[ampere]

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

Amp, the Ulundurpet-Vriddhachalam road has not been tarred. No ways this road is bad as lamented by others. Infact i drove in this section in the night and was cruising at around 80 kmph. Ravib also mentioned the same status as mine.

Avoid V Koot road like Dengue. Infact till the last moment my plan was to go Via Harur, Thanipadi, T V Malai, Thirukkoilur by pass road, Ulundurpet and Vriddhachalam. Looking at the feedback given by some that the Ulundurpet-Vriddhachalam road is broken at many places I chose to go via V Koot Road.
In the end anticlimax show.

My default in this case would be: Bangalore-Salem-Ulundurpet! Will take the 4-lane anyday. Ulundurpet also gives you an option to break for food at A2B. But then one still needs to go on to the GST bypass and then come back to the town to take the Virudhachalam road.

The biggest let down was the Harur-Ayyodhiapattinam road. Miserable to drive. Cannot think of the number of times my car took a beating. The ghat section was even worse than the plain road.

Quite surprised yes. The ghat section was a black top a year back. Have not driven on this stretch since then. Hence no idea.

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

Here is the snap of the Harur-Ayyodhiapattinam stretch when i went in April 2014

Goes on to say how important is the road for TN. I am sure they will fix this problem soon.

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by ampere

My default in this case would be: Bangalore-Salem-Ulundurpet! Will take the 4-lane anyday. Ulundurpet also gives you an option to break for food at A2B. But then one still needs to go on to the GST bypass and then come back to the town to take the Virudhachalam road.



Quote surprised yes. The ghat section was a black top a year back. Have not driven on this stretch since then. Hence no idea.

Here is the snap of the Harur-Ayyodhiapattinam stretch when i went in April 2014

[vikramhere]

Hi,
I am planning to drive to Mayiladuthurai and back this weekend with stops at Chidambaram and Vaitheeswaran Koil, last year I made a similar trip and the route I took was -
Chennai > Ulundurpet > Virudhachalam SH > Chidambaram (via Sethiartope) > V.Koil > Mayiladuthurai.

Is this still the best route to follow this year too or should I make alterations to the plan?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by vikramhere

H
Is this still the best route to follow this year too or should I make alterations to the plan?

Yes thats the best possible route to Mayavaram. You should stick to it.

[procrj]

Any updates on the following routes? Planning to drive down this weekend.

Bangalore > Vaitheswaran Kovil: Bangalore > Salem > V Koot > Ulundurpet > Virudhachalam > Chidambaram >Vaitheswaran Kovil

Vaitheswaran Kovil > Chidambaram > Pichavarm > Pondicherry

Thanks in advance!

[ampere]

Originally Posted by procrj

Thanks in advance!

Pretty much the same route. Conditions are by and large OK. Dont take V Koot-Veppur road. Go via the 4-lane all the way till Ulundurpet. Get into the town and then get on to the Virudhachalam road. If you need a place to break at Ulundurpet, get on to the Trichy road byapss for A2B.

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by procrj

Any updates on the following routes? Planning to drive down this weekend.

Bangalore > Vaitheswaran Kovil: Bangalore > Salem > V Koot > Ulundurpet > Virudhachalam > Chidambaram >Vaitheswaran Kovil

Vaitheswaran Kovil > Chidambaram > Pichavarm > Pondicherry

Thanks in advance!

Mate, Never take the V koot road. I suffered a lot during my trip to Kumbakonam. It is better to enter Ulundurpet town and then to Vriddhachalam.

[ravib]

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

Mate, Never take the V koot road. I suffered a lot during my trip to Kumbakonam. It is better to enter Ulundurpet town and then to Vriddhachalam.

+1000

My car may be still scolding me because i drove in that bad roads

I will be driving again in first week of Feb to Kumbakonam from Bangalore, but for sure i won't take that route. Instead will go via Ulundurpet or via Trichy.

-Ravi

[procrj]

Originally Posted by procrj

Bangalore > Vaitheswaran Kovil: Bangalore > Salem > V Koot > Ulundurpet > Virudhachalam > Chidambaram >Vaitheswaran Kovil

[quote=ravib;3629930]Instead will go via Ulundurpet or via Trichy/QUOTE]

Drove the above route today and roads were very good. Ulundurpet > Virudhachalam is decent road. Can easily maintain 50-60 but Virudhachalam > Sethiyathopu is broken road for 20+ km and could not drive more than 40kmph. After that, the roads are great!

[procrj]

Originally Posted by procrj

Vaitheswaran Kovil > Chidambaram > Pichavarm > Pondicherry

Drove this route yesterday morning. V Kovil > Chidambaram 25 min at 7 am.

Chidambaram > Cuddalore > Pondicherry 1hr 25 min. Left Chidambaram at 9 am and reached the resort at 10.25 am. Empty roads and beautiful drive thanks to 26th Jan

[dave7377]

I am planning to take the self drive car hire option ex chennai to visit Pondicherry , kumbakonam, rameshwaram, further down to Kanyakumari. My query is what road should i take ex Pondicherry.
Should i take
option-1. Pondicherry-Cuddalore-Kurinjipadi-VIrudhachalam-Jayamkondam-Gangaikondacholapuram-Kumbakonam

option 2.- From pondicherry i go back to Tindivinam - Ulundurpet-Virudhachalam-Jayamkondam-Gangai-Kumbakonam

Regards
Amit Dave

[hserus]

Option 1 is a narrow and winding two lane road but it is in reasonably good repair, through beautiful scenery (the road is lined with trees, fields on either side). But you have to start very early and clear the main towns because you have to drive through Pondy and Cuddalore just to start with, and then the road runs through some other towns as well.

Very narrow - I mean, you will have to drive on the shoulder of the road if a bus or truck comes by from the opposite direction. And [censored] Pondy road transport buses will drive right in the middle of the road and never, ever give way so overtaking them is an exercise in patience.

The other one is a bit of a long trip but you're on highways most of the time.

If you do this on a weekend you might run into less city traffic - and as I said, do it early to get clear of pondy and cuddalore before the rush hour starts.

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by dave7377

I am planning to take the self drive car hire option ex chennai to visit Pondicherry , kumbakonam, rameshwaram, further down to Kanyakumari. My query is what road should i take ex Pondicherry.
Should i take
option-1. Pondicherry-Cuddalore-Kurinjipadi-VIrudhachalam-Jayamkondam-Gangaikondacholapuram-Kumbakonam

option 2.- From pondicherry i go back to Tindivinam - Ulundurpet-Virudhachalam-Jayamkondam-Gangai-Kumbakonam

Regards
Amit Dave

I would suggest Option 2. I had been on this stretch in December and the roads are very good. No second thoughts.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by dave7377

option 2.- From pondicherry i go back to Tindivinam - Ulundurpet-Virudhachalam-Jayamkondam-Gangai-Kumbakonam

I can think of following options:

Pondicherry-Villupuram-Ulundurpet-Vridhachalam-Jayamkondam-Kumbakonam

The other option: Take the Panruti road.

Pondicherry- Koliyanur-Panruti-Sethiyarthope-Kumbakonam.

I think the first option makes more sense. But if you need more 4-lane then you do an extra 40km via Tindivanam instead directly going to Villupuram.

[dave7377]

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

I would suggest Option 2. I had been on this stretch in December and the roads are very good. No second thoughts.

Originally Posted by ampere

I can think of following options:

Pondicherry-Villupuram-Ulundurpet-Vridhachalam-Jayamkondam-Kumbakonam

The other option: Take the Panruti road.

Pondicherry- Koliyanur-Panruti-Sethiyarthope-Kumbakonam.

I think the first option makes more sense. But if you need more 4-lane then you do an extra 40km via Tindivanam instead directly going to Villupuram.

Thanks Suresh & Ampere. From both of your replies one thing is sure that i should not be taking Pondi-Cuddalore-Kurinjipadi. Either i should take road back to Tindivinam or take the Pondi-Villupuram-Ulunderpet. Any ideas on Pondi-Villupuram-Ulunderpet road conditions.

I don't mind extra 40-50kms as I'm travelling with family and parents so good roads would be my first choice.

Ampere you have also suggested Panruti road which in this thread has been criticised of being not in good shape. Any latest updates or have i missed something.

Regards
Amit