[csateesh]

Originally Posted by maheshramaling

I just came back from a trip to Trichy last week.

onwards and return via Namakkal and Musiri. .. 4 Laned or the single carriage way between Namakkal and Trichy. Started from Bangalore around 11 AM and with relaxed pace and 2 breaks (fuel and lunch) - was able to reach Srirangam temple around 4:15pm.

@ Mahesh - Fantastic timings and good to hear that the Namakkal to Trichy via Musri is in good shaoe

Originally Posted by gajadonga

If you go via Karur might take about half an hour extra than by the route through Musiri.

Even if you are travelling the Musiri route after Thottiyam you have a bridge across Cauvery to cross over towards Kulithalai if you feel the roads are not good.

@gajadong - The bridge route is my standard one but during the New Year drive the roads were in bad shape and hence these queries

Originally Posted by ravib

If your criteria is stress free driving, certainly i would recommend you to take Thuraiyur road after Namakkal Bus stand and go via Thattayangarpettai, Kannanur , Pagalavadi and Manachanallur. Absolutely no traffic in all times of the day.

Agree with @gajadonga. You can take Musiri or via Karur route, but beware that it depends on the time you travel in this sector. If you are lucky, you can escape from hundreds of Sand lorry trucks which is highly irritating and shower sand in your windshield. Since both Musiri route and via Karur route are heavy in Bus traffic and truck traffic as well, you have to time well when you leave Bangalore.

My 2 cents...

-Ravi

@ravib - The Thuraiyur route has been my fav. for the reason you mentioned but during my New Year drive due to the culvert constructions the journey wasn't good and my family was very unhappy

Is there a recommended time for the drive via Musri to avoid the sand lorries ?

Thanks Mahesh, gajadonga and ravib - Am almost sure that it will Musri , cauvery bridge Trichy

Shall keep you all posted once I complete my drive !!

[ravib]

Originally Posted by csateesh

@ravib - The Thuraiyur route has been my fav. for the reason you mentioned but during my New Year drive due to the culvert constructions the journey wasn't good and my family was very unhappy

Is there a recommended time for the drive via Musri to avoid the sand lorries ?

Thanks Mahesh, gajadonga and ravib - Am almost sure that it will Musri , cauvery bridge Trichy

Shall keep you all posted once I complete my drive !!

I too drive via Thuraiyur route during christmas holidays and found no issues. Where was the culvert constructions going on?

As far as the time goes, in my experience, post lunch is when i have seen lot of sand lorries. But things change, so its not easy to comment when there won't be sand lorries.

-Ravi

[nfsfreak]

Originally Posted by csateesh

Is there a recommended time for the drive via Musri to avoid the sand lorries ?

Originally Posted by ravib

As far as the time goes, in my experience, post lunch is when i have seen lot of sand lorries. But things change, so its not easy to comment when there won't be sand lorries.
-Ravi

Regarding sand lorries, I have seen them less around 8-11 AM and 4-6 PM (generally office/school timings).

As others said, Namakkal-Musiri-Gunaseelam-Trichy is in good shape. So is, Namakkal-Musiri-Kulithalai-Trichy stretch. If you are comfortable driving in two lanes, you can stick one of those routes depending on where you go in trichy.

Namakkal-Thattayangarpettai-Kannanur-Pagalavadi-Manachanallur-Trichy will be with less traffic as Ravib said, but the road condition is not so good as it used to be. Watch out for some potholes here and there in Thattayangarpettai-Pagalvadi stretch. Took that stretch 3-4 weeks back, not sure if some parts are relaid now.

If you want a relatively stress free drive, you can opt via Namakkal-Karur-Trichy. I normally prefer that route if I am travelling full load (5 adults+luggage) or elders on board. It would take around 1.45 hrs for me to reach Trichy from Namakkal bypass, driven sedately. So, not much difference for me over other routes, may be it would take 5 to 10 mins more.

[csateesh]

Originally Posted by ravib

I too drive via Thuraiyur route during christmas holidays and found no issues.

post lunch is when i have seen lot of sand lorries.
-Ravi

@Ravi - The Thuraiyur route I use is this. Hope we are talking about the same route. Thanks for the info on the lorries

Originally Posted by nfsfreak

Regarding sand lorries, I have seen them less around 8-11 AM and 4-6 PM (generally office/school timings).

As others said, Namakkal-Musiri-Gunaseelam-Trichy is in good shape. So is, Namakkal-Musiri-Kulithalai-Trichy stretch. If you are comfortable driving in two lanes, you can stick one of those routes depending on where you go in trichy.

Namakkal-Thattayangarpettai-Kannanur-Pagalavadi-Manachanallur-Trichy will be with less traffic as Ravib said, but the road condition is not so good as it used to be. Watch out for some potholes here and there in Thattayangarpettai-Pagalvadi stretch. Took that stretch 3-4 weeks back, not sure if some parts are relaid now.

If you want a relatively stress free drive, you can opt via Namakkal-Karur-Trichy. I normally prefer that route if I am travelling full load (5 adults+luggage) or elders on board. It would take around 1.45 hrs for me to reach Trichy from Namakkal bypass, driven sedately. So, not much difference for me over other routes, may be it would take 5 to 10 mins more.

@ nfsfreak - Sorry to call you like that - The Thuraiyur route I use is this .

I normally reach Trichy from Namakkal in around 2 hrs and looks like Karur route will be faster. May be I will try this route this time then - Any specific time of the day you clocked the timings posted or is this timing irrespective of the time of the day.



Thanks folks

[nfsfreak]

Originally Posted by csateesh

The Thuraiyur route I use is this .

Any specific time of the day you clocked the timings posted or is this timing irrespective of the time of the day.

Thanks folks

If via Thuraiyur road, I take this route which bypasses Namakkal completely. But the bypass would have decent lorry traffic and completely two lane.

Thathayangarpettai-Pagalvadi had some rough/uneven stretches and few potholes, last when I travelled. So, I started using Musiri-Kulithalai road for last 1 month.

Regarding Karur route, it actually takes 5-10 mins more for me compared to usual routes (via Musiri or Kulithalai it would be usually around 1:30 hrs).
The timings would be mostly consistent unless you encounter some traffic and waiting at toll near Mukkombu. Usually noted during long weekends.
This stretch has totally two tolls, one after taking deviation at Karur towards Trichy Rs 45 & the other one near Mukkombu Rs 23.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by ravib

I too drive via Thuraiyur route during christmas holidays and found no issues.

For a Bangalore-Trichy drive what would be a good estimate of time if starting in the evening say 4pm and if starting in the morning say 4am. Just wanted to know how these two start times would impact the drive.
Do you see any problems with the 4pm start from Bangalore for this drive ?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by NPV

For a Bangalore-Trichy drive what would be a good estimate of time if starting in the evening say 4pm and if starting in the morning say 4am. Just wanted to know how these two start times would impact the drive.
Do you see any problems with the 4pm start from Bangalore for this drive ?

For a 4AM start:

- 2.5 hours for Salem (200 km)
- 30 minutes to Namakkal
- 2 hours for Trichy (90-100km)

Add to it breakfast time. (5-5.5 hours of drive time)

For a 4PM start:

- It all depends on when you make it to Hosur
- Time taken at Salem
- Time to go past Namakkal. (May be if you start in the evening, Karur may be a better option?)

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by NPV

For a Bangalore-Trichy drive what would be a good estimate of time if starting in the evening say 4pm and if starting in the morning say 4am. Just wanted to know how these two start times would impact the drive.
Do you see any problems with the 4pm start from Bangalore for this drive ?

For a 4 AM start from Bangalore, you can reach Trichy within 6 hrs including breaks. You will be in Krishnagiri by 5 30 AM and reach salem by 7 30 AM assuming you break for tiffin enroute. Namakkal is approx 245 kms from Bangalore. Trichy is about 85-90 kms from Bangalore.
FYI, This January I did Trichy to Bangalore (non stop). Left Trichy by 6 30 PM and reached Bangalore by 12 30 AM. I took the Musiri route.

[gajadonga]

Traveled last weekend to Trichy.

Onwards via Karur

Roads are in good conditions throughout.
It takes about half an hour extra than the Musiri route.Two paid tolls .
Thirupparaithurai toll accepted Fast tag.

Return via Musiri -Thottiyam route.

Roads are in good conditions throughout .
Crossed Namakkal on a Sunday afternoon so no hassles.

[ravib]

Originally Posted by NPV

For a Bangalore-Trichy drive what would be a good estimate of time if starting in the evening say 4pm and if starting in the morning say 4am. Just wanted to know how these two start times would impact the drive.
Do you see any problems with the 4pm start from Bangalore for this drive ?

@NPV, if you start in the morning, including breaks, you can definitely reach Trichy in 6 hours comfortably.

Evening start is not advisable due to heavy traffic. As ampere mentioned, it depends on multiple variables, like Bangalore rains causing severe traffic jams, Hosur industrial shift timings, Salem traffic in all 5 roundabouts, Namakkal truck traffic.
Just to give you an idea, 2 weeks ago on a saturday i was driving to Hosur from my home in C.V.Raman Nagar, and it took 1.5 hours to reach EC Toll and another hour to reach Hosur - totally 2.5 hours Thanks to Bangalore rains and inch-by-inch moving traffic. So strongly recommend not to start in the evening.

As per gajadonga update, it seems both the routes are good. However, if you want to avoid Heavy vehicles (Bus/Lorry) traffic, you can take Thuraiyur route.

Namakkal to Trichy Tollgate can be done in 1.5 hours (90 kms - 90 minutes) in whichever route you take.

-Ravi

[NPV]

Originally Posted by ravib

@NPV, if you start in the morning, including breaks, you can definitely reach Trichy in 6 hours comfortably.

Evening start is not advisable due to heavy traffic. As ampere mentioned, it depends on multiple variables, like Bangalore rains causing severe traffic jams, Hosur industrial shift timings, Salem traffic in all 5 roundabouts, Namakkal truck traffic.

Thanks Ravi, I was awaiting your response since you frequent this route
As it stands now, we may not have a choice but to start in the evening as it's a working day for both office and school. So, I plan to go via Karur.

In case the date for the event changes to a weekend (there is a possibility it will!), then I will start early morning. Will get back with more questions as the plan crystallizes.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by ampere

For a 4AM start:
...
Add to it breakfast time. (5-5.5 hours of drive time)

Originally Posted by ravib

@NPV, if you start in the morning, including breaks, you can definitely reach Trichy in 6 hours comfortably.

Guys, it will be a morning start now as the event date has changed
The place is Ramji Mahal on Nachiar Road, Woraiyur.
I think this is kind of a central location close to the famous temples in Woraiyur, the Rock Fort temple, Railway station, etc all in a 2-5Km radius around the place.
So what routing would you suggest to get to this place easily ?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by NPV

So what routing would you suggest to get to this place easily ?

Via Karur no doubt ! Its ideal for this location.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by ampere

Via Karur no doubt ! Its ideal for this location.

Thanks amp!
Google maps is suggesting 2 routes - via Namakkal and via Erode (!) and totally missed the one in between these 2 which is what you are suggesting - to continue on further on NH7 from Namakkal to Karur and then turn off to SH81 all the way to the destination

Another reason why this forum is so invaluable

EDIT:NH67 is NH81 now, so it is not SH81!

[ampere]

Originally Posted by NPV

Thanks amp!
Google maps is suggesting 2 routes - via Namakkal and via Erode (!) and totally missed the one in between these 2 which is what you are suggesting - to continue on further on NH7 from Namakkal to Karur and then turn off to SH81 all the way to the destination

Thanks. This is a new finding! NH67 is now NH81 (not SH81). Its so difficult to remember the new names! Its still NH67 for me!