Route from Bangalore to Kanyakumari

ajay_msingh · 23rd November 2010, 12:55

Dear BHPians,

I intend to drive down for a quite vacation to Kanyakumari from Bangalore. Kindly advise me which is the best possible route and the condition of the roads in its latest avatar. I intend to drive down in the Mitsu Cedia and wish to cover Kovalam on the return leg.

Thanks
Ajay

ampere · 23rd November 2010, 14:31

No need for any updates. 4L All the way till KK! You can drive like a breeze.
On your return from Kovalam :

Thenmala-Thenkashi-Rajaalayam-Tirumangalam-Madurai and NH7 there on.

canonguy · 23rd November 2010, 15:12

You'll be taking NH7 from Bangalore to reach Kanyakumari which is roughly 640 kms from Silk Board Flyover. The road is excellent, four lane through out as it's part of North-South Corridor. You'll love the drive.

Kanykumari to Kovalam is 70 kms approx. You'll have to take NH47 which is a two lane road with lots of slow moving traffic. It took me nearly 2.5 hrs to cover this distance. The road does not by-pass any town. The drive will be slow and could get tedious too.

hvkumar · 23rd November 2010, 18:42

ampere, the route via Tenkasi is also very slow because there are numerous towns and no bypasses, besides road is narrow and twisty.

ampere · 23rd November 2010, 18:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by hvkumar

ampere, the route via Tenkasi is also very slow because there are numerous towns and no bypasses, besides road is narrow and twisty.

HVK, then is it better to go back to Nagarcoil and take the NH7?

hvkumar · 23rd November 2010, 21:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by ampere

HVK, then is it better to go back to Nagarcoil and take the NH7?

If speed is of essence, then the route via Nagercoil is definitely faster once you get onto the 4-laned NH7. On the other hand, the route via Tenkasi means 250 kms of 2-laned roads. I travelled the Tenkasi route in the daytime 3 days ago and it was indeed very slow and in towns like Rajapalayam it is very messy.

pramodpk · 24th November 2010, 09:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajay_msingh

Dear BHPians,

I intend to drive down for a quite vacation to Kanyakumari from Bangalore. Kindly advise me which is the best possible route and the condition of the roads in its latest avatar. I intend to drive down in the Mitsu Cedia and wish to cover Kovalam on the return leg.

Thanks
Ajay

The distance must be arounf 730 KMS from Silkboard. You should be able to cover this in 10 hours comfortably including breaks.

canonguy · 24th November 2010, 11:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by pramodpk

The distance must be arounf 730 KMS from Silkboard.

Tripmeter on my car showed 643 kms between Silk Board Flyover and Hotel Sea View, Kanyakumari when I drove this June.

hvkumar · 24th November 2010, 11:55

676 kms from SilkBoard Junction, as per my odometer, after the commissioning of the new Tirunelveli Bypass, without any detours, direct to KK.

ampere · 24th November 2010, 13:29

Key point is not to stop any where till Salem (~200Km). Stopping before Krishnagiri or Thoppur will rob you of time.
If you start at 4AM, you can go past Salem by 7 and would be cruising towards Madurai. Can carry Breakfast for the road.

gopikb · 24th November 2010, 15:38

hvkumar Sir, did you say there is a new Tirunelveli bypass already in operation which will enable us to bypass Tirunelveli completely?

hvkumar · 24th November 2010, 15:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by gopikb

hvkumar Sir, did you say there is a new Tirunelveli bypass already in operation which will enable us to bypass Tirunelveli completely?

.....and bypass in sperfast style. It starts somewhere after the India Cements factory at Sankarnagar and ends 5 kms before Panagudi.

Check out my log book from Oct 2010, when I used the Tirunelveli bypass, which starts 2 kms after the India Cements Plant. It adds 4 kms more. Saved me 10 minutes in non-peak hour.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?...xWclE&hl=en_GB

gopikb · 24th November 2010, 16:46

hvkumar Sir. Thank you. I just saw this route in google maps. This is wonderful information by the way for people traveling to Kanyakumari.

phantom76 · 24th November 2010, 17:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by hvkumar

.....and bypass in sperfast style. It starts somewhere after the India Cements factory at Sankarnagar and ends 5 kms before Panagudi.

It is actually Ponnakudi. Panagudi is after Valliyoor, which you will bypass anyway.

hvkumar · 24th November 2010, 18:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by phantom76

It is actually Ponnakudi. Panagudi is after Valliyoor, which you will bypass anyway.

Thanks for the correction. I thought this was the Pangudi and wrote my log book also accordingly!

23rd November 2010, 12:55	#1
ajay_msingh Newbie Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 17 Thanked: 4 Times	Route from Bangalore to Kanyakumari Dear BHPians, I intend to drive down for a quite vacation to Kanyakumari from Bangalore. Kindly advise me which is the best possible route and the condition of the roads in its latest avatar. I intend to drive down in the Mitsu Cedia and wish to cover Kovalam on the return leg. Thanks Ajay
	() Thanks

23rd November 2010, 14:31	#2
ampere Team-BHP Support Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 18,330 Thanked: 13,613 Times View My Garage	No need for any updates. 4L All the way till KK! You can drive like a breeze. On your return from Kovalam : Thenmala-Thenkashi-Rajaalayam-Tirumangalam-Madurai and NH7 there on. Last edited by ampere : 23rd November 2010 at 14:34.
	() Thanks

23rd November 2010, 15:12	#3
canonguy BHPian Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 98 Thanked: 4 Times	You'll be taking NH7 from Bangalore to reach Kanyakumari which is roughly 640 kms from Silk Board Flyover. The road is excellent, four lane through out as it's part of North-South Corridor. You'll love the drive. Kanykumari to Kovalam is 70 kms approx. You'll have to take NH47 which is a two lane road with lots of slow moving traffic. It took me nearly 2.5 hrs to cover this distance. The road does not by-pass any town. The drive will be slow and could get tedious too.
	() Thanks

23rd November 2010, 18:42	#4
hvkumar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 7,369 Thanked: 3,467 Times	ampere, the route via Tenkasi is also very slow because there are numerous towns and no bypasses, besides road is narrow and twisty.
	() Thanks

24th November 2010, 11:55	#9
hvkumar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 7,369 Thanked: 3,467 Times	676 kms from SilkBoard Junction, as per my odometer, after the commissioning of the new Tirunelveli Bypass, without any detours, direct to KK.
	() Thanks

24th November 2010, 13:29	#10
ampere Team-BHP Support Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 18,330 Thanked: 13,613 Times View My Garage	Key point is not to stop any where till Salem (~200Km). Stopping before Krishnagiri or Thoppur will rob you of time. If you start at 4AM, you can go past Salem by 7 and would be cruising towards Madurai. Can carry Breakfast for the road.
	() Thanks

24th November 2010, 15:38	#11
gopikb BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 564 Thanked: 407 Times	hvkumar Sir, did you say there is a new Tirunelveli bypass already in operation which will enable us to bypass Tirunelveli completely?
	() Thanks

24th November 2010, 16:46	#13
gopikb BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 564 Thanked: 407 Times	hvkumar Sir. Thank you. I just saw this route in google maps. This is wonderful information by the way for people traveling to Kanyakumari.
	() Thanks