[rameshnanda]

I am planning for a trip from Chennai to Guruvayoor next weekend. I need to know about the road condition on the route which I have planned.

I need to touch Salem to pick my parents there. So, for the onward journey, I have planned the route as,

Chennai-Ulundurpet-Salem-Avanashi-Palladam-Pollachi-Vadakkencheri-Thrissur-Guruvayoor - Total distance comes to 626 Kms.


For the return journey, I have planned as,

Guruvayoor-Thrissur-Vadakkencheri-Tharapuram-Karur-Trichy-Chennai. Total distance comes to 632 Kms.


Any advice/feedback about the route is welcome.

[coolclouds]

Try Krishnagiri route. Lot of discussions are there in this forum and the route is excellent.

[rameshnanda]

Originally Posted by coolclouds

Try Krishnagiri route. Lot of discussions are there in this forum and the route is excellent.

Yes. I know about that. But, I wanted to give a try for the Ulundurpet-Salem stretch. Heard that the 4 laning is nearing completion and the route is decent now.

My main concern now is about the Avanashi-Pollachi-Vadakkencheri-Thrissur Stretch. I need to know about the road condition.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by rameshnanda

Yes. I know about that. But, I wanted to give a try for the Ulundurpet-Salem stretch. Heard that the 4 laning is nearing completion and the route is decent now.

My main concern now is about the Avanashi-Pollachi-Vadakkencheri-Thrissur Stretch. I need to know about the road condition.

You dont want to get delayed in first leg of your journey. Since you have to drive all the way till Guruvayur, it would be a good idea to take good roads as much as possible.

Plus you get better break-areas as well. Also you dont need to go through Salem town or the dug-up Attur by-pass to get on to NH47. If you want to go via Pollachi, I would suggest take the Perundurai-Kangeyam-Palladam-Pollachi route instead of Avnashi.

[rameshnanda]

Originally Posted by ampere

You dont want to get delayed in first leg of your journey. Since you have to drive all the way till Guruvayur, it would be a good idea to take good roads as much as possible.

Plus you get better break-areas as well. Also you dont need to go through Salem town or the dug-up Attur by-pass to get on to NH47. If you want to go via Pollachi, I would suggest take the Perundurai-Kangeyam-Palladam-Pollachi route instead of Avnashi.

Since I will be starting from Tambaram, I thought doing Ulurdurpet will be good option. I need to touch Salem and pick up my parents from there. Perundurai-Kangeyam-Palladam-Pollachi seems to be good idea. How about the condition of this stretch?

Also, I would appreciate for the route suggestions from Guruvayoor to Munnar. Its also in my plan and I may stay in Munnar for a day or two.

[narayans80]

In your return, are you planning on driving to Trichy ? If that is the case, since you driving till Pollachi, continue onto Palani and catch NH45 at Dindigul and take it all the way to Madras.

[rameshnanda]

Originally Posted by narayans80

In your return, are you planning on driving to Trichy ? If that is the case, since you driving till Pollachi, continue onto Palani and catch NH45 at Dindigul and take it all the way to Madras.

Hmm. This increases the distance by 10-15 kms from my route. This is also a good option. If I travel to Munnar from Guruvayoor, I will touch Dindigul anyway.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by rameshnanda

Since I will be starting from Tambaram, I thought doing Ulurdurpet will be good option. I need to touch Salem and pick up my parents from there. Perundurai-Kangeyam-Palladam-Pollachi seems to be good idea. How about the condition of this stretch?

Also, I would appreciate for the route suggestions from Guruvayoor to Munnar. Its also in my plan and I may stay in Munnar for a day or two.

If that is the case what you can also do is:

Drive till Perambalur and there on to Namakkal via Thuraiyur. (This avoids NH67 between Trichy and Karur).

Come down to Karur via NH7 and there on take NH67 till Palladam and then divert to Pollachi. NH67 from Karur till Palladam is very nice. Palladam to Pollachi is also good and very less traffic. (But NH67 from Karur to Palladam is full of trucks.)

Here is the route link:

Tambaram, Tamil Nadu to Guruvayoor, Kerala - Google Maps

[rameshnanda]

Originally Posted by ampere

If that is the case what you can also do is:

Drive till Perambalur and there on to Namakkal via Thuraiyur. (This avoids NH67 between Trichy and Karur).

Come down to Karur via NH7 and there on take NH67 till Palladam and then divert to Pollachi. NH67 from Karur till Palladam is very nice. Palladam to Pollachi is also good and very less traffic. (But NH67 from Karur to Palladam is full of trucks.)

Here is the route link:

Tambaram, Tamil Nadu to Guruvayoor, Kerala - Google Maps

But, Amp, I need to go to Salem . I am planning to start at around 3-4 PM on 21st from Chennai and planning to break at Salem. And on early 22nd, I will start my journey to Guruvayoor.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by rameshnanda

But, Amp, I need to go to Salem . I am planning to start at around 3-4 PM on 21st from Chennai and planning to break at Salem. And on early 22nd, I will start my journey to Guruvayoor.

Sorry my mistake! In order to optimize the route, I forgot that! You can then give NH68 a shot! But I am not aware of any hotels/break out places in that section.

[ampere]

On second thoughts folks haven been discussing routing options available from Tambaram to Sriperumbudur (which joins at Nokia factory).

Would that not solve your problem of getting on to NH4/NH46?

[rameshnanda]

Originally Posted by ampere

On second thoughts folks haven been discussing routing options available from Tambaram to Sriperumbudur (which joins at Nokia factory).

Would that not solve your problem of getting on to NH4/NH46?

There is a route from Tambaram to Sriperumbudur (Thru Manimangalam). Its works out at 21 Kms. I tried this route sometime back and I should say, it was horrible. It took me more than 45 mins to cover this route. Other option I have is to take the Outer Ring Road and join at Maduravoyal and then I can proceed in NH4. This route works out at 375 kms from my home in Tambaram to my home in Salem .

Just to add, the route from Tambaram-Ulundurpet-Salem shows 313 Kms. I am trying to see if anyone has recently tried the NH68 Stretch. I checked with a driver of a local travels here. He told me that the road is decent and only hiccup is the lack of bypass in towns like Kallakurichchi and Attur.

[rameshnanda]

Ok. Here's my plan.

21/04/2011
Start from Chennai late afternoon (before 5 PM possibly) and reach Salem and I will break here.
Chennai - Dindivanam - Villupuram - Ulundurpet - Kallakurichi - Attur - Salem
Total Kms for the day - 313

22/04/2011
Start from Salem by 8 AM and reach Guruvayoor by 2 or 3 PM. We will stay in Guruvayoor.
Salem - Perundurai - Kangeyam - Palladam - Pollachi - Vadakkencheri - Thrissur - Guruvayoor
Total Kms for the day - 315

23/04/2011
After early morning Darshan at temple start early by 7 AM. Plan to reach Munnar before noon. We will retire here.
Guruvayoor - Thrissur - Perumbavoor - Kothamangalam - Munnar
Total Kms for the day - 176

24/04/2011
Start from Munnar after the lunch. I need the quickest route to reach Chennai.
Munnar - Bodi - Periyakulam - Dindigul - Trichy - Chennai.
Total Kms for the day - 554

Suggestions?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by rameshnanda

There is a route from Tambaram to Sriperumbudur (Thru Manimangalam). Its works out at 21 Kms. I tried this route sometime back and I should say, it was horrible. It took me more than 45 mins to cover this route. Other option I have is to take the Outer Ring Road and join at Maduravoyal and then I can proceed in NH4. This route works out at 375 kms from my home in Tambaram to my home in Salem .

Just to add, the route from Tambaram-Ulundurpet-Salem shows 313 Kms. I am trying to see if anyone has recently tried the NH68 Stretch. I checked with a driver of a local travels here. He told me that the road is decent and only hiccup is the lack of bypass in towns like Kallakurichchi and Attur.

Then how about using Kanchipuram by-pass? I think that is decent. The point I am trying to make is that to avoid 45 minutes of trouble, you would be taking 3-4 hours of bad highway roads (in case NH68 is dug up).

EDIT: Another point : From Munnar, take the Madurai route. You will get 4L all the way from Madurai to Chennai.

Dindigul-Trichy is not fully complete. There may be diversions. Madurai by-pass is also in place.

[rameshnanda]

Originally Posted by ampere

The how about using Kanchipuram by-pass? I think that is decent. The point I am saying that to avoid 45 minutes of trouble, you would be taking 3-4 hours of bad highway roads (in case NH68 is dug up).

Hmm. This is also an option. I actually did this route in January this year. Not very impressed but ok. Let me see if any one tries the NH68 stretch this weekend and if I get good feedback about it, then I will go ahead with this. Or else, I will take Kanchipuram route to reach NH-4.