[svkndv]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Any specific reason that you want to drive via NH47 between Palakkad and Thrissur?If no,then I would suggest you go via Ottapalam-Shoranur.

No specific reason, more comfortable with that is the only reason. Even with GPS I always get inside a market in palakkad. Never got that route right and always get inside trissur citi.

Any specific suggestion to avoid this will be helpful

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by svkndv

No specific reason, more comfortable with that is the only reason. Even with GPS I always get inside a market in palakkad. Never got that route right and always get inside trissur citi.

Any specific suggestion to avoid this will be helpful

Getting to the Ottapalam road is pretty easy while coming from CBE.

Follow this map and its the easiest to get to Ottapalam road.No markets on this route.

https://maps.google.co.in/maps?saddr...ra=ls&t=m&z=11

[rajeshchand]

Originally Posted by ak916

I do Banaswadi-N Parur regularly. I dislike the mysore route due to the number of speed breakers and heavy traffic on weekends. Alternate to your route, you can try Kannakpura, Malavalli, Kollegal, Chamarajnagar, Gundlupet and then continue the rest of the journey on the same route as earlier. The roads are pretty good with very little traffic. It is a pleasant drive all the way but with almost zero food options.

My preferance nowdays is the BLR-Salem-perundurai-pollachi-kollengode-Vadakkencherry route. There is a way to skip Vadakkencherry-palakkad horror stretch of 20-30 kms mentioned in this thread a few pages back.

I did this route day before yesterday and it was a breeze except for the lat 20 kms where it was literally hell, but covered it in around one hour and I saw the patch work being done, so this stretch should be fine in a week or two. The route through pollachi kollengode alathur can be done at 60kmph due to sparse traffic though I am not sure about the night time driving.

[kala]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Getting to the Ottapalam road is pretty easy while coming from CBE.

Follow this map and its the easiest to get to Ottapalam road.No markets on this route.

https://maps.google.co.in/maps?saddr...ra=ls&t=m&z=11

I've tried the Mundur-Parli route, but found the route through Kalmandapam / Fort/ KSRTC bus stand /Mercy College to be faster. Much better then the straight road through the market and shorter than the Mundur route.

Passing Palghat towards Shoranur - Google Maps

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by svkndv

No specific reason, more comfortable with that is the only reason. Even with GPS I always get inside a market in palakkad. Never got that route right and always get inside trissur citi.

Any specific suggestion to avoid this will be helpful

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Getting to the Ottapalam road is pretty easy while coming from CBE.

Follow this map and its the easiest to get to Ottapalam road.No markets on this route.

Originally Posted by kala

I've tried the Mundur-Parli route, but found the route through Kalmandapam / Fort/ KSRTC bus stand /Mercy College to be faster. Much better then the straight road through the market and shorter than the Mundur route.

Yeah - its much easier to go through the Fort-KSRTC Stand-Mercy College than complicate the route by going through Mundur. Its a well paved, well-marked road as well.

Only word of caution is: About a km after KSRTC Bus Station (Palakkad), one would reach a circle, where the boards mention "Thrissur <-" and Ottapalam "->". Don't take the right here (that road goes through a market kind of place - narrow roads and a fairly good traffic), instead keep going straight. Take a right at the place where you see a petrol pump to your left.

The map Kala has posted is spot on - just mentioned the landmarks.

[manojas]

I did Bangalore - Salem - Pollachi - Vadakkencheri - Kuthiran - Mannuthy - angamaly - Kothamangalam today.

Update on Kuthiran: It is still as bad as it is. No progress on the patch work. No sign of any work happening anywhere.

However, if you have a vehicle with good ground clearance, its still manageable and is the fastest of all the options.
I did Vadakkencheri - Mannuthi in less than 40 mins

But I royally got struck in Angamaly (30 mins) and Kalady (over 2 hours). So people taking MC Road or passing through Angamaly, please keep in mind the Onam Shopping rush and and the huge traffic jams.

[rajeshchand]

Originally Posted by manojas

I did Bangalore - Salem - Pollachi - Vadakkencheri - Kuthiran - Mannuthy - angamaly - Kothamangalam today.

Update on Kuthiran: It is still as bad as it is. No progress on the patch work. No sign of any work happening anywhere.

However, if you have a vehicle with good ground clearance, its still manageable and is the fastest of all the options.
I did Vadakkencheri - Mannuthi in less than 40 mins

But I royally got struck in Angamaly (30 mins) and Kalady (over 2 hours). So people taking MC Road or passing through Angamaly, please keep in mind the Onam Shopping rush and and the huge traffic jams.

Onam shopping rush is present in every town in Kerala, that is understandable and for a few days, but i saw patch work being done on some stretches on thrissur bypass.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by kala

I've tried the Mundur-Parli route, but found the route through Kalmandapam / Fort/ KSRTC bus stand /Mercy College to be faster. Much better then the straight road through the market and shorter than the Mundur route.
Passing Palghat towards Shoranur - Google Maps

Originally Posted by binaiks

Yeah - its much easier to go through the Fort-KSRTC Stand-Mercy College than complicate the route by going through Mundur. Its a well paved, well-marked road as well.
Only word of caution is: About a km after KSRTC Bus Station (Palakkad), one would reach a circle, where the boards mention "Thrissur <-" and Ottapalam "->". Don't take the right here (that road goes through a market kind of place - narrow roads and a fairly good traffic), instead keep going straight. Take a right at the place where you see a petrol pump to your left.
The map Kala has posted is spot on - just mentioned the landmarks.

Are you guys referring to the road that has a mosque and then Hotel Kapilavasthu both on the left side immediately after KSRTC bus stand. I think on right side opposite Kapilavasthu is KR Bakes ? So we need to proceed straight down this road ? (I think this is also the road leading to Vennakara, Nurani, etc in Palakkad).

[kala]

Originally Posted by NPV

Are you guys referring to the road that has a mosque and then Hotel Kapilavasthu both on the left side immediately after KSRTC bus stand. I think on right side opposite Kapilavasthu is KR Bakes ? So we need to proceed straight down this road ? (I think this is also the road leading to Vennakara, Nurani, etc in Palakkad).

Sorry I'm not too familiar with Palghat town, so don't recall seeing these landmarks. But I can see them on Google Maps - Hotel Kapilavasthu and a Juma Masjid on the left immediately after the KSRTC bus stand with a KR Bakes opposite it.

As to your question about whether you need to go straight at that point - I think "Straight" is a little bit vague. The Map shows a junction in front of Kapilavasthu with a straightish road going in the South-west direction (I can see East and West Vannakkara marked a little bit further down this road) and a second one going directly west from that junction and then curving right in the North-west direction (Nurani Post office a little bit further on this road). The road I have marked in that map is the latter. If that's the one you term as "straight", then yes you're right.

[pvkm]

I plan to do the following trips on three separate days in the week starting 1 Sep. Haven't been on this route for over six months so appreciate any updates/caution/tips. Thanks for your time. All trips will start mornings after 6 a.m.

Trip 1: Bangalore - Mysore - Sulthan Bathery - Calicut

Trip 2: Calicut - Malappuram - Palakkad

Trip 3: Palakkad - Trichur - Bangalore (Need to visit someone in Trichur and double back to return to Blr)

I see from the discussion that via Ottapalam is recommended for Trip 3 (Palakkad - Trichur). Is the extra 20 km worth the detour over the NH? I've never been on the Palakkad - Trichur leg before hence the query.

[narayan]

Guys
Need help with the below trip

1. Chennai - Palakkad
Should I be taking Ulundurpet route over Bangalore highway ? Does Ulundurpet have a bypass ? Last time ( about 1.5yrs back ) I recall losing a lot of time going through the city. Upon approaching Coimbatore in this route is there a bypass to Palakkad ?

2. Palakkad - Masinagudi
Should I drive into Coimbatore via Ukkadam and proceed to Mettupalayam via Ganapathy - Annur or is there a better option ?

3. Masinagudi - Coimbatore
Presume this would be via ooty-Mettupalayam-Annur-Ganapathy ?

Pls help

Thanks

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by pvkm

I see from the discussion that via Ottapalam is recommended for Trip 3 (Palakkad - Trichur). Is the extra 20 km worth the detour over the NH? I've never been on the Palakkad - Trichur leg before hence the query.

It would be worthwhile if you are driving a low clearance vehicle, or if you prefer driving on the 'road' than 'off-roading'. If your destination is well within Thrissur town, then the difference in distance would be less than 20kms.

Originally Posted by narayan

Guys
3. Masinagudi - Coimbatore
Presume this would be via ooty-Mettupalayam-Annur-Ganapathy ?

If your destination is in Coimbatore, they you need not travel through Annur-Ganapathy. Just keep diving from Mettupalayam towards Coimbatore through Karamadai-Thudiyalur.

[pypkmsrikanth]

Originally Posted by narayan

Guys
Need help with the below trip

1. Chennai - Palakkad
Should I be taking Ulundurpet route over Bangalore highway ? Does Ulundurpet have a bypass ? Last time ( about 1.5yrs back ) I recall losing a lot of time going through the city. Upon approaching Coimbatore in this route is there a bypass to Palakkad ?

2. Palakkad - Masinagudi
Should I drive into Coimbatore via Ukkadam and proceed to Mettupalayam via Ganapathy - Annur or is there a better option ?

3. Masinagudi - Coimbatore
Presume this would be via ooty-Mettupalayam-Annur-Ganapathy ?

Pls help

Thanks

1. Ulundurpet has a very good bypass which you cannot miss, continue on your way towards Trichy after the toll booth at the exit of the bypass you would find the detour to NH67. You would join the other road from Krishnagiri at Salem and continue on NH47 the regular way. You can take the L&T bypass after Karumathampatti towards Walayar. The other day while coming by bus from Palakkad realised the stretch between Walayar to L&T bypass is quite bad at patches. Not sure of the road conditions this side of the bypass.


Alternatively you can think of doing Chennai - Perambalur - Musiri - Karur - Dharapuram - Pollachi - Palakkad as well.

2. Why don't you look at going through Mannarkad, Melatoor, Nilambur, Gudalur. It would save you the pain of climbing up the Ghats to Ooty and then climbing down.

https://maps.google.co.in/maps?saddr...via=1&t=m&z=12

3. Suggest you come via Ooty, Kothagiri to Mettupalayam rather than via Coonoor. Traffic would be lesser and the roads are in decent shape all the way.

[sirius1845]

Hi,

I am planning a trip to thiruvananthapuram via madurai. What are the road conditions and has anyone travelled this route recently during the monsoons?

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by sirius1845

Hi,

I am planning a trip to thiruvananthapuram via madurai. What are the road conditions and has anyone travelled this route recently during the monsoons?

Roads are as good as usual