Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   Route / Travel Queries (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-travel-queries/)

-   -   All Roads to Kerala (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-travel-queries/27690-all-roads-kerala-932.html)

The NH 544 section between Thrissur and Palakkad has a myriad of speed limits - often conflicting with each other (eg: one limit displayed on left, another in the median). We should only go by this:

https://mvd.kerala.gov.in/en/roadSaf...-limits-kerala

(though it is still not clear which limit applies on a 4-lane road that passes through a corporation limit, eg: Thrissur bypass).

I generally set cruise control at 85 and stay within.

Took the Kakkanad- Karimugal- Puthankuriz-Muvattupuzha- Kothamangalam- Adimali- Rajakkad, this afternoon. Beautiful surface throughout. It started raining heavily after Muvattupuzha which added more fun actually. When you are not in a hurry, there is nothing like driving in the rain with your favorite music playing in the background. Will be returning tomorrow and the route will remain the same.

Would 17th April (Sunday) witness a large amount of traffic into Bangalore? There is Good Friday/ Vishu/ Pongal so it would be a long weekend for many.

OR would it be a weekend where folks stay at home and avoid travel ?

OR has WFH altered the pattern of traffic pileups on long weekends?

I have the option of traveling into Bangalore on 17th or 19th April. Would like to know which of these two dates is likely to have less traffic? Thanks in advance.

Also, Chitra pournami comes during that weekend, which is considered very auspicious in TN. Many people like to travel to temples for the same.

Everyone is back to traveling with a vengeance :), so expect the typical heavy traffic on a Sunday evening into Bangalore. 19th would definitely be more peaceful.

It is a long weekend: 14th is Ambedkar Jayanti & Maundy Thursday, 15th is Vishu & Good Friday (not Pongal - that's in January!). Unfortunately I'm traveling to Kerala on 13th evening and returning 17th afternoon. I expect massive traffic both ways in my direction and am mentally preparing myself for it.

Clearly, 19th for peace of mind.

You don’t want a frustrating experience on the roads and the tolls. The restaurants enroute will be very crowded too.

Travelled to Thrissur from Bangalore today. Road was crowded as well as eateries on the way. May be the Vishu / Easter weekend effect. Took almost 9 hours (500KM) which is almost 1.5 hours more than the usual.

Kuthiran tunnel. Travelled for first time.

https://youtu.be/hVB-b842vLc

I am planning a family trip to Mysore from Kochi in last week of April. Have few queries:

1. Best route - Default route shown by Google is Ekm-Thrissur-Vadakkanchery-Pattambi-Perinthalmanna-Nilambur-Vazhikadavu-Gundlupet-Mysore. With an early morning (530AM) start, shall I stick to this route or is there any better alternatives? Driving with small kid so prefer to stick to main road/highways.

2. Approximate driving time for selected route and decent hotels for Breakfast & lunch on the way with clean rest rooms

Thanks in advance.

Hi
IMHO, weekend traffic in Bengaluru is much worse than regular week-day traffic. Considering that 17th is the end of a long weekend, the traffic into Bengaluru will definitely be high. If it doesn't make a difference to you, perhaps the 19th is a better option.
Happy Travels.

People planning travel for the long weekend be aware of the following.

Expect showers ranging from moderate to heavy thundershowers while crossing Coimbatore, Palakkad.
Expect traffic diversions on account of road resurfacing in the stretch between Walayar and Palakkad. Not much of a bother standalone but could get compounded with the heavy incoming traffic today as well as the showers.

Drive safe and have a happy holidays all.

If you are starting early, then Ernakulam-Kodungallur-Guruvayur-Ponnani-Kuttipuram-Perinthalmanna-Nilambur route would be better I guess.

You could also try Ernakulam-Coimbatore-Mysore route. It will be smooth sailing all the way to Coimbatore. Dhimbam ghats might be a bit unpredictable, but after that, roads are mostly good along Chamarajanagar-Nanjagud-Mysore. In this route, theres an Aryaas/Saravana Bhavan near Vadakkencherry for breakfast. For lunch there are plenty of options at Chamarajanagar.

Thanks buddy. The Coimbatore route looks interesting as it may be easier to drive.
Is this the correct route?
https://goo.gl/maps/SxA62eSzrDA9my5b8

Anyone has any clue on the road condition between Coimbatore and Chamarajanagar

Thanks. I drove in yesterday afternoon. Got a short thundershower on top of the BETL (which ended before I crossed Chandapura) and another at Alathur (which again, ended before the toll booth). Otherwise I escaped rain totally.

Still it was an excruciating drive - heavy traffic all the way till Perumbavoor (my destination). Coimbatore bypass was showing a +58min on Maps so I decided to go through the city - it wasn't bad at all (50 mins from Neelambur exit to Madukkarai merge back - I take 45 minutes via the bypass end-to-end so this was a good choice. Only downside is the under-construction flyover at Ukkadam and the consequential traffic pileup).

Found a private bus that had mounted the divider between Vadakkanchery and the tunnel pair. I guess driver misread the carriageway during the rain.

Btw, tolls have gone up (April 1 revision + 1 new toll booth). It is Rs. 840 excluding the Coimbatore bypass. Weirdly, I didn't get a single SMS notification from Paytm.

Please mention a few. For long those of us who used to do Bangalore-Calicut via Chamarajanagar used to lament the lack of any decent food options along this route. We only had a Nijaguna (whose food was terrible IMO) for a long time.

That's the one. The Dhimbam ghat road is quite notorious for traffic jams though.

Updates from those traveling to Bangalore today is that there is very little traffic on the roads.

The Wynad ghats and the stretches after that were almost empty at 6.30 am.

Probably because its Easter and a lot of folks may chose to travel back tomorrow.