[slakhs]

While I don't know the recent status, usually the direct road from Attibele to Rayakottai is patchy compared to Hosur - Royakottai. Then onto Dharmapuri road is good, maybe just a few meters near villages / culverts maybe bad. This route may save tolls but not much time however.

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by sentra26

Thanks. What about the Bangalore - Attibelle - Rayakottai - Dharmapuri road. Is that better? It seems to avoid most tolls.

You get to avoid paying tolls at Attibele and Krishnagiri. This route comes in handy when there is a long leave as most of the road users will go via the tolled roads.
The waiting time at toll plazas can be irritating. In such scenario alternate routes like the one mentioned above are very helpful.
The Hosur - Rayakottai route is better compared to the Attibele Rayakottai route via Kelamangalam

[frequentflyer]

I am driving from Pune to Trichy with a halt at Chitradurga. Car is Honda City. After visiting Chitradurga fort in the morning, is it possible to reach Trichy by evening 6 pm and what is the best route?

[NPV]

Originally Posted by frequentflyer

I am driving from Pune to Trichy with a halt at Chitradurga. Car is Honda City. After visiting Chitradurga fort in the morning, is it possible to reach Trichy by evening 6 pm and what is the best route?

It should be possibly but it's a 500 odd Km drive and will take about 8 to 9 hours.

I would suggest a Day 1 drive from Pune to Chitradurga and halt overnight, you may be too tired to visit the fort in the evening that day.
On Day 2, visit the fort early, it opens for visitors around 6am so by 8:30-9am you should be able to complete the visit. Have breakfast at Lakshmi Tiffins or Mysore Cafe both nearby to the fort and then start from Chitradurga towards Bangalore. Do not enter Bangalore city, instead take the NICE Road exit near Himalaya drugs/Makali and exit at Hosur Road and proceed towards Hosur-Salem-Namakkal.

Where in Trichy are you heading to ? For a first time, it is easier to go via the slightly longer and tolled route via Karur, else take Namakkal-Musiri or Namakkal-Thuraiyur bypass (Kannanur)-Trichy route.

By evening on Day 2 you should be able to reach Trichy.

[frequentflyer]

What is the best way to go from Puducherry-Ginjee-Arcot-Vellore-Damalcheruvu-Chitradurga? This has to be done with one halt in between and sightseeing at various places.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by frequentflyer

What is the best way to go from Puducherry-Ginjee-Arcot-Vellore-Damalcheruvu-Chitradurga? This has to be done with one halt in between and sightseeing at various places.

Based on your earlier post, I'm guessing you will do Pune-Chitradurga and then Chitradurga-Pondicherry.

Anyways, the route will be via Hosur (bypassing Bangalore). So you can take Chtradurga-Tumkur-Bangalore route of NH 48 (old NH 4), after Nelamangala toll plaza, take the NICE Road exit (look for Hosur signage/the Bangalore International Exhibition Center on left, Himalaya Drugs on right side). Get off at the Hosur Road exit of NICE and go towards Hosur (other exit on Hosur Road is towards Bangalore city!). Continue on NH 44 (old NH 7) to Hosur and Krishnagiri, then turn off to left towards Chennai route and go via Vellore-Arcot-Cheyyar-Vandavasi, don't take the Tiruvannamalai route, not worth it since sections of it aren't completely restored. Look at the Bangalore-Pondicherry thread for more details and several detailed posts with route, recommended food stops, etc.

[frequentflyer]

Time is short and the route is longish.

Pune-Chitradurga on day 1, Chitradurga-Trichy (bypass Bangalore) day 2 - sight see day 3 and reach Thanjavur at night. Day 4 see Thanjavur and head for Puducherry on Day 5. Day 6 Puducherry-Ginjee-Vellore- Damalcheruvu-Bangalore.... the last day is the problem. May be long since I will spend a hour or two at each of these places, so I have to halt within striking distance of B'lore and reach B'lore by 10 or 11 am on Day 7.

I can do this the other way round too. But time is from 16th Jan morning departure Pune to 22nd Jan 11 am arrival Bangalore.

[rahulb22]

Hello All,

Planning a drive from Bangalore to Trichy via Namakkal. Any suggestions for the Namakkal -> Trichy route based on current road conditions? Also visiting Thirukarukavoor from Trichy. Any hints on the best route would be great help.

Cheers
Rahulb22

[NPV]

Originally Posted by rahulb22

Any suggestions for the Namakkal -> Trichy route based on current road conditions?

Namakkal-Thuraiyur (bypass Thuraiyur town by turning off at Kannanur bus stop to Pagalavadi, saves few Km)-Trichy. Roads are good and recently asphalted.
This should be much better than the Musiri Road which sees more truck traffic.

You can also do Karur-Trichy (so you get more 4 laned roads).

[BLACKBLADE]

Originally Posted by rahulb22

Also visiting Thirukarukavoor from Trichy. Any hints on the best route would be great help.

From Trichy take NH83 (Trichy-Tanjore Highway) and drive straight, till you see the diversion to Kumbakonam. Take the slip road and join NH36 and drive till Papanasam. From Papanasam, Thirukkarugavur is a 7 Km drive.

NH83 is full four-lane highway throughout and road condition is excellent. One-way toll for LMVs at Thuvakudi Toll Plaza is Rs.55 and Two-way toll is Rs. 85. Many good eat-outs are there along the Trichy-Tanjore highway, including the recently opened A2B and Juniour Kuppanna.

NH36 is curvy and two laned, is in decent shape, except for a number of rumble speed breakers throughout.

Consider a drive time of approximately two hours, for covering the distance of 95Km, from Trichy to Thirukkarukavur.

[rahulb22]

Hi All,

Just back from a trip to Kumbakonam.

Onward - 18/03/2017
03:00 AM - Started from BSK Bangalore
08:00 AM - Drove Non-stop & reached Le Temps Fort Hotel, Trichy
Took the Salem -> Karur -> Trichy route. Amazing roads all the way with 4-Lane up until the last 50 Kms. Special mention about the hotel as well. A very good stay option if you are in Trichy. After a good breakfast, started driving towards Thanjavur and then Kumbakonam visiting temples along the way and reached back by about 4 PM.
Visited the Ranganathar Swamy temple, Srirangam in the evening.

Return - 19/03/2017 (Same route)
09:00 AM - Started from Trichy. Encountered a huge line of sand lorries all the way up until Karur. Traffic was much more sedate after that.
11:45 AM - Reached Salem and stopped for some shopping followed by lunch at Cascade Restaurant. Decent food but slightly on the expensive side.
03:00 PM - Started from Salem with quite heavy traffic being a Sunday afternoon and it only got worse with traffic from Chennai route adding up from Krishnagiri
04:45 PM - Reached A2B Hosur for a tea break after an average 20 mins at the tolls on the way.
07:00 PM - Reached Bangalore after some window shopping at Chennai Silks, Hosur

I was quite impressed to see many trucks using FasTags along the way. Hope it gets more common and also more efficient

A big thank you to all on the thread for the leads.

Cheers
Rahulb22

Mod Note: Post Edited. Smiley usage is restricted to two per post on Team-BHP. Please do NOT use more than 2 smileys in a post.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by rahulb22

A big thank you to all on the thread for the leads.

If you really wanted to hit Kumbakonam, then you took a big detour via Trichy. I did not realise this. Else would have suggested a much better option:

Bangalore-Salem-Thahalaivasal-Veppur-Uludurpet-Jayamkondam-T Palur-Kumbakonam.

In 6 hours you can make it to Kumbakonam.

See this thread for all the updates:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route...ml#post4119391 (Bangalore to Kumbakonam : Route Queries)

[rahulb22]

Originally Posted by ampere

If you really wanted to hit Kumbakonam, then you took a big detour via Trichy. I did not realise this.

Thank you Ampere, but I took this route on purpose as I needed to visit Trichy first. Also, I planned the trip in such a way that I could return to Trichy for the night after my visit to Kumbakonam.

Thank you again!!

Cheers
Rahulb22

[ampere]

Originally Posted by rahulb22

Thank you Ampere, but I took this route on purpose as I needed to visit Trichy first. Also, I planned the trip in such a way that I could return to Trichy for the night after my visit to Kumbakonam.

Thanks. That settles it! Because in the past the options to Kumbakonam were very convoluted. Shortest distance was not good in their conditions and the longer option were way too long. Now with Jayamkondam/T-Palur its far more easier.

[BLACKBLADE]

Originally Posted by rahulb22

Onward - 18/03/2017
03:00 AM - Started from BSK Bangalore
08:00 AM - Drove Non-stop & reached Le Temps Fort Hotel, Trichy

Bangalore to Trichy in five hours, through the Bangalore-Hosur-Krishnagiri-Dharmapuri-Salem-Namakkal-Karur-Trichy route! That's some pretty fast driving, I feel. Takes minimum of six and half hours for me, considering a break time of half an hour. Guess your average speed was around 80 Km/hour.

Agree that starting early helps, but still fast by any means.

Drive Safe. Love and Live to Drive !