[JayG]

Originally Posted by SideView

Thanks Arun and Gkrishk!

Stuck to the Nagercoil route. Traffic was relatively less on Sunday. (It was raining though)

Did you drive via Krishnagiri or Rayakottai ?

[SideView]

Originally Posted by JayG

Did you drive via Krishnagiri or Rayakottai ?

I took the Krishnagiri route, had breakfast at Murgan idli at 7. (30 mins break)

(Rayakottai I avoided as it was still dark in morning. Since construction is not complete, vehicles come in opposite direction in the same lane due to detour. Last Nov, I took this route.)

[dr.jjp]

I'm planning a BLR-TVM-BLR trip via Nagercoil next week and considering whether to start from Tumkur at 4 am or from Airport at 1:30 am. Which route would be better – via Krishnagiri or via Rayakottai ? I am preferring good roads and low traffic even if its longer

Also, does anyone know if there are any ongoing construction works on these routes?

I’d appreciate any recommendations for good food stops and reliable IOCL fuel stations (XP 95) along the way.

[nareshtrao]

Originally Posted by dr.jjp

I'm planning a BLR-TVM-BLR trip via Nagercoil next week and considering whether to start from Tumkur at 4 am or from Airport at 1:30 am. Which route would be better – via Krishnagiri or via Rayakottai ? I am preferring good roads and low traffic even if its longer

Also, does anyone know if there are any ongoing construction works on these routes?

I’d appreciate any recommendations for good food stops and reliable IOCL fuel stations (XP 95) along the way.

We did this about a year back and took the Krishnagiri - Nagarkoil - Trivandrum route. The idea was to stay as long as possible on NH 44 before taking a right. It is also the fastest though I heard that some flyovers are under construction but nothing major.

There are way too many good eating joints on NH44. I do not remember the names now but there are many to choose from. Even if you skip any if you do not like the looks of it, you will find another soon.

We left from Bellandur at 5 am and were in Kovalam by 2.30 pm for lunch despite a couple of stops.

I am not clear what you mean by Airport or Tumkur. Either way, it is best to leave Bangalore latest by 5.00 to avoid build-up towards Hosur and Krishnagiri. Earlier the better as you will be on a free flow stretch by 6 to 7 am.

[dr.jjp]

Originally Posted by nareshtrao

I am not clear what you mean by Airport or Tumkur. Either way, it is best to leave Bangalore latest by 5.00 to avoid build-up towards Hosur and Krishnagiri. Earlier the better as you will be on a free flow stretch by 6 to 7 am.

As of now, I am in Tumkur, so my starting place will be Tumkur. I will plan accordingly and start a little early from Tumkur.

[viggienomad]

Originally Posted by dr.jjp

I'm planning a BLR-TVM-BLR trip via Nagercoil next week and considering whether to start from Tumkur at 4 am or from Airport at 1:30 am. ....
....
I’d appreciate any recommendations for good food stops and reliable IOCL fuel stations (XP 95) along the way.

The start timings are good to beat the rush till Krishnagiri. Beyond which it's relaxed cruise, with occasional trucks hogging both lanes till Salem.

For XP95, I tend to prefer COCO fuel stations on highway. There is one after Namakkal.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/M6tuX3kcifkDgpKx6

And another one some 20kms before Dindigul. This is part of NHAI amenities complex, several boards for Hotel Aarthy (typical state transport bus joint) will appear almost every km before you reach there. So it's easy to find this even without a map.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/M6tuX3kcifkDgpKx6

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by dr.jjp

As of now, I am in Tumkur, so my starting place will be Tumkur. I will plan accordingly and start a little early from Tumkur.

For a 4am start from Tumkur, you have many options for breakfast till Salem. If you are planning to have it after Salem, then you have A2B on the Salem - Namakkal stretch.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by dr.jjp

I'm planning a BLR-TVM-BLR trip via Nagercoil next week and considering whether to start from Tumkur at 4 am or from Airport at 1:30 am. Which route would be better – via Krishnagiri or via Rayakottai ?

If you are starting from Tumkur, picking at Devanahalli and proceeding. I'd say take STRR-Bangalore Chennai Expressway-Venkatagirikota-Krishnagiri.

You can find related discussions on page 65 and 66 on the Bypassing Bangalore thread

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by dr.jjp

I'm planning a BLR-TVM-BLR trip via Nagercoil next week and considering whether to start from Tumkur at 4 am or from Airport at 1:30 am. Which route would be better – via Krishnagiri or via Rayakottai ? I am preferring good roads and low traffic even if its longer

Also, does anyone know if there are any ongoing construction works on these routes?

I’d appreciate any recommendations for good food stops and reliable IOCL fuel stations (XP 95) along the way.

Construction work is there, but there is nothing major to worry about. Rayakottai route has more diversions than Krishnagiri, and I would avoid it at night.

The Airport vs Tumkur part is not clear.

Originally Posted by nareshtrao

We left from Bellandur at 5 am and were in Kovalam by 2.30 pm for lunch despite a couple of stops.

What speeds were you doing? 9.5 hours seems impossible. The best I have managed is 11 hours.

Originally Posted by narayans80

If you are starting from Tumkur, picking at Devanahalli and proceeding. I'd say take STRR-Bangalore Chennai Expressway-Venkatagirikota-Krishnagiri.

You can find related discussions on page 65 and 66 on the Bypassing Bangalore thread

I don't think there is any advantage in taking the STRR, especially for such an early start. Plus there are no food/rest options on this route.

[dr.jjp]

I did the BLR–TVM–BLR drive last week and had quite a smooth experience overall. The onward journey started at 4:35 AM from Bangalore, near KSR. Since it was an early start, I managed to completely avoid the usual city traffic.I took the Krishnagiri route, which was in good condition for the most part, with only a few diversions due to ongoing construction. The first major stop was for breakfast at A2B near Namakkal around 8:00 AM. After a quick break, I resumed the drive by 8:30 AM. There was a short fuel and loo break near Virudhunagar, and I continued the journey steadily from there. The drive remained smooth until Nagercoil. However, the last 30 kilometers—from Nagercoil to the Kerala border—turned out to be quite a painful stretch due to poor road conditions and local traffic. I finally reached Parasala, on the outskirts of Trivandrum, at 2:50 PM.
The total time for the onward leg was 10 hours and 15 minutes, including all breaks.

The return journey began at 5:30 AM from Trivandrum. I reached Nagercoil by 6:55 AM and stopped for breakfast at Thazhakudy Neelakandan Nagercoil, I also refueled along the way. The drive continued smoothly through the morning, and I reached Salem by 12:20 PM. I had lunch at KFC Salem and resumed the journey by 1:00 PM. Another refueling stop was made at the IOCL Swagat outlet near Dharmapuri. I entered the NICE Road stretch around 4:00 PM and eventually reached Tumkur by 5:25 PM.
The return leg took a total of 11 hours and 55 minutes, including all breaks.