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Old 16th March 2011, 14:38   #1
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Trichy - Rameshwaram - Kanyakumari - Trichy

SOS Friends!
I am planning for a trip this week end starting from Trichy to Remshwaram on the 1st day, then moving to Kanyakumari on the 2nd day and back to Trichy on the 3rd day.
I need a help from you all who have expreience on this route to guide me on which road i should take based on my preference to follow: 4 lane with median or at least big wide roads without median but in good condition . The objective is i need a road which creates the least stress while driving even if it takes a bit longer by kms.
To help you all, from google foll options are available:
Trichy to Rameswaram :
Option a) Via pudukottai , Karaikudi -NH210.
Option b) via Madurai : NH45B & NH49 which takes 70kms more. But i know the NH45B till Madurai is 4lane+median & just excellent. No idea on the NH49 from Madurai to Rameshwaram (also known as Rameshwaram road). Any idea from you all?
Rameshwaram to Kanyakumari :
Option a) till Madurai NH49 + via Kovilpatti NH45B and then to NH7 and via Tirunelveli. How good is this road from Madurai to Kanyakumari?
Option b) This is via SH 75 via Ramanthapuram --Sayalgudi etc.. no idea how this option will be but it is 100kms less than the option 1.
Any help please especially if anyone has travelled in the last few months - because in this part of the country there are lots of highway renovation work going on at many places.
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Old 16th March 2011, 16:33   #2
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Re: Urgent Help needed : Trichy - Rameshwaram - Kanyakumari - Trichy

Trichy-Rameshwaram:

Its about 230 km via 210. But if you come via Madurai its about 300 (out of which you do 140km on 4L and the rest on the regular NH49.)
I am not sure how much advantageous that would be. Best bet is to take the regular NH210 via Pudukottai.

Rameshwaram-KK
The regular ECR via Tiruchendir/Tuticorin.
You can also come to NH7 from Tutocorin.


KK-Trichy

Fastest of all: NH7 and NH45B Full 4L all the way.

I think we have discussed on other threads, but not sure which one.
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Old 17th March 2011, 17:08   #3
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Re: Trichy - Rameshwaram - Kanyakumari - Trichy

Thanks Ampere. Yes i got a similar thread but in that the Trichy - RMSWRM is missing.
NH210 i understand is even worse than NH49 and hence the problem in deciding whether to go for the 70+kms longer route.
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Old 17th March 2011, 20:46   #4
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Re: Trichy - Rameshwaram - Kanyakumari - Trichy

I would prefer the Trichy-Madurai-Rameswaram route instead of via Pudukottai and Karaikudi which not only has some bad sections but is also a conventional 2-laned road with its usual turns and twists.

ECR remains the best option to go from Rameswaram to KK despite high traffic in Tuticorin-Tiruchendur and curvy Tiruchendur-KK. For return from KK, take NH7 to Madurai.
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Old 17th March 2011, 20:51   #5
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Re: Trichy - Rameshwaram - Kanyakumari - Trichy

Thanks HVK. Looks like NH210 is getting really bad (or it was already!).
If 210 that bad, then as HVK said, its better to go via Madurai.
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Old 18th March 2011, 16:45   #6
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Re: Trichy - Rameshwaram - Kanyakumari - Trichy

Quote:
Looks like NH210 is getting really bad (or it was already!).
NH210 is one of the historically horrible sections (a-la Karaikal-Kumbakonam road). I remember it took us 5-6 hours to reach Rameswaram from Trichy, in our good ol' Amby in 2003. It has improved a bit recently esp Trichy-Karaikudi. Karaikudi-Devipattinam continues to remain bad.
~~~~
saugdas, if you dont mind the 70 km detour, please go via Madurai. If you have to do NH210, Ive been told there is a road to Tondi from Devakottai, that might minimize some torture of the Devakottai-Devipattinam section.
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Old 18th March 2011, 16:52   #7
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Re: Trichy - Rameshwaram - Kanyakumari - Trichy

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Originally Posted by narayans80 View Post
saugdas, if you dont mind the 70 km detour, please go via Madurai. If you have to do NH210, Ive been told there is a road to Tondi from Devakottai, that might minimize some torture of the Devakottai-Devipattinam section.
But the turnoff from NH210 is not at Devakottai but 22 kms further south at Tiruvadanai, from where Tondi is 17 kms. That road is a narrow one, I have driven it once and it was not in good condition.
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Old 18th March 2011, 18:21   #8
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Re: Trichy - Rameshwaram - Kanyakumari - Trichy

As hvkumar said, the road between thiruvadanai and thondi is in a very bad shape and also the road between devakottai and devipattinam.

In recent times my brother has been driving from ramanathapuram to trichy via paramakudi, manamadurai, sivagangai and melur. It takes around 3 hrs in this route. Ramanathapuram to manamadurai road is good. Melur to trichy is a two way lane. As per him, manamadurai to melur stretch is average but not bad.

Ramanathapuram to madurai road is good but traffic is heavy after manamadurai and so now a days it takes almost two hours.

Last edited by Harshavarthan : 18th March 2011 at 18:26.
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Old 18th March 2011, 18:36   #9
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Re: Trichy - Rameshwaram - Kanyakumari - Trichy

Quote:
Originally Posted by Harshavarthan View Post
In recent times my brother has been driving from ramanathapuram to trichy via paramakudi, manamadurai, sivagangai and melur. It takes around 3 hrs in this route. Ramanathapuram to manamadurai road is good. Melur to trichy is a two way lane. As per him, manamadurai to melur stretch is average but not bad.

Ramanathapuram to madurai road is good but traffic is heavy after manamadurai and so now a days it takes almost two hours.
That was the other topic of debate some time back. One side of argument was to drive all the way till Madurai by-pass and then switch over to NH49.
While the other view was exit at Melur and join 49 at Manamadurai via Shivagangai.

Your update helps. So looks like definitely this short-cut is good.

Last edited by ampere : 18th March 2011 at 18:38.
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Old 21st March 2011, 17:34   #10
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Re: Trichy - Rameshwaram - Kanyakumari - Trichy

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions. I am back from the trip and following was the route - timings - quality of roads in brief :
Date : 18th Mar : Trichy to Rameshwaram : via Madurai (NH45B + NH49) - 290kms
Started from Cantonment , Trichy - 7am. after filling fuel, checking air pressure, putting air in the stpeny, joined the NH45B from TVS toll gate. Driving on NH45B was a comfortable 100 to 120kmph in my super smooth Linea.
Reached Madurai - 8:30am. Moved on to join NH49 after the bypass. Intial 50kms was bit tough especially after driving at 100+ for the last 1.5hrs. Road surface is good but too much traffic and no space to overtake without taking chances.
Planned to take breakfast on the way but after entering NH49 - was shocked at the conspicuous absence of a decent food joint. Finally stopped at 9:30 at a place (road side - sorry, very poor in remembering names of places) and had some typical SI breakfast. Started again at 10.15am. The route next till Ramanathapuram was good - with less traffic and hence hardly needed to reduce speed below 60, average has been at 80+. Crossed Ramanathapuram and reached Rameshwaram at 11.45(Hotel Vinayaka - at Rly Stn - a new one , very close to the temple and clean and affordable in the below 2K per night segment).
As suggested by many, although this route is 70kms more, it was a stress free driving except for the hunger pangs in between and it seems that i have taken the same time as i would have taken via NH210 (thanks to the intial 130kms in less than 1.5hrs.

Date : 19th Mar 10am: Rameshwaram to Trichendur - 210kms: First 50 kms from Rameshwaram to Ramanathapuram is same route as above. Then moved on to the Keelakarai - Ervadi - Sayalgudi route. The entire stretch was guided by my MMI Navigator. At some stretches it was displaying SH and some places unknown road. The first 30 to 40kms was really bad surface from Ramanathapuram. Then the next till Tuticorin was just fantastic. It is a 2 way widened road with shiny surface (seems to be new) and nil traffic. hence i had my day till i neared Tuticorin bypass just past 12noon. My MMI misbehaved here. Since i knew i had to change directions from tuticorin , i relied on my MMI and moved on into the city (also one more reason was to find a good place to have a good SI lunch). But my MMI took me through the conjested and poorly managed city , bad roads and through one way traffic (from the opposite side with cursing onlookers - God was in favour since no police was at sight to fine me) and through some lanes and by lanes till i was out of the main town after 1 hour or so. Finally could find a OK hotel for lunch , and post lunch left Tuticorin for good at 1:45pm. My suggestion for future travellers is not to enter the Tuticorin city for lunch / dinner for you will just waste time. Better is to move on to Trichendur and you can have an array of high class hotels and multicuisne-restaurants which i found out later. The route next to Trichendur is so-so for 30 to 40 kms. Once i reached Trichendur, again my MMI misbehaved by taking me through the courtyards of some houses within the Trichendur town (my settings does not recommend for the shortest route but the fastest one) and took me straight to the doorstep of the temple at 3pm. But here i did not mind being taken through these bylanes because when i emerged from the bylane in front of the temple, i could find a very long queue of cars (the end could not be seen) and i would have got stuck behind all those had i taken the conventional approach road to the temple. Got the service of a helpful guide, who was prompt & smart enough to save time weherever possible and completed the special darshan after having a dip at the sea by 4:30pm. Had a quick snacks and tea-coffee break at Hotel xx International and moved at 5:30pm.
Since it was becoming dark, did not take the chance of continuing on the ECR which has been described my many as not friendly from the road condition aspect and especially in darkness when it becomes desolate place in times of emergency. hence decided to continue on the NH7A to tirunelveli and then towards KK. What could have been 90kms increased to 135kms. But did not mind this 40kms more since after TNVL is a fantastic 4 lane road so must have made up the extra kms wrt time. The road from TRCHNDR to TNVL was flat and smooth but too small to handle the amount of traffic. reached KK - Vivekananda puram at 7:30pm.
Date : 20th Mar : KK to Trichy - 380kms - the best of all roads - except for the 45kms Madurai bypass road connecting NH7 to the 4 lane part of the NH45B, all through was 4 lane driving and average speed of 90kmph. My driving pleasure could not have been better in my Linea in this trip. Most of the time, just had to hold the bottom of the steering wheel with the fingers and slouching arms and my Linea breezed past with my family at the back having their night sleep preponed by a few hours. The only companion was the USB and my wife sitting beside me giving the moral supports time to time for completing our first 1000+kms trip in a car. With 2 breaks of 20 + 40 mins (the 2nd one was Ghar dhaba at madurai on NH45B) reached home sweet home at 10.30pm.
The entire trip was 1059kms and fuel eff of 18.8kmpl. Not bad.

Last edited by saugdas : 21st March 2011 at 17:35.
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Old 21st March 2011, 22:09   #11
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Re: Trichy - Rameshwaram - Kanyakumari - Trichy

Quote:
Originally Posted by saugdas View Post
Reached Madurai - 8:30am. Moved on to join NH49 after the bypass. Intial 50kms was bit tough especially after driving at 100+ for the last 1.5hrs. Road surface is good but too much traffic and no space to overtake without taking chances.
I did say about this traffic but should have posted a day before. Late by one day .
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Old 21st March 2011, 22:44   #12
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Re: Trichy - Rameshwaram - Kanyakumari - Trichy

saugdas,

You could have a driven a few kms down past the Madurai bypass and had breakfast at Ashok Bhavan (?!) at the Mattuthavani bus stand. Only thing i dont know is where to park the car though :P. Dont remember seeing any restaurants until Paramakudi (it'd have been too late then).
~~~~
Quote:
The first 30 to 40kms was really bad surface from Ramanathapuram
I did about 5 months back and Its already gone bad ?
~~~
Never wholly depend on the GPS !! The idea is to make it cry as many 'Recalculating' as it can so that you go in decent roads
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Old 22nd March 2011, 01:02   #13
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Re: Trichy - Rameshwaram - Kanyakumari - Trichy

Check out the MMI latest version 5.0, it has the correct ECR route now.

You do not have to enter Tuticorin city to go to Tiruchendur or Tirunelveli, simply continue on ECR on the Tuticorin bypass.

Happy to hear that Tiruchendur-Tirunelveli road is good. You could have taken a shorter route by going directly to Valliyoor on NH7 south of Tirunelveli.
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Old 22nd March 2011, 09:37   #14
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Re: Trichy - Rameshwaram - Kanyakumari - Trichy

Quote:
Originally Posted by Harshavarthan View Post
I did say about this traffic but should have posted a day before. Late by one day .
Thanks Harshavarthan for your advice. I knew there will be some traffic in this part from some other threads that i studied before i left. In fact i was ready for the worse both from traffic and road condition point of view in this segment. Still i decided to go by this way because the first 130 kms NH45B is the best you can expect and having kids in the car who are prone to motion sickness, it is always better that the starting is kept smooth. And my decision did help to a great extent. But my elder daughter could not make it to the last and started to throw up after crossing the Pambam bridge.
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Old 22nd March 2011, 09:43   #15
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Re: Trichy - Rameshwaram - Kanyakumari - Trichy

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Originally Posted by narayans80 View Post
saugdas,

You could have a driven a few kms down past the Madurai bypass and had breakfast at Ashok Bhavan (?!) at the Mattuthavani bus stand. Only thing i dont know is where to park the car though :P. Dont remember seeing any restaurants until Paramakudi (it'd have been too late then).
~~~~


I did about 5 months back and Its already gone bad ?
~~~
Never wholly depend on the GPS !! The idea is to make it cry as many 'Recalculating' as it can so that you go in decent roads
I was told by my friend about a good restaurant after leaving the NH45B. And that was the reason we did not stop at the 'Ghar' just before the NH45B 4 lane part ended in Madurai (it was on the opp side). But could not find any. I don't think we missed it because all of us were looking for one. Maybe i was guided by my MMI thru some other alternate short cuts there.
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