[vanguard]

Note from Support: Post edited for grammar & better readability.



@mallumowgli - Thanks we are staying at Himagiri
@mpksuhas - Absolutely agree, a short detour will do.
@Rajeevraj - Great suggestions. Let me pick few and enjoy.

[hishamkabir]

Speed Breakers or otherwise commonly known as hump at many occasion have not been demarked and almost all car drivers might have experienced and almost got out from a life threatening situation.

A trip from Ernakulum to Trivandrum of 220kms during peak hours will take almost a cool 6.5 hrs, or above, because of the two lane traffic and two major towns namely Alleppy and Kollam where they have almost completed the by pass, but will not open to public as it will make this easier for the common man.

The Alleppy by pass was commissioned in 1986 and partially completed in 1994 and the land on that stretch is freezed for a very long time. Same is the situation with kollam by pass as well. However they are not open to public.

Now after this slow moving traffic when we get some time to get some speed then the very so called concerned Kerala RTO have kept cameras where ever your car can get some speed.

The idea of camera is not to safeguard the people but this is a very good revenue model,

if the RTO was seriously concerned about the safety of people, I wish they give us commutable roads, many a times we may fall into a gutter and its impact is so hard that we almost broke our bone. And the drivers will say to them self in Malayalam suspensionnu pani kitti. (suspension will get damaged soon)

Many a times auto drivers in order to avoid falling into this gutter take their auto to extreme right or to opposite track where we are driving in the opposite direction, making us in a situation where if you go straight you will hit the auto if you take a left to avoid hitting the auto you will hit the two wheeler family who is travelling with wife and kid.

There are many a times when KSRTC bus almost killed us, if we had not stopped they would have crashed on our car because they were manoeuvring a overtaking. And trust me once these KSRTC bus drivers decides to overtake then there is no looking back, the maximum that can happen is it can kill you. The RTO turns a blind eye to such severe crimes.

They will be feeling bad for Salman Khan, thinking what bad luck “ just killed 4 people and still not free, for us its just 3 days maximum”

Then there are these two wheelers and auto riksha drivers who in order to take a right they advance towards you so much so that you don’t know if you have to take a right or should you take it to left.

Please remember you need to pay up to 20% as road tax to the government for giving us such wonderful facilities, besides the toll fees.
What an irony.

[thoma]

What is the current state of the Ernakulam - Guruvayur route to Calicut? I have no idea about the route since 5 years.

Should I avoid Ernakulam - Guruvayur route and take the Angamali - Thrissur route instead?

[bijuks]

I'm planning a Trivandrum - Calicut - Trivandrum trip soon. Current plan is to start from Trivandrum on a Saturday morning around 6:00am and start return on Monday afternoon around 3:00pm.


As per the google maps and other word-of-mouth estimates, it may take 9 to 12 hrs.

The route planned is NH66. (I'm open for other routes like Trivandrum - Thiruvalla - Thengana - Pala - Thodupuzha - Perumbavoor - Angamali - Thrissur - Kunnamkulam route also, if that is faster)

I will need suggestions for the route as I'm not sure about current conditions on Kochi - Guruvayoor stretch. Any one has done this whole route recently?

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by bijuks

I'm planning a Trivandrum - Calicut - Trivandrum trip soon. Current plan is to start from Trivandrum on a Saturday morning around 6:00am and start return on Monday afternoon around 3:00pm.

I think it would be better to do a early start(around 4:00AM) to cover more distance before the traffic starts coming in . At least you can reach Cochin without much traffic.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by bijuks

I'm planning a Trivandrum - Calicut - Trivandrum trip soon. Current plan is to start from Trivandrum on a Saturday morning around 6:00am and start return on Monday afternoon around 3:00pm.


I will need suggestions for the route as I'm not sure about current conditions on Kochi - Guruvayoor stretch. Any one has done this whole route recently?

Do you have to drive? If not, it makes much more sense to take the Jana Shatabdi. 6am from TVM and will be in Calicut by 1-1.15PM. Almost half the driving time. Same on the return. Only point is that you will need to leave by 1.30 as opposed to 3.

Not familiar with the whole route, but if driving, would suggest Kunnamkulam- Kuttipuram- Valanchery-Calicut. Do not go via Ponnani-Chamravattom-Tirur-Parappanangadi-University.

[vrprabhu]

Went from Kollam to Calicut about a month back. Took a taxi - driver advised that we should continue to go via NH66 after Edappally.

So continued towards Kodungallur, Chavakkad, Ponnani, Kuttipuram, Kottakal, Ramanattukara and Calicut. Started at about 8.30 AM and reached by 6.30 PM. 10 hours for 350 kms.

Two breaks - lunch at Sri Saravana Bhavan (after crossing Edappally) and for tea near Ramanattukara, about 45 minutes for both. So if you travel during day time, it will be close to a 10 hour journey.

Heavy traffic near Edappally (due to people going towards Lulu Mall) and also on Calicut bye-pass (some parts of this road are under construction). Lost more than 30+ minutes in both the spots.

Compared to this, driving from Pune to, say, Belgaum, a similar distance, is covered under 7 hours, with one break - the toll road is worth it; narrow single lane roads, and slow moving traffic without any space to maneuver makes driving tiresome in the route above (which explains the taxi :-)).

[bijuks]

Originally Posted by vrprabhu

Heavy traffic near Edappally (due to people going towards Lulu Mall) and also on Calicut bye-pass (some parts of this road are under construction). Lost more than 30+ minutes in both the spots.

narrow single lane roads, and slow moving traffic without any space to maneuver makes driving tiresome in the route above (which explains the taxi :-)).

I have done these roads earlier and could do that without much hassle. Looks like the traffic has increased now. Hence, it may take more than 12 Hrs from Calicut to Trivandrum with a possibility of evening rains.

There are potholes reported around Chavakkad on NH66.

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Do you have to drive? If not, it makes much more sense to take the Jana Shatabdi.

Thank you. After reading other threads on road conditions, I think taking train is better. Have a booking for the night train both ways.

[SajiNSalin]

Trivandrum-Calicut journey by road is not driving, it is a torture. It is far better to take the train and enjoy a good book or listen to your favourite music or movie to spend the time. I love to drive, but not on this route. It is filled with maniacal drivers of the mobike/auto/taxi/private and govt buses all with one intention; to write your obituary. Even a journey by bus is tiring, so the train travel is the least painful of the bad choices.

[naveen.raju]

Originally Posted by SajiNSalin

Trivandrum-Calicut journey by road is not driving, it is a torture. It is far better to take the train and enjoy a good book or listen to your favourite music or movie to spend the time. I love to drive, but not on this route. It is filled with maniacal drivers of the mobike/auto/taxi/private and govt buses all with one intention; to write your obituary. Even a journey by bus is tiring, so the train travel is the least painful of the bad choices.

You said it. It's a pain driving through this route. I had taken this route last week on my way to Coorg. Since I love driving, I took the longer route while coming back which is via Mysore-Palghat-Cochin .

[Sophomore]

I am planning to drive from Kannur to Aluva. Planning to take Calicut-kuttipuram-kunnamkulam-Trissur-Aluva route.

What is the condition of the roads now? A road closure is thrown in the Google Maps for this route. Kindly give your inputs.

[anb]

Originally Posted by Sophomore

I am planning to drive from Kannur to Aluva. Planning to take Calicut-kuttipuram-kunnamkulam-Trissur-Aluva route.

What is the condition of the roads now? A road closure is thrown in the Google Maps for this route. Kindly give your inputs.

Calicut- Aluva is in decent condition now with no poth holes. The closure is shown is at edappal junction due to flyover works. You can still go through that junction if the time is between 10 pm and 7 am.

[Bibin]

Can someone help with recent updates on Road condition between Edapally - KOdungalloor- POnnani- Tirur- KOzhichena??

[bejoy]

Originally Posted by Bibin

Can someone help with recent updates on Road condition between Edapally - KOdungalloor- POnnani- Tirur- KOzhichena??

Travelled Kochi to Guruvayur (few kms before) last month. The surface is excellent throughout, with a fresh coat in many places.

Alert: There are speed cams on the Kodungalloor Bye Pass. Limit is 50kmph for cars.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by Bibin

Can someone help with recent updates on Road condition between Edapally - KOdungalloor- POnnani- Tirur- KOzhichena??

Ponnani -Tirur-Kozhichena is all good. The road from vailathur to kozhichena has also been relaid and is smooth.