Short Trip from Bangalore To Chennai

[rekharam]

Hi Friends,
I'm planning a short trip to Chennai tomorrow. Planning to start early morning tomorrow from Whitefield, Bangalore. I am going to Saidapet to meet my father and a person. I'm planning to return on same day.
Trip is 80% solo unless my wife decides to join me later. Planning to do GQ route. Any suggestions? I'm taking my Accent and it will be first time on this route.

 

[Highway Ranger]

Re: Bangalore to Chennai

Since you are starting from whitefield, you can take the sai baba road to join old madras road and join GQ after Ranipet. I think that will be the shortest route. I used to take it often when I stayed in Whitefield.

Now I take the Hosur route as I stay closer to hosur. Both ways you can cover the distance to chennai in around 5 to 5/30 hours. Reaching Saidapet... well depends on the traffic condition and the route you decide to take.

 

[rekharam]

Re: Bangalore to Chennai

Thanks Highway Ranger. I have been to Tirupathi via that route. Is it advisable to take this route morning? How is the traffic? There were truck traffic close to Palamaner. I planning to start at least at 4:00 AM from home.

 

[Highway Ranger]

Re: Bangalore to Chennai

It has been more than 5 years since I drove in that route. And at that time it used to be a 2 lane highway. Still, I found no problem as most of the trucks/buses take the Hosur route.

Bottle necks can be Palamaner, Wallajah Road and Ranipet. after that you will join GQ.

I usually start by 5 am so it will be daylight by the time we hit the highway for some serious driving.

Hope you know where to deviate from the highway to reach Saidapet...

Have a nice trip.

 

[rekharam]

Re: Bangalore to Chennai

I got my MMI GPS, so I won't find any trouble in finding Saidapet. Moreover I know a bit of Chennai and I can speak and read Tamil, so wont find much difficulty reaching the destination.

 

[rekharam]

Re: Bangalore To Chennai

Finally I took the GQ to Chennai and it took exactly 6Hrs from Whitefield, Bangalore to Saidapet, Chennai with one fuel break.

 

[AppU]

Re: Bangalore To Chennai

Congrats Man,

Then how was Chennai

 

[rekharam]

Re: Bangalore To Chennai

Chennai roads are definitely wider than here in Bangalore. As it was a weekend, I didn't stuck anywhere. It was humid there. I wasted more than an hour finding golden temple near Vellore! :( When I went there it was crowded and they asked Rs5 00 for spcl quick darshan :(.

NH are really good. There are some work going on from Hosur to Krishnagiri. They are widening the four lanes to six lanes there.

 

[mukeshus]

Re: Bangalore To Chennai

Chennai roads are definitely wider than here in Bangalore. As it was a weekend, I didn't stuck anywhere. It was humid there. I wasted more than an hour finding golden temple near Vellore! :( When I went there it was crowded and they asked Rs5 00 for spcl quick darshan :(.

NH are really good. There are some work going on from Hosur to Krishnagiri. They are widening the four lanes to six lanes there.

Good to know you had a good trip in your Accent.

I had been to Vellore many times, the usual route i follow is via Hosur-Krishnagiri Deviation-Sripuram Right after the last toll booth on that route.

Here is my visit & experince:http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...temple-vellore-thiruvannamalai.html#post38205

As you did via Old Madras road, via Kolar, you would have taken a deviation near Chittoor, towards right.

But i usually do the Hosur route , as its a 4 way lane road.

But during my visit to Tirupathi i have seen a deviation to Vellore from Chittoor.

 

[AppU]

Re: Bangalore To Chennai

I wasted more than an hour finding golden temple near Vellore! :( When I went there it was crowded and they asked Rs5 00 for spcl quick darshan :(.

Ram, That is a great news that you have been visited Vellore.. In Vellore Underground drainage project is in progress, so most of the main roads has changed to oneway, even Vellore people itself confused with roads, because of sudden change in traffic. you came on weekend thats why there was a huge crowd in Golden Temple.

 

[hamster]

Re: Bangalore To Chennai

All,

I am planning to drive to down to chennai this weekend. Planned trip is to start on Thursday early morning from B'lore and return back on Sunday evening. The Hosur-Krishnagiri-Vellore-Ranipet is one, which I have done umpteen number of times and know the nuances of this route well. This time I m travelling with my spouse and am planning to take the B'lore-Kolar-Mulbagal-Palamaner-Chittoor-Ranipet-Kanchipuram-Chennai route. Want to avoid GQ due to the exorbitant toll rates and also due to current road situation(Road Widening).

Need input from fellow TAIians on the following.

1) Heard there was a bandh in Andhra yesterday and also a All India Bandh on Thursday called by the opposition parties in lieu of the recent petrol price hike. How are the situations generally to cross various towns during such situations.

2) Also hearing news of acute petrol and diesel shortage in chennai and sorrounding areas. I will tank up in Bangalore itself and normally it takes one full tank and a little above for a Chennai - Bangalore round trip in my swifty.

But this time the irony is I have to travel a lot inside chennai during the 4 days of my stay there and even if I tank it up in Bangalore, it would be nearing empty by the time I start back from chennai. So I would defenitely need to fill atleast to half tank to return back to Bangalore. Are there any fuel stations in chennai, where-in I will defenitely get some fuel for my swift. I dont mind topping it up on this route whenever I find one - any trusted fuel stations or especially any particular one to avoid ?

3) Food options en-route - especially breakfast. I have heard of Nandi Plaza, can any one give me the location please.


Appreciate all your help.
Cheers

 

[mukeshus]

Hamster i would say its really bad time to visit Chennai, as what i heard from few of friends that there is acute short of diesel stock in Chennai, and long waiting queues all along bunks.

May be you can try for fuel at Shell bunks if any.

The suburbs of Chennai has Standard boards of Diesel No stock.

So plan accordingly.

Bundh tomorrow is by Taxi drivers as against adding of compulsory Speed Regulator on every taxi's.

If you are doing via Kolar, then the only option left is Woody's now due to the road median, you will have to take deviation to right well in advance.

Before you enter Kolar, there is a Kamat Upachar just besides IOC bunk.

 

[hamster]

Thanks Mukesh.
Folks, I made it to chennai on Wednesday midnight.
Had been closely tracking the diesel status and got info that it the situation was easing out by wednesday morning.
But I had a call to make regarding the bandh. That is when my office declared a holiday for thursday.
Decided to start immediately and took off from whitefield at around 5:45 pm. Reached chennai besant nagar at 00:45 hrs.
Journey duration door-to-door - 7 hrs.
Break - 30-45 mins
Route taken - Hosur-Krishnagiri-Vellore-Kanchi-Chennai
Average Speed-80-85kmph
Top Speed - 100kph
Road Condition - worst till wallajabad with a lot of "Take Diversions" with only very few stretches of good sections.
After Wallajabad you only get a relief till about after kanchipuram.
After Kanchipuram, the worst nightmare starts - Traffic and craziest driving on earth. In fact of, the 7 hrs, it took 1.5 hrs to reach chennai from Sriperumbudur !!
Planning to return back via the chittor road tomorrow. Will update on Monday morning on the same.

 

[AppU]

After Wallajabad you only get a relief till about after kanchipuram.
After Kanchipuram, the worst nightmare starts - Traffic and craziest driving on earth. In fact of, the 7 hrs, it took 1.5 hrs to reach chennai from Sriperumbudur !!
Planning to return back via the chittor road tomorrow. Will update on Monday morning on the same.

Congrats that you reached Chennai without any difficulties.. Please be aware of Tipper lorry walas between Chennai to Kanchi.. they are the worst drivers I've ever seen.

BTW, Walajabad is present in Kanchipuram District, you have crossed Walajapet, which is in Vellore District..

Advance congrats for your return Journey

 

[hamster]

Back in Bangalore.
Return drive stats
Door-to-Door driving hours - 6(dot)
Break time - 1 hrs (30 mins at chittoor and another 30 mins for dinner at Woodys Kolar)
Route - Chennai-Kanchi-Ranipet-CHittoor-Kolar-Bangalore
Driving conditions -
Till kanchi, had to endeavour a lot of Nokia employee buses who didnt know that there is a left lane which exists for heavy vehicles and hence had a tough time to overtake about 50 such buses from sriperumbudur till kanchi .
After taking the NH4, faced a bit of town traffic in ranipet, which slowed down(thank god, it was less due to being a sunday afternoon).
Also had a tough time to overtake around 10 trailers carrying hyundai cars through the curvy roads till chittoor.
Was tired by that time , so decided to take a coffee break at nandi plaza(must admit, coffee and snacks were awesome there).
Hit the road again after the break, and was lucky to have missed a huge traffic pile-up near the andhra-karnataka border. A trailer lorry had fell into a gorge with its head in the gorge and its entire body blocking both the lanes of the road, with space for only one car to go. There was a 5 kms pileup on both the sides.
The rest of the journey was uneventful except for a speeding Govt Volvo bus pushing me off the road.
Driving from Mulbagal to Bangalore in the 4 lane is a true bliss.
Must admit, enjoyed the return journey more than the onward.
May be that was returning from hot and humid chennai to cool bangalore