[Arvind6488]

I am planning for a Trip from Chennai to Bangalore (Krishnarajapuram) sometime during the first week of June. This would be my first trip to Bangalore by road. I came across several travelogues and routes posted over here. But still I am getting confused and not able to have a hold on the route that I need to take.

I am looking for the best route that would reduce the travel time. I am planning to start from Chennai around 4.00 AM in the morning.

I would appreciate if I could get inputs on the route I need to take with checkpoints to ensure I am heading the right way.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Arvind6488

I would appreciate if I could get inputs on the route I need to take with checkpoints to ensure I am heading the right way.

If you wan to go to KR Puram, then take the road via Chitoor. At Ranipet, go into the town and look for the road to Chitoor.

Chennai-Ranipet-Chitoor-Palamaner-Mulbagal-Kolar-Bangalore.

Chitoor has a bypass too.

[binand]

Originally Posted by Arvind6488

I am planning for a Trip from Chennai to Bangalore (Krishnarajapuram)

Originally Posted by ampere

If you wan to go to KR Puram, then take the road via Chitoor. At Ranipet, go into the town and look for the road to Chitoor.

Chitoor has a bypass too.

Directions to exit the GQ towards Ranipet/Chittoor:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post2994178

Chittoor bypass starts immediately after the Chittoor collectorate on your left (outskirts of Chittoor town).

Btw, a 4AM start from Chennai will put you in KR Puram between 9 and 10 AM - which is the peak time for the notorious "KR Puram traffic mess". Be prepared for that! :-)

The standard food stop is about 17km (half-way between Chittoor and Bangarupalem) from Chittoor. I forgot the name of the restaurant, but it on your left when coming towards Bangalore, within the compound of a petrol pump (there are 3-4 pumps just before Bangarupalem town, again I forget which company's this is). The next decent food stop I guess is Woody's at Kolar which is about 45km shy of Bangalore.

I did Bangalore>Chennai>Bangalore on 17 May 2013. While going to Chennai, I took Shatabdi; for the return journey, I rode on my Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500 via Krishnagiri and Hosur. Road-widening works [4 to 6 lanes] are in progress from Sriperumpudur to Kanchipuram bypass. While most of the stretches of the roads have already been widened to 6 lanes from Vellore to Krishnagiri, bridges and flyovers are being widened now with good diversions. After many months, I did this route and found that many new eateries have come up all along the route. There was a big queue of vehicles of all sorts at TN-KA border starting from Ashok Leyland plant at Zuzuwadi, Hosur all the way to Attibele at 11:45 pm. I did some off-roading on my Thunderbird and rode on the shoulders to cross the Attibele toll plaza. It was a nice experience of riding through the toll plazas without waiting and paying. More details are here.

[ravib]

Originally Posted by binand

The standard food stop is about 17km (half-way between Chittoor and Bangarupalem) from Chittoor. I forgot the name of the restaurant, but it on your left when coming towards Bangalore, within the compound of a petrol pump (there are 3-4 pumps just before Bangarupalem town, again I forget which company's this is). The next decent food stop I guess is Woody's at Kolar which is about 45km shy of Bangalore.

Though i wouldn't call it as standar food stop , the restaurant is called Nandi Plaza which is about ~20 kms after you exit Chittoor By-pass and cross Coffee-day on your left / Tirupathi By-pass on your right.

The petrol pump that you mentioned is Reliance which is not functional now.
Nandi plaza is behind it (ofcourse with good name boards in main road itself) and it is the official stop for KSRTC buses.

If you want to fill fuel, there is a BP COCO outlet diagonally opposite to Nandi plaza.

-Ravi

[ampere]

Originally Posted by ravib

If you want to fill fuel, there is a BP COCO outlet diagonally opposite to Nandi plaza.

Ravi,
I think its the same outlet where you also have coffee day? Isnt it ?
That way it becomes easier to find. Look for CCD and you get the COCO bunk !

[mjothi]

Two more good food joints.

1. Dhanalaxsmi - in wallajah. Its on the left side corner when traveling towards Bangalore.
2. Adigas - in Mulbaghal. Its on the left side, around 12 KMs after you touch the toll road in mulbaghal.

[binand]

Originally Posted by ravib

Though i wouldn't call it as standar food stop , the restaurant is called Nandi Plaza which is about ~20 kms after you exit Chittoor By-pass and cross Coffee-day on your left / Tirupathi By-pass on your right.

OK, standard is a bit of a stretch. What I meant is that with an early morning start from either end, you reach this restaurant just in time for breakfast. Others are either too early or too late.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by mjothi

Two more good food joints.

I remember spotting quite many (though unknown) veg hotels on this way.
Remember one very close to Palamaner too. (I think its was Athithi. Any ideas how is it? )

[ravib]

Originally Posted by binand

OK, standard is a bit of a stretch. What I meant is that with an early morning start from either end, you reach this restaurant just in time for breakfast. Others are either too early or too late.

Yea, i agree that for an early morning start from either end, Nandi Plaza is good stop which is almost at mid point (~150 kms) from both cities.

However, it depends on people's taste and some may prefer to eat earlier than driving 150+ kms to stop for breakfast as you feel hungry quicker when u wakeup very early in the morning.

I wouldn't call it as a great place for food, but an average/decent one.

Originally Posted by ampere

Ravi,
I think its the same outlet where you also have coffee day? Isnt it ?
That way it becomes easier to find. Look for CCD and you get the COCO bunk !

No ampere. There is no coffee day in this Bangarupalayam BP COCO outlet.
Infact, though the Petrol pump is big in size, it will look quite dirty from outside (guess mainly due to trucks) compared to decent ones we see in Chinnar/Thoppur BP COCO outlets.

-Ravi

[mjothi]

Originally Posted by ampere

I remember spotting quite many (though unknown) veg hotels on this way.
Remember one very close to Palamaner too. (I think its was Athithi. Any ideas how is it? )

No sir, never tried and not sure.

Originally Posted by ravib

No ampere. There is no coffee day in this Bangarupalayam BP COCO outlet.
Infact, though the Petrol pump is big in size, it will look quite dirty from outside (guess mainly due to trucks) compared to decent ones we see in Chinnar/Thoppur BP COCO outlets.

-Ravi

There are quite number of CCDs on both sides. Not sure if its in COCO outlet, but one in a petrol pump. One more just before the turn to bypass of chitoor. Anyway, its not difficult to spot with so many boards they have from 1km onwards..

[mpksuhas]

Did Bangalore - Chennai and back after a gap of around 5 months. Start from Bangalore was at 4:30 AM Saturday (1June), thanks to the overnight rain got stuck at traffic block at KA- TN border for around an hour. Not sure of the reason, saw very slow moving traffic on this part during return journey also. Thanks to the block it was office time while nearing Vellore and traffic had increased considerably. Reached Saligramam at 10:45 AM. Road condition between Hosur and Krishnagiri has improved compared to last year, however there all across. Sriperumbadur toll booth was a pain to cross.
Return was on Monday (03 June), start at 02:45 PM from Saligramam, got stuck at Porur junction. It was around 04:30 PM by time I was able to cross Sriperumbadur toll booth. Thanks to an army of Hyundai staff buses one of which managed to hit a transport bus resulting in a huge block. It was mostly smooth sailing after that till Silk board junction. No much queue in any toll booth. Six laning work is about to start between Chennai and Vellore. Saw land levelled at few places besides the road.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by binand

The next decent food stop I guess is Woody's at Kolar which is about 45km shy of Bangalore.

Adigas, almost next door to Woody's seems a better choice now (before Woody's on left side when driving towards Bangalore). The campus has a CCD as well.
Some more food stops listed here in my earlier post

[arjithin]

Friends,

I am planning for a BGLR - Pondy - Chennai - Bangalore trip in Mid July. Primary need is to go to US Consulate and adding Pondy as side trip. Current plan is to start on Sat morning, spend 2 days in Pondy, travel to Chennai on Monday early morning, finish my work at consulate and come back to Bangalore on same day.

2 questions for you

1. What is the best place/by lanes to park my car for 3 hours near US consulate? Should be around Annasalai around 7:30 AM

2. To reach US Consulate at 8:00 AM, how early should I start from Pondy and what is the best route ( in terms of surface condition and traffic)?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by arjithin

1. What is the best place/by lanes to park my car for 3 hours near US consulate? Should be around Annasalai around 7:30 AM

The are is quite congested. Its difficult to find a park. There are bylanes, but it just depends on your luck that day.

2. To reach US Consulate at 8:00 AM, how early should I start from Pondy and what is the best route ( in terms of surface condition and traffic)?

I would say, not worth it. Better to come to Chennai a day before. Not worth getting stuck in traffic on a working day.