[NPV]

Originally Posted by DieselLover

What is the approx total toll amount to be paid If I am travelling to Bangalore from Kochi?
Myself and my colleague need to travel to Bangalore this weekend to attend a function and we are wondering if car would be cheaper than the private volvo bus. I am assuming Duster 85 will return at least 18 kmpl on this route.

Better to avoid Coimbatore route (If you go via Coimbatore, then add Rs.31 (I think) for L&T bypass). L&T bypass to Walayar about 10Km odd is not great and also Palakkad-Alathur is still work in progress with multiple diversions, better to avoid since you're heading to Kochi. Instead take below route via Pollachi-Vadakkencherry.

Bangalore-Salem-Avinashi-Palladam-Pollachi-Kollengode-Vadakkencherry-Mannuthy-Kochi route.

Tolls from Bangalore upto Avinashi would be Rs.394, details here

Then you need to add tolls from Mannuthy to Kochi which I'm not sure of.

[dhanushmenon]

Originally Posted by NPV

Then you need to add tolls from Mannuthy to Kochi which I'm not sure of.

There is only one toll booth between Mannuthy and Kochi.
It is Rs 60 I think, or there about.

The next toll booth is after crossing Kochi city, at Aroor

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by DieselLover

Guys,
What is the approx total toll amount to be paid If I am travelling to Bangalore from Kochi?
Myself and my colleague need to travel to Bangalore this weekend to attend a function and we are wondering if car would be cheaper than the private volvo bus. I am assuming Duster 85 will return at least 18 kmpl on this route.

Contrary to what is usually suggested here, a friend who did Thrissur-Bangalore last sunday, found the Vadakkenchery-Pollachi-Palladam route slower than the NH47 route. He saw an elderly gentleman in an Ecosport, whom he was tailing in Kuthiran, stop at Hotel Diana, Vadakkenchery, while he continued non-stop along the Pollachi route, only to see the same car stopped at the Sree Saravana Bhavan Classic before Vaikundam.

I see quite a few Dusters simply zipping along the patchy stretch between Walayar and the L&T Toll booth at Madukkarai, while most other hatchbacks and sedans don't dare to do more than 30-40kmph.

Bottom line, the Pollachi route need not be faster. If you are starting in the morning (after daybreak), the NH47 route wouldn't take too longer than the Pollachi route. If you're driving really early, then Pollachi route it is.

About the toll amounts - starting from the L&T bypass road till Attibele toll, here are the amounts:
31, 50, 55, 71, 88, 60, 25. The elevated toll road will cost you an extra Rs.40.
If you take the Pollachi route, you will avoid paying the Rs.31 and Rs.50 at Madukkarai and Komarapalayam respectively.

[DieselLover]

Originally Posted by silversteed

Contrary to what is usually suggested here, a friend who did Thrissur-Bangalore last sunday, found the Vadakkenchery-Pollachi-Palladam route slower than the NH47 route. He saw an elderly gentleman in an Ecosport, whom he was tailing in Kuthiran, stop at Hotel Diana, Vadakkenchery, while he continued non-stop along the Pollachi route, only to see the same car stopped at the Sree Saravana Bhavan Classic before Vaikundam.

I see quite a few Dusters simply zipping along the patchy stretch between Walayar and the L&T Toll booth at Madukkarai, while most other hatchbacks and sedans don't dare to do more than 30-40kmph.

Bottom line, the Pollachi route need not be faster. If you are starting in the morning (after daybreak), the NH47 route wouldn't take too longer than the Pollachi route. If you're driving really early, then Pollachi route it is.

About the toll amounts - starting from the L&T bypass road till Attibele toll, here are the amounts:
31, 50, 55, 71, 88, 60, 25. The elevated toll road will cost you an extra Rs.40.
If you take the Pollachi route, you will avoid paying the Rs.31 and Rs.50 at Madukkarai and Komarapalayam respectively.

Thanks. We will start from Kochi on Saturday afternoon by around 1 30 PM. Can we reach Madiwala by around 11 PM with this start?

The return will be around 1 PM from Bangalore on Sunday.

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by DieselLover

Thanks. We will start from Kochi on Saturday afternoon by around 1 30 PM. Can we reach Madiwala by around 11 PM with this start?

The return will be around 1 PM from Bangalore on Sunday.

Yes. Timing sounds good.

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by DieselLover

Guys,
What is the approx total toll amount to be paid If I am travelling to Bangalore from Kochi?
Myself and my colleague need to travel to Bangalore this weekend to attend a function and we are wondering if car would be cheaper than the private volvo bus. I am assuming Duster 85 will return at least 18 kmpl on this route.

With the route that i am suggesting, you will have to pay toll at Thoppur and Palliyekara only

Via Attibele, Rayakottai, Palaocode by pass, Thoppur, Omalur, Tharamangalam, Sankagiri, Erode, Kangeyam, Palladam, Pollachi, Kollengode and then the NH47 route.
Distance comes to 536 kms

[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by DieselLover

...If I visit Kudajadri also, would I be able to return to Udupi by evening?

If you did the Udipi/Kollur trip as indicated, provide an update on road condition with time taken. I am also planning a Kollur trip, next week.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by silversteed

Contrary to what is usually suggested here, a friend who did Thrissur-Bangalore last sunday, found the Vadakkenchery-Pollachi-Palladam route slower than the NH47 route.

Yes, not faster but a much more peaceful drive with lesser traffic. Of course, Kollengode-Nemmara-Vadakkencherry is narrow like typical Kerala town roads but still worth it from my experience. To each his own

[kala]

Originally Posted by silversteed

Bottom line, the Pollachi route need not be faster. If you are starting in the morning (after daybreak), the NH47 route wouldn't take too longer than the Pollachi route. If you're driving really early, then Pollachi route it is.

Originally Posted by NPV

Yes, not faster but a much more peaceful drive with lesser traffic. Of course, Kollengode-Nemmara-Vadakkencherry is narrow like typical Kerala town roads but still worth it from my experience. To each his own

+1 to that. Driving on the Mannuthi-Vadakkencherry sector itself is such a torture that It's a huge relief to see low traffic when you get on to the Nemmara road. I think I'll still stick to the Pollachi route till they complete the Mannuthi-Palghat section as well - even if it means 10 or 15 more minutes of extra driving time.

[DieselLover]

Originally Posted by rajeev k

If you did the Udipi/Kollur trip as indicated, provide an update on road condition with time taken. I am also planning a Kollur trip, next week.

Rajeev - I cancelled the trip after making all arrangements/bookings as my child fell sick the previous day :(

[coolclouds]

Originally Posted by DieselLover

Thanks. We will start from Kochi on Saturday afternoon by around 1 30 PM. Can we reach Madiwala by around 11 PM with this start?

The return will be around 1 PM from Bangalore on Sunday.

Kochi-Alwaye will be slow due to metro work. Alwaye-Mannuthy also will be slow due to too many signals. If you are pressed on time, take NH47 all the way.

Walayar check post is not crowded these days. It took 30 minutes to cross Gopalapuram checkpost last week during 2 am.

[DieselLover]

Originally Posted by coolclouds

Kochi-Alwaye will be slow due to metro work. Alwaye-Mannuthy also will be slow due to too many signals. If you are pressed on time, take NH47 all the way.

Walayar check post is not crowded these days. It took 30 minutes to cross Gopalapuram checkpost last week during 2 am.

Thanks. I am heavy afternoon traffic up to Palakkad. How is the normal Saturday evening/night traffic beyond Palakkad till Bangalore on regular NH47? Is taking alternate routes like Vadakkencery-Nemmara-Kollengode-Palladam-Avinashi worth it?

Though we are not pressed on time, we would like to reach Bangalore by around mid-night to get some rest as we need to start return journey by next day afternoon.

[coolclouds]

Originally Posted by DieselLover

Thanks. I am heavy afternoon traffic up to Palakkad. How is the normal Saturday evening/night traffic beyond Palakkad till Bangalore on regular NH47? Is taking alternate routes like Vadakkencery-Nemmara-Kollengode-Palladam-Avinashi worth it?

Though we are not pressed on time, we would like to reach Bangalore by around mid-night to get some rest as we need to start return journey by next day afternoon.

You can do L&T entry to Madiwala in 5 hours easily. You will find some traffic at Salem and Hosur.

[sachinpk]

Gents, a quick question. May need to make a quick trip to Thrissur tomorrow. How is the road condition between:-
1. L&T bye-pass end to Walayar (via Madukkarai)
2. Walayar to Chandra Nagar byepass
3. Chandra Nagar to Mannuthi

More interested in the Chandra Nagar to Mannuthi (NH47) road condition. If it is okay, I would like to try this stretch. Long time since I took this route. And if L&T bye-pass till Chandra Nagar the roads are good, then may skip the Palladam-Pollachi route as well. This would be an early morning trip, so visibility etc. may not be a problem.

Thanks in advance.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

How is the road condition between:-
1. L&T bye-pass end to Walayar (via Madukkarai)
2. Walayar to Chandra Nagar byepass
3. Chandra Nagar to Mannuthi

More interested in the Chandra Nagar to Mannuthi (NH47) road condition. If it is okay, I would like to try this stretch. Long time since I took this route. And if L&T bye-pass till Chandra Nagar the roads are good, then may skip the Palladam-Pollachi route as well. This would be an early morning trip, so visibility etc. may not be a problem.

1. about ~10Km is bad, can be managed if driving early morning
2. this section is completed and good
3. this section has alternating complete and incomplete sections and is a pain, quite dangerous if driving evening/night

If you're heading to Palakkad, you can go directly via Walayar. For Thrissur, I would take Avinashi-Mangalam-Palladam-Pollachi-Kollengode-Nemmara-Vadakkencherry-Mannuthy-Thrissur

OR same route upto Kollengode, then
Kollengode-Alathur-Pazhayannur-Chelakkara-Wadakancheri-Thrissur

Roads are good in both routes, Kollengode-Alathur route may be a tad slower as road is winding, narrow and goes through fields, residential areas, temples

EDIT:OR you could even go directly till Palakkad and then take Ottapalam-Shornur-Thrissur