From Bangalore to Salem. Break @ Salem for the Night.
22nd Early morning 5 AM leave salem to Trivandrum. With plenty of breaks planning to reach Trivandrum by 5:00 PM

Planning on taking one of the 2 routes below
1. Bangalore-Salem-Dindigul-Madurai-Nagercoil-TVM
2. Bangalore-Salem-Dindigul-Madurai-Poovar-TVM (To avoid the Traffic in Nagercoil-TVM)
Could anyone suggest the better of the two routes.

I am planning to return on the 30th. My journey would Start from Thekkady. Could anyone sugest the best Route to bangalore from Thekkady.

My priorities are as follows.
1. Good roads with moderate to less traffic.
2. Avoid night driving

[kala]

Originally Posted by gandalf

Leave on 21st afternoon From Bangalore to Salem. Break @ Salem for the Night.
22nd Early morning 5 AM leave salem to Trivandrum. With plenty of breaks planning to reach Trivandrum by 5:00 PM

Planning on taking one of the 2 routes below
1. Bangalore-Salem-Dindigul-Madurai-Nagercoil-TVM
2. Bangalore-Salem-Dindigul-Madurai-Poovar-TVM (To avoid the Traffic in Nagercoil-TVM)
Could anyone suggest the better of the two routes.

Salem is quite close to Bangalore - So I'd consider moving the break a little further may be Madurai (or even Tirunelveli). If you start early enough from there on the next day, may be you could even manage to pass the Nagercoil-Trivandrum stretch before the heavy traffic starts.

Can't comment on the Poovar diversion to avoid the NH since I've never tried it.

I am planning to return on the 30th. My journey would Start from Thekkady. Could anyone sugest the best Route to bangalore from Thekkady.

Thekkady-Cumbum-Theni-Dindigul-Salem-Bangalore is the straight forward route. But to avoid road work on the Theni-Dindigul section, people have suggested alternates like Theni-Andipatti-Vattlakundu-Kodai Road to get on to NH7. May be you need to consider those options too. (Again no recent first hand information, so can't vouch for road conditions)

[gandalf]

Originally Posted by kala

Salem is quite close to Bangalore - So I'd consider moving the break a little further may be Madurai (or even Tirunelveli). If you start early enough from there on the next day, may be you could even manage to pass the Nagercoil-Trivandrum stretch before the heavy traffic starts.

Thanks for the Suggestion. The issue is I wont manage to get a Leave on 21st hence I can only leave bangalore by 2 or 3 PM. The other option would be to leave early in the morning of 22nd and driving all the way to TVM. I have my 2 year old travelling with me and past experience has taught me that I would have to take breaks every 2 hours. I think it may be night by the time i reach TVM and i dont think it would help the traffic in Nagercoil.
My logic behind this plan was that if i stopped @ Salem and left early in the morning on 22nd I would cross the Krishnagiri road work and have good roads all the way till Nagercoil. This would also give me a head start from any traffic coming in from bangalore.

I am not very aware of the route ahead of Selam. Is there any other place Ahead of Salem I could stop on this route 3 to 4 hours from bangalore?

[sbkumar]

Originally Posted by gandalf

Thanks for the Suggestion. The issue is I wont manage to get a Leave on 21st hence I can only leave bangalore by 2 or 3 PM. The other option would be to leave early in the morning of 22nd and driving all the way to TVM. I have my 2 year old travelling with me and past experience has taught me that I would have to take breaks every 2 hours. I think it may be night by the time i reach TVM and i dont think it would help the traffic in Nagercoil.
My logic behind this plan was that if i stopped @ Salem and left early in the morning on 22nd I would cross the Krishnagiri road work and have good roads all the way till Nagercoil. This would also give me a head start from any traffic coming in from bangalore.

I am not very aware of the route ahead of Selam. Is there any other place Ahead of Salem I could stop on this route 3 to 4 hours from bangalore?

I think Karur can be a good option after Salem. I have seen a Residency over there and pretty sure there are more options.