[vasoo]

Originally Posted by RSUDARSANAN

Hi:
Driving down to Kochi this weekend 10-12 Sep.,'11.
Proposed route Blr-Salem-Palakkad-Shoranur-Trissur-Kochi

Three Qs, seeking details of the route taken by you:

1. Do you detour the Avinashi - L&T byepass sector via Perundurai and Kangayam ? Likely to be traversing this sector around 10.30 am

2. From Chandranagar Jn, Palakkad to Ottapalam, do you go thru' Palakkad town or do you byepass it ?

3. Similarly, @ Thrissur do you go thru' the town or byepass it, to join NH 47 at Mannuthy jn or via Ollur joining at Thalore jn ?

Thanks,
RS

1. I would recommend going through alternate routes considering the current state of road between 4-lane end and L&T bye-pass.

2. I would recommend you go through Palakkad town towards Ottapalam road, and it is fairly straight forward with sufficient sign boards. Avoid NH 47 between Palakkad and Thrissur at any cost.

3. Multiple options. a) You can decide to join Mannuthy by turning left at Patturackal junction and go straight on Palakkad road till you meet NH 47 and then turn right into NH 47 and then left to the bye-pass. b) You can go into Thrissur town and join the bye-pass midway through Mannamangalam road, starting near Jubilee mission hospital. c) You can go all the way through Thrissur town and join NH 47 through Ollur.

[RSUDARSANAN]

Originally Posted by vasoo

1. I would recommend going through alternate routes considering the current state of road between 4-lane end and L&T bye-pass.

2. I would recommend you go through Palakkad town towards Ottapalam road, and it is fairly straight forward with sufficient sign boards. Avoid NH 47 between Palakkad and Thrissur at any cost.

3. Multiple options. a) You can decide to join Mannuthy by turning left at Patturackal junction and go straight on Palakkad road till you meet NH 47 and then turn right into NH 47 and then left to the bye-pass. b) You can go into Thrissur town and join the bye-pass midway through Mannamangalam road, starting near Jubilee mission hospital. c) You can go all the way through Thrissur town and join NH 47 through Ollur.

Vasoo:

Thanks much for your inputs. Chastened by my Gonikoppal mis-adventure last weekend, 'm gonna abide by alternate routes as recommended.

Shall post an update when I'm back.

Happy Onam,
RS

PS: Happy Onam to fellow BHPians too....

[Digital Vampire]

Which is the best route these days to travel from Bangalore to Cochin?

I used to take Bangalore-Salem-Coimbatore-Palakkad-Trichur-Cochin for all my earlier trips, but looks like that is not the preferred route anymore after the rains played havoc in Kerala.

Any better route suggestions. I'm travelling with family and this is strictly a day-drive starting early morning tomorrow. Smoother and comparatively congestion free roads preferred even if the distance is longer.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Digital Vampire

Which is the best route these days to travel from Bangalore to Cochin?

I used to take Bangalore-Salem-Coimbatore-Palakkad-Trichur-Cochin for all my earlier trips, but looks like that is not the preferred route anymore after the rains played havoc in Kerala.

With slight modifications:

Bangalore-Salem-Perundurai-Kangeyam-Palladam-Pollachi-Vadakkencherry-Trichy (bypass)-Angamaly-Koci.

Bengaluru, Karnataka to Kochi, Kerala - Google Maps

[Digital Vampire]

Originally Posted by ampere

With slight modifications:

Bangalore-Salem-Perundurai-Kangeyam-Palladam-Pollachi-Vadakkencherry-Trichy (bypass)-Angamaly-Koci.

Thanks...but isn't the distance between Vadakkencherry to Trichur Byepass in horrible shape including Kuthiran?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Digital Vampire

Thanks...but isn't the distance between Vadakkencherry to Trichur Byepass in horrible shape including Kuthiran?

I agree, but thats the section you need to endure.
Or the other option is a longer one.

Pollachi-Alathur-Pazhayannur-Wadakancherry-Trichur-BP.

Pollachi, Tamil Nadu to National Highway 47 - Google Maps


Refer to Ranjit's post:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post2410115

[ak916]

Originally Posted by Digital Vampire

Which is the best route these days to travel from Bangalore to Cochin?

I used to take Bangalore-Salem-Coimbatore-Palakkad-Trichur-Cochin for all my earlier trips, but looks like that is not the preferred route anymore after the rains played havoc in Kerala.

Any better route suggestions. I'm travelling with family and this is strictly a day-drive starting early morning tomorrow. Smoother and comparatively congestion free roads preferred even if the distance is longer.

Please go with the first suggestion that Ampere made. The Vadakkencherry to Thrissur route is going to be problematic but it is the lesser of the evils. Avinashi to Thrissur is a very taxing drive, for the car and for the driver.

Also, the problem isnt only the rains. It has to do with the almost bumper to bumper heavy traffic and you might not get a single, clean chance to overtake. So save your best music for when you reach Vadakkencherry and take it slow and careful. Preferably follow a route bus at a safe distance.

A relative came back from Cochin yesterday to BLR and they took 5-6 hours to reach Walayar inspite of leaving just before sunrise.

[Digital Vampire]

Thanks for all the inputs!!!

What about taking the original route till Palakkad and take a detour to Shornur and then hit Thrissur?

Is Avinashi - Palakkad in a very bad condition? I know it is traffic prone but what about the roads conditions?

[ak916]

Originally Posted by Digital Vampire

Thanks for all the inputs!!!

What about taking the original route till Palakkad and take a detour to Shornur and then hit Thrissur?

Is Avinashi - Palakkad in a very bad condition? I know it is traffic prone but what about the roads conditions?

If you are doing Avinashi to Palakkad, might as well press on towards Thrissur (another 65 kms).

The road from Palakkad to Shornur was very good, lesser traffic (early this year) but I havent been to the other Wadakancherry or further to Thrissur, from Shornur. I went towards Pattambi from Shornur when I went there last.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Digital Vampire

Thanks for all the inputs!!!

What about taking the original route till Palakkad and take a detour to Shornur and then hit Thrissur?

Is Avinashi - Palakkad in a very bad condition? I know it is traffic prone but what about the roads conditions?

Yes that is also bad. More due to traffic. Also you need to go through Palakkad town.
There is no by-pass for the road to Ottapalam. Then as you said, hit Ottapalam, Shornur and Trichur.

[kala]

Originally Posted by Digital Vampire

Thanks for all the inputs!!!

What about taking the original route till Palakkad and take a detour to Shornur and then hit Thrissur?

Is Avinashi - Palakkad in a very bad condition? I know it is traffic prone but what about the roads conditions?

Try taking NH209 to Coimbatore - avoid Coimbatore city by taking the left turn towards airport at Kurumbapalayam, reach Neelambur and get onto the L&T byepass. Get off NH47 at Palghat and go through Ottappalam-Kulappully (left to Shoranur)-Wadakkanchery-Trichur-Cochin.

NH209 is a very peaceful and traffic-free drive, and roads are in excellent condition except the initial part through Bangalore city - (for about 2-3 kms from Banashankari temple) and some 3-4 kms on either side of Kollegal. You'll encounter some rough roads between CBE (L&T byepass end) and Palghat, but you'll have to pass through the same road even if going via Salem. Additional bonus is that you save about 200 bucks of toll on the Blr-CBE stretch.

[Sunney]

Current Condition of Road To kerala?

Better think there are NO roads in Kerala, but graveyards of roads; thanks to our greedy politician- Contractor- bureaucracy nexus...

Driving to Kerala is at own risk. NO road is drivable condition, will worse further till monsoon dry up and Tenders floated.....processed, work started....finished...

"Achtung" I will say...

[Digital Vampire]

Originally Posted by ampere

With slight modifications:

Bangalore-Salem-Perundurai-Kangeyam-Palladam-Pollachi-Vadakkencherry-Trichy (bypass)-Angamaly-Koci.

Bengaluru, Karnataka to Kochi, Kerala - Google Maps

Took this very route as Ampere suggested and the recommendations were spot on... Many thanks!!!

I never knew interior roads in TN were this good. Got lost inside Pollachi town a bit; thank to my GPS and the road from Vadakkencherry to Trichur (some 35 odd kilometers) is indeed horrible but I'm very happy that I avoided the other half (palakkad-vadakkencherry) and Avinashi and Coimbatore altogether.

Is there a different route I should explore on the way back or is this route still the best bet yet?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Digital Vampire

Took this very route as Ampere suggested and the recommendations were spot on... Many thanks!!!

I never knew interior roads in TN were this good. Got lost inside Pollachi town a bit; thank to my GPS and the road from Vadakkencherry to Trichur (some 35 odd kilometers) is indeed horrible but I'm very happy that I avoided the other half (palakkad-vadakkencherry) and Avinashi and Coimbatore altogether.

Is there a different route I should explore on the way back or is this route still the best bet yet?

- Yes getting past Pollachi town is a pain. Good that you had a GPS. Even I waded through the same way while searching for the road to Valparai
- Roads in TN very very nice. NH67 is now brilliant (Kangeyam-Palladam). Overall this road also getting four laned! Tanjore-Trichy already done. Karur-Trichy in progress.
- I think the one you took is best to return as well.

In case you need to have food in Pollachi I found the following two places:

- Hotel Nivetha's Inn - Pollachi
- Sakthi Hotels - Pollachi, Tamilnadu, India.

This is by google. I have no idea how good or bad they are. At least the web site said good parking and also the rooms looked good for a stay. So I assume the restaurant to be decent.

[Rajeevraj]

Just back after a Bangalore-Tirur-Calicut-Bangalore drive

Initially my brother in law and family were also joining us and they had to go to Thrissur. So planned to take the usual route via Salem Palakkad and then via Ottapalam-Shornur from where they would divert to Thrissur and we would go to Tirur via Patambi-Valanchery

They had to drop at the last minute. Initially thought of changing the route to my usual one via gudalur-Nilambur-Manjeri-Malappuram-Tirur. Then heard that the nadugani ghat section was in bad shape and there was a chance of traffic being blocked. So did not want to risk that route.

From updates here, the Wayanad route was also not in great shape so decided to stick to the Salem route. I had never gone that way and I had just got my SX4. So was eager to try it out on the Bangalore CBE NH. Distance I calculated would be roughly 70-80Km more than the Wayanad route which I thought was ok.

Left Bangalore at 5.15 and reached outskirts of Avinashi around 9.30. Lovely road and a great morning drive

Avinashi-LT Bypass- Kerala Border: Lot of construction work and diversions. The stretch from L&T to Walayar was pretty bad. Traffic in most of this stretch was a nightmare. Need to be extremely alert and hope for the best. Watch out for complete disregard for signals on the L&T bypass. Walayar to Palakkad was pretty ok. By the time I reached Palakkad it was 12.30 (including a half hour stop)

Palakkad-Ottapalam-Shornur-Pattambi: This stretch is still great. Nice wide roads and no potholes. Was in Pattambi by 1.30

Pattambi-Valanchery-Tirur: This was a nightmare. Totally broken roads and large pot holes. Was happy to have the SX4. I think this stretch was around 40km. It took 2 whole hours to get home.

Return:
Return was from Calicut. So decided to stick to the Wayanad route. Planned to leave by 5.30. Woke up to torrential rains. So left only by 6.30. Mavoor road was flooded and took some time to leave the city even at that time of the morning.

Calicut-Thamaraserry-Adivaram: Starting from outskirts of Thamarassery lots of bad patches. This was such a smooth road a year back.

Wayanad Churam(Ghats): Started the climb around 7.30. Terrible roads and heavy traffic. I was praying that we climb without getting blocked. No such luck. Had just climbed one hair pin when I ran into a long line of vehicles. Blocks here are becoming a daily occurance and had recently read in paper about a 10-12 hr block. It was raining heavily and visibility was minimal due to mist. I was really worried. Managed to click the one picture below

Luckily, there were policemen and locals managing things and we started moving in around 20 min. Progress was very slow with minor bottlenecks at various points. By the time we finished the climb it was nearly 9am.

Vythiri-Muthanga: Roads till somewhere past Vythiri is still very good. From there to almost the border at Muthanga there are lots of bad patches. And some patches are really bad. You cannot really increase speed confidently as you never know when the next patch will hit.

The Muthanga-Gundalpet-Mysore road is very good except for some bad patches once you leave the forest area.

Last time I got lost inside Mysore City. So for a change decided to take the long bypass. Bad decision. Lot of 4 laning work going on and pretty heavy traffic. Took close to 1 hr.

By the time I reached home it was 5pm. 10.5 hour journey (including 1hr 15 min of stops).

In my opinion the bad stretches have added at least an hours driving time between Bangalore and Calicut. In addition the Wayanad churam is a lottery. If you are lucky you'll get through without getting stuck.