[sknair]

Planning to travel to Kochi from Bangalore next week, any inputs on road conditions and traffic situations and any recommendations per recent travels please.

Planning to leave by 5am from Silk board junction.

Also from Kochi to Chengannur, is the Alappuzha Changanassery road open now and in good conditions?

thanks in advance.

[binand]

Originally Posted by sknair

Planning to travel to Kochi from Bangalore next week, any inputs on road conditions and traffic situations and any recommendations per recent travels please.

I doubt if anything would have significantly changed since the last update. Please take the effort to scroll back one or two pages and see.

[JohnnyBoss]

Originally Posted by sknair

Also from Kochi to Chengannur, is the Alappuzha Changanassery road open now and in good conditions?

AC Road has many diversions as WIP is in full swing. I would suggest to go via either Ambalapuzha-Thiruvalla or Kottayam-Chenganassery.

[aniams]

Originally Posted by sknair

Planning to travel to Kochi from Bangalore next week, any inputs on road conditions and traffic situations and any recommendations per recent travels please.

Planning to leave by 5am from Silk board junction.

Also from Kochi to Chengannur, is the Alappuzha Changanassery road open now and in good conditions?

thanks in advance.

Did Bangalore to Palakkad last week. Roads are pretty good all the way till Palakkad sparing the Coimbatore L&T by-pass(though the roads are good will spend more time to dodge the traffic) and Erode to CBE has done some nasty patch work resulting in a bumpy drive. For me it took close to 8 hours as I have started on a Saturday afternoon from Whitefield

[Hagaru]

Hey Guys! Need some advice.

We will be travelling to Pattambi from Bannerghatta Road later this week. For the past few years, we’ve only been using the Hosur - Krishnagiri - Salem - Walayar - Palakkad - Ottapulam route.

Prior to that, we were very frequent on the Mysore - Nanjangud - Bandipur - Gudalur - Nilambur route. As our vehicles changed and comfort triumphed cost, we dropped the latter route due to the deteriorating roads and abysmal traffic.

We did a Wayanad trip last week and We were fairly surprised with how much the Mysore - Gundulpet stretch has improved. Hence, if the roads aren’t too bad past the Nilgiris, we would like to give it a try. This is only if, the roads past the KA and TN border have improved.

Any tips on how we should proceed? We are a family of 3 in a Verna. Motion sickness or anything of that sort isn’t a concern.

Thank you.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by Hagaru

Prior to that, we were very frequent on the Mysore - Nanjangud - Bandipur - Gudalur - Nilambur route. As our vehicles changed and comfort triumphed cost, we dropped the latter route due to the deteriorating roads and abysmal traffic.

We did a Wayanad trip last week and We were fairly surprised with how much the Mysore - Gundulpet stretch has improved. Hence, if the roads aren’t too bad past the Nilgiris, we would like to give it a try. This is only if, the roads past the KA and TN border have improved.

Any tips on how we should proceed? We are a family of 3 in a Verna. Motion sickness or anything of that sort isn’t a concern.
Thank you.

Gudalur to the Kerala border in the Nadugani Churam I heard from past updates is average. Before Gudalur and post the border it should be great roads all the way.

Also to keep in mind, with monsoons in full force now, there is always the risks of blocks in the Nadugani Churam. Apart from that traffic inside Kerala has only gotten worse.

So for Pattambi, unless you want a change of scenery and not too concerned about the time, the Palakkad route will remain faster.

[binand]

Originally Posted by Hagaru

We will be travelling to Pattambi from Bannerghatta Road later this week. For the past few years, we’ve only been using the Hosur - Krishnagiri - Salem - Walayar - Palakkad - Ottapulam route.

Prior to that, we were very frequent on the Mysore - Nanjangud - Bandipur - Gudalur - Nilambur route.

The problem zone is never Mysore-Gundlupet - it is almost always the distance and routes you have to travel within Kerala. For Pattambi if higher comfort and lower stress are your constraints then don't even bother with any of the alternatives - just go via Salem-Palakkad. But if you are somewhat ok with lower comfort / higher stress you can try Gundlupet-Gudalur-Nilambur-Perinthalmanna-Pattambi. I have taken this route several times on my way to Ernakulam (especially when driving alone) and I enjoy the route. But almost always - early mornings, late evenings or Sundays within Kerala.

[Hagaru]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Also to keep in mind, with monsoons in full force now, there is always the risks of blocks in the Nadugani Churam. Apart from that traffic inside Kerala has only gotten worse.

Absolutely forgot to consider this. We did a small weather check and yep, its pretty bad. That's a risk.

Originally Posted by binand

. For Pattambi if higher comfort and lower stress are your constraints then don't even bother with any of the alternatives - just go via Salem-Palakkad. But if you are somewhat ok with lower comfort / higher stress you can try Gundlupet-Gudalur-Nilambur-Perinthalmanna-Pattambi. I have taken this route several times on my way to Ernakulam (especially when driving alone) and I enjoy the route. But almost always - early mornings, late evenings or Sundays within Kerala.

Well, it really looks like the Hosur-Salem route is best.

The Rain is a major deal-breaker, from the looks of it, we will probably be travelling via Salem. Thank you for your input!!

[toretto]

Hi All,

Planning to drive from Bangalore to Karunagapalli via the below route on Friday 8th July.

Bangalore --> Salem --> Madurai --> Aryankavu --> Punalur --> Karunagapalli

How is the road condition ? Is the route okay with the current monsoon conditions ?

[ajithbr]

Planning to drive to Ernakulam from Bangalore this Friday.
Planning to leave by 5am from Indiranagar area.

Any specific inputs on road conditions and traffic situations and any recommendations per recent travels please. Getting comments to divert from Omalur and bye-pass Salem area. Is that a good suggestion assuming that we will be hitting Salem area between 8am and 9am ?

Also please suggest some good breakfast options between Salem and Coimbatore.

And any other food options after Walayar till Angamaly ?

[binand]

Originally Posted by ajithbr

Getting comments to divert from Omalur and bye-pass Salem area. Is that a good suggestion assuming that we will be hitting Salem area between 8am and 9am ?

Also please suggest some good breakfast options between Salem and Coimbatore.

And any other food options after Walayar till Angamaly ?

1. No need to divert unless issues arise during the time of your travel - to keep abreast of these, stay tuned to Google Maps navigation / traffic updates. While there will certainly be commuter traffic towards Salem starting from Thoppur onwards, it still doesn't make sense to divert through the minor roads connecting smaller towns within TN.

2. The 3 A2Bs between Salem and Perundurai are always available. Then there is a Saravana Bhavan just before Vaiguntam toll booth. There are several more on the route, just pick one that suits your sensibilities.

3. Within Kerala - I try to visit Meen Chatti on Palakkad bypass for lunch. Others have recommended Bab Arabia and Koda Cafe, both on Thrissur bypass - but my preference is native Keralite cuisine whereas these are Arabian / Chinese / European influenced. There are many new restaurants that have come up between Vadakkanchery and Mannuthy; again pick what appeals to you.

Btw, if you could advance your start time by an hour you should be in Ernakulam for a late lunch (2PM-ish).

[rahulraag]

I may have to travel on an emergency this weekend from Bangalore to Kannur. I am being warned against the drive considering the heavy rains and I would be doing this drive by myself. Anyone recently traveled to Kannur via Virajpet-Iritty? To dissuade me from driving I was sent a video of flooded roads in Srikandapuram. I would be taking Iritty-Mattanur-Pinarayi-Muzhappilangad to get to my home. The plan is to drive back in 2 days. Should I consider taking a flight (saw some insane fares) or train?

[sknair]

Originally Posted by ajithbr

Planning to drive to Ernakulam from Bangalore this Friday.
Planning to leave by 5am from Indiranagar area.

Any specific inputs on road conditions and traffic situations and any recommendations per recent travels please. Getting comments to divert from Omalur and bye-pass Salem area. Is that a good suggestion assuming that we will be hitting Salem area between 8am and 9am ?

Also please suggest some good breakfast options between Salem and Coimbatore.

And any other food options after Walayar till Angamaly ?

Just came back from Chengannur via Kochi to Bangalore yesterday. roads are fine, not much of an issue. there are a couple of flyover constructions near salem, but just a few minutes of diversion only. while going we passed through Salem around 8 am and coming back we passed through around 12 noon.

[ajithbr]

Originally Posted by ajithbr

Planning to drive to Ernakulam from Bangalore this Friday.
Planning to leave by 5am from Indiranagar area.

Well, this time thought of avoiding Coimbatore bye-pass and a few constructions/diversions on Salem-Coimbatore stretch as well as lorry traffic in Salem-Palakkad stretch, so did a different route to Ernakulam and maintained almost same timings and less than half the toll amount

Being a very slow driver who slows down or stops frequently to take random travel pics, my timings can be improved by atleast an hour or 2 if you drive faster and/or nonstop.

This is the summary of onward trip:
6 am : Started from Indiranagar, Bangalore
9 am to 10 am : Leisurely breakfast at Anantha Bhavan at Omalur
11.30 am : Didn't take Coimbatore route, proceeded south past Namakkal and Karur, took right turn at Aravakurichi
12.30 pm : Crossed Dharapuram
1.30 pm to 2.30 pm : Long lunch break at excellent Madhava Inn at Pollachi, just near the junction where Palani-Coimbatore-Palakkad routes converge
4.30 pm : Paliyekkara toll via Kollengode, Vadakkanchery ; join back NH, Kuthiran tunnel, Mannuthy
6 pm : Ernakulam home

Return trip summary:
9 am : Started from Cheranalloor, Ernakulam
10 am : Join NH at Kodakara just before Paliyekkara toll via North Paravoor and Mala, avoids busy junctions and long signals/blocks at Aluva, Athani (airport), Double busy Angamaly, Chalakkudy
12.30 pm : Neelambur HP petrol pump towards end of Coimbatore bye-pass coming from Kerala
1.30 pm to 2.30 pm : Long lunch break at Perundurai bye-pass at Arukkaniyammal Mess ; good non-veg dishes (most other good options enroute are all veg only)
3.30 pm : Mettur bye-pass ; Kaveri double bridge
4.30 pm : Thoppur - Join back NH
5.30 pm : Krishnagiri toll
5.45 pm to 6.30 pm : Long coffee break at Food Court where we have KFC, Burger King and Baskin Robbins.
8 pm : Home in Indra Nagar area

[ampere]

Originally Posted by ajithbr

Well, this time thought of avoiding Coimbatore bye-pass and a few constructions/diversions on Salem-Coimbatore stretch as well as lorry traffic in Salem-Palakkad stretch, so did a different route to Ernakulam and maintained almost same timings and less than half the toll amount

Time wise no major difference. But I think that's because you started leisurely on return. Else am guessing the regular route would have been faster.