[ananth_iy]

We have a 2 day offsite workshop in Pondicherry coming up in the first week of November. We have the option of flying from Coimbatore to Chennai and taking a car from there or taking a car directly from Coimbatore to Pondicherry.

There is no consideration of driving pleasure or cost since it will be an official trip with a company provided car and driver / tickets either ways. So, the only consideration is time and convenience.

My first instinct was to take the car from Coimbatore to Pondy since then we can get back straight home after the workshop which is likely to end at 4PM on a Sunday rather than driving to Chennai airport and taking the 8:45pm flight to Coimbatore that may be touch and go. But if we are going to take 8+hrs to get from Pondy to CBE, I will reconsider.

Inputs please on distances, road conditions, time etc.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by ananth_iy

Inputs please on distances, road conditions, time etc.

Very straight and very good. Its about 400km. 4-lane roads all the way from CBE-Salem-Ulundurpet-Villupuram. Some narrow roads from Villupuram to Pudducherry.

[ananth_iy]

Originally Posted by ampere

Very straight and very good. Its about 400km. 4-lane roads all the way from CBE-Salem-Ulundurpet-Villupuram. Some narrow roads from Villupuram to Pudducherry.

Thanks. How long do you think it will take from CBE to Pondy?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by ananth_iy

Thanks. How long do you think it will take from CBE to Pondy?

Per me you should be able to do it in about 7 hours with breaks. Also includes the time to cross Salem.

[MOHAN_99]

Hello BHPians,

Can anyone provide the latest information about the Salem - Pondicherry route/s with respect to distances and surface conditions ?

Thanks & regards,

Mohan.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by MOHAN_99

Can anyone provide the latest information about the Salem - Pondicherry route/s with respect to distances and surface conditions ?

Nothing to say. Super brilliant 4-lane almost all the way.

Salem-Attur-Ulundurpet-Villupuram-Pondicherry. (About 225km).

Villupuram-Pondicherry is a narrow road. Instead if you are willing to add another 30-40km to the drive, then instead of exiting the 4-lane (NH45) at Villupuram, drive all the way till Tindivanam and exit the NH45 there to NH66 and there on drive to Pondicherry. Then you get end to end 4-lane. NH68/NH45/NH66

[MOHAN_99]

@Amp thanks for your suggestion.
Some extra distance for a better ride is always a preferred option.

Could you, or others, also suggest a comfortable route from Pondicherry to Rameshwaram?
I have read a few adverse comments about the ECR. The vehicle being used is a Tata Safari.

Thanks & regards,

Mohan.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by MOHAN_99

Could you, or others, also suggest a comfortable route from Pondicherry to Rameshwaram?

ECR has lots of traffic. Best option is :

Pondicherry-Tindivanam/Villupuram-Ulundurpet-Trichy-Pudukottai-Karaikudi-Devakottai-Ramnad-Rameshwaram

Notes
- The shortest route is via Cudalore-Kumbakonam-Nedamangamalm-Mannargudi-Adirampatnam-Ramnad
- This route is fully 2-lane, has lots of city and highway traffic and lots of cities to go through without any bypass. Roads may be good but city traffic would tire you out.
- Best is to take the 4-lane to Trichy and then latch on to NH210 via Pudukottai-Karaikudi to Ramnad.
- Earlier NH210 was in bad shape. Its now been fully relaid and is now in very good condition.
- I don't think the 4-lane road via Madurai now makes any sense once NH210 has come good.

[MOHAN_99]

Mod note: Fixing Quote, please use Preview before Submitting posts. Thanks.

Originally Posted by ampere

ECR has lots of traffic. Best option is :

Pondicherry-Tindivanam/Villupuram-Ulundurpet-Trichy-Pudukottai-Karaikudi-Devakottai-Ramnad-Rameshwaram

@Amp, many thanks for your information.

That warps up my trip. I need to go to Salem (from Bangalore) for some work. From there the next destination would be Pondicherry, then Rameshwaram and return via Madurai using NH 7. Alternatively, if I reverse the route after Salem, then the return can be via Arcot, then NH 4 to Bangalore, so as to have a non-overlapping route. Any comments?

Thanks & regards,

Mohan.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by MOHAN_99

Alternatively, if I reverse the route after Salem, then the return can be via Arcot, then NH 4 to Bangalore, so as to have a non-overlapping route. Any comments?

Definitely possible:

- Bangalore-Krisnagiri-Salem
- Salem-Madurai-Ramnad-Rameshwaram
- Rameshwaram-Ramnad-Karaikudi-Pudukottai-Trichy-Villupuram-(Tindivanam)-Pondicherry
- Pondicherry-Tindivanam-Vandavasi-Arcot-Krishnagiri/Chittoor-Bangalore

[MOHAN_99]

Originally Posted by ampere

Definitely possible:

- Bangalore-Krisnagiri-Salem
- Salem-Madurai-Ramnad-Rameshwaram
- Rameshwaram-Ramnad-Karaikudi-Pudukottai-Trichy-Villupuram-(Tindivanam)-Pondicherry
- Pondicherry-Tindivanam-Vandavasi-Arcot-Krishnagiri/Chittoor-Bangalore

@Amp thanks for writing out the itinerary.

Regards,

Mohan.

[MOHAN_99]

Originally Posted by ampere

Definitely possible:

- Bangalore-Krisnagiri-Salem
- Salem-Madurai-Ramnad-Rameshwaram
- Rameshwaram-Ramnad-Karaikudi-Pudukottai-Trichy-Villupuram-(Tindivanam)-Pondicherry
- Pondicherry-Tindivanam-Vandavasi-Arcot-Krishnagiri/Chittoor-Bangalore

After yet another re-think (an empty mind is the devil's workshop?), I thought of including Kanya Kumari.
So the trip would be Bangalore - Salem - Kanyakumari - Rameshwaram - Pondicherry - Bangalore, using a fully circular route except for nodes like Tirunalveli (?) and Tindivanam.
I find a lot of route related information in various threads for proceeding to Kanyakumari, but I would highly appreciate any updated advice concerning the Kanyakumari - Rameshwaram segment, including any information regarding pit-stops (suitable for ladies), refreshments etc., for any of the segments.

Thanks & regards,

Mohan.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by MOHAN_99

I find a lot of route related information in various threads for proceeding to Kanyakumari, but I would highly appreciate any updated advice concerning the Kanyakumari - Rameshwaram segment, including any information regarding pit-stops (suitable for ladies), refreshments etc., for any of the segments.

Bangalore-Salem-Kanyakumari (stops at Madurai bypass, Capsi, apart from the ones till Salem)

Kanyakumari-Tirunelvei-Tuticorin bypass-ECR-Sayalgudi-Ramnad-Rameshwaram.

I have also read about SH75 thats its decent. That means you don't even to goto Tiruneveli but take the SH to Ottapidaram, cut through 45B( 4-Lane) and join ECR at Kulathoor. But since I don't know about this route, I don't want to suggest.

[MOHAN_99]

Originally Posted by ampere

Bangalore-Salem-Kanyakumari (stops at Madurai bypass, Capsi, apart from the ones till Salem)

Kanyakumari-Tirunelvei-Tuticorin bypass-ECR-Sayalgudi-Ramnad-Rameshwaram.

I have also read about SH75 thats its decent. That means you don't even to goto Tiruneveli but take the SH to Ottapidaram, cut through 45B( 4-Lane) and join ECR at Kulathoor. But since I don't know about this route, I don't want to suggest.

@Amp thanks for all the info.
You are indeed a "route wizard".

Regards,

Mohan.

[ampere]

I have also read about SH75 thats its decent. That means you don't even to goto Tiruneveli but take the SH to Ottapidaram, cut through 45B( 4-Lane) and join ECR at Kulathoor. But since I don't know about this route, I don't want to suggest.

Originally Posted by MOHAN_99

@Amp thanks for all the info.

Thanks Mohan. In reality it is actually the collective knowledge of all the members here.
For example see Rajesh's post here about SH75

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post3206958

Looks like its worth taking SH75. It lets you bypass Tuticorin completely.