[RGK]

Originally Posted by Makin Rulesz

Thanks! I have booked the visit for Wednesday next week. Your feedback on the latest condition after the weekend trip would be very helpful.

As updated early, the road (Tiruvallur - Tiruthani - Tirupathi) is good except a small diversion after Tiruvallur (due to bridge construction).There are two toll booths and they charge (Rs 15 and Rs 60) for a single journey. Buy return toll ticket if you have planned to come within 24 hours (Rs 20 and Rs 90).

For onward journey (alipiri to tirumala) the minimum driving time is 28 min and it is 40 minutes minimum for the return journey between tirumala and alipiri.

[an_and]

Hello all,

Bumping an old thread. I plan to travel to Tirupati from Chennai on the 18th. Wanted to know if there is a entry tax to be paid for self drive rental cars as well or is it only for yellow plated cars.

Thanks

[NPV]

Originally Posted by an_and

Wanted to know if there is a entry tax to be paid for self drive rental cars as well or is it only for yellow plated cars.

Only taxis (yellow board) need to pay permit fee/road tax, nothing for private vehicles.

[an_and]

Originally Posted by NPV

Only taxis (yellow board) need to pay permit fee/road tax, nothing for private vehicles.

Thank You. Quick Question. How is self drive rental cars categorised, These are black boards with yellow numbers right?

[NPV]

Originally Posted by an_and

How is self drive rental cars categorised, These are black boards with yellow numbers right?

Rental cars are like taxis for the sake of permits so yes you will need to stop near the checkpost and pay the fee.

[shrionsong]

Dear All

We finished the darshan in Tirupathi last weekend. By chance, we saw a route from Kalahasthi to Chennai via Srikalahasti - Pichatur Rd. If you see this, avoid. Speed breaker every km, bad road condition, no hotels till Uthukottai.

with regards

shriram

[Gansan]

We are planning to take the Tada route to kalahasti early (6.30 am) tomorrow morning. Any pointers about route condition, breakfast halt en-route etc. will be most helpful. Hiring a Force Traveler, not driving.

[couswheels]

Originally Posted by Gansan

We are planning to take the Tada route to kalahasti early (6.30 am) tomorrow morning. Any pointers about route condition, breakfast halt en-route etc. will be most helpful. Hiring a Force Traveler, not driving.

As far as I know very limited options for food through Tada route. Took that route multiple times few years back and found one small eatery after crossing into Andhra- do not remember the name of the place. Am taking only Thirumazhisai Thiruvalluvar route for the last 3-4 times.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by Gansan

We are planning to take the Tada route to kalahasti early (6.30 am) tomorrow morning. Any pointers about route condition, breakfast halt en-route etc. will be most helpful. Hiring a Force Traveler, not driving.

Apart from the hotels in around Kalahasti temple, there is literally nothing. At the most you'll find tea and bakery shops on the way. No proper hotel at all. You are better off stopping for breakfast closer to Madras, so you don't need to stop all the way to Sri Kalahasti.

If you were driving on your own (without the pressure of extra kms) I would've suggested turning at Naidupeta to Kalahasti. Coming from Tada you'll have to negotiate a bunch of narrow lanes/one ways of Kalahasti to reach the temple. Coming from Naidupeta, the temple is just a few 100 m off the bypass road

[concorde24]

I did a T.Nagar - Tirupati - T.Nagar drive last week and here is the update on the latest road conditions

1) Road condition on Poonthamallee High road is horrible especially after Koyambed floyover till right turn for Tiruvallur. I read in @tnsdma account that pot-hole filling is happening this week. My suggestion is to avoid PH road and go via Porur, Poonthamallee itself.
2) Thirumazhisai-Tiruvallur road is very good and 4 lane all the way.
3) Tiruvallur - Thiruthani road is good 2 lane road
4) Thiruthani - Tirupati road has lot of speed breakers and barricades which was not there in my earlier trip last year. Also new eateries have come up on this stretch.

It took 4 hours for me on sedate speed to travel one way till Tirumala. The good part was the excellent darshan we had and less traffic on Tirumala Ghat Toll.

[searacer932]

What's the best route from OMR ( Padur, South Chennai) to Tirupati? Google suggests Outer Ring Road - Tiruvallur - Tirupati route. Are there any good options for food (veg) and toilet breaks on this route?

[searacer932]

Originally Posted by searacer932

What's the best route from OMR ( Padur, South Chennai) to Tirupati? Google suggests Outer Ring Road - Tiruvallur - Tirupati route. Are there any good options for food (veg) and toilet breaks on this route?

I took the above route.

Watch out for unmarked speed breakers between

• Tiruvallur and Tiruthani
• Thiruthani and Puttur

Night driving could be tricky with those unmarked speed breakers. There should be a bypass for some of those towns. Thiruninravur is a bottleneck on this route and you cannot bypass Tiruvallur. So factor in these two in your travel time. There is a bypass for Tiruthani.

Crossing Vandalur junction is a pain as well. Hope the flyover gets completed within the next 12 months and this should reduce the bottleneck in Vandalur to some extent.

Some of those stretches needs work and you have to slow down because of bad roads, potholes.

During the 'to' journey I had lunch at Bhima's residency in Tirupati. Lunch was quite bad. The hotel does have sufficient parking space and the restroom was clean.

Hotel Sree Balaji Bhavan in Tirumala is a good place for veg breakfast and dinner. Did not try lunch over there.

[Desmodromic]

Just completed a Chennai - Tirupathi- Chennai trip yesterday in my Polo GT. I do this trip 2-3 times a year. The last trip being about 5 months ago.

However, during this trip the number of random speed breakers that have popped up at every possible intersection after you cross into andhra all the way till tirupathi is nothing short of ridiculous. Its a 0-120-0 test continuously and will be a major irritant after sundown.

Also, the construction of the "Garuda varadhi" has begun increasing the congestion of traffic in tirupathi on the way in.

I left after breakfast from adyar at 730hrs and reached uphill at 1115hrs. Had heavy traffic at SRMC-Poonamalee stretch and at Poonamalee bypass-thiruvallur turnoff.

I left tirupathi town after eating at bhimas residency at 1630hrs happened to get back to poonamallee by 1730hrs , however due to the heavy traffic from there i reached Adyar only at 1915hrs.

[ravib]

Originally Posted by Desmodromic

I left tirupathi town after eating at bhimas residency at 1630hrs happened to get back to poonamallee by 1730hrs , however due to the heavy traffic from there i reached Adyar only at 1915hrs.

Thanks for the update. Do you really meant, you did Tirupati to Poonammalee in just 1 hour from 4.30 pm to 5.30 pm?
At what speed you were driving and which route you took?
I assume its a typo

-Ravi

[thirdmainroad]

Everyone who wants to drive up the hill needs to note all vehicles and people are almost strip searched at the bottom of the hill if you are driving up. They do not allow the usual that one might expect to be not permitted in a holy place - alcohol, cigarettes etc. But on top of that, they won’t allow you to take any manner of knives. I had an expensive car tool kit with blades, and they wouldn’t allow it.