Chennai - Thanjavur : Route Queries

cruiser_1982 · 20th November 2009, 08:43

Guys, I am leaving today after noon. I am sure that the road till perambalur is fine(NH45). Can some one let me know the state of roads from Perambalur-Ariyalur-Thanjavur? If this road is not in good condition, I will go through Trichy. Your inputs are highly appreciated.

cruiser_1982 · 23rd November 2009, 14:25

I am back from Thanjavur. The road condition from Perambalur to Thanjavur is pathetic. The roads are totally broken and should not be taken during nights.It took 3 hours on friday evening (5:30 PM to 8:30PM) to reach thanjavur from Perambalur. On the way back we were able to reach perambalur within 2 hours during daytime. The road from Perambalur to Chennai(NH45) is a dream to drive.

gajadonga · 23rd November 2009, 16:01

I have driven Chennai-Srirangam before completion and used to take 5-6hrs.After completion of the road to four lane I drove in October as cruiser said it is really a dream drive.It took 3.30hrs from Tambaram to Srirangam.

carbhp · 11th May 2010, 14:11

Any updates on the road condition now? I am planning for a trip next week.

TIA

informmaha · 21st July 2010, 13:38

An update on this route.

I went on 17-Jul-10 from Chennai to Tanjore. I took NH45 from Chennai to Perambalur and after that Ariyalur - Tanjore State Highway.

It was a pleasure to drive between Chennai to Perambalur. At an avg speed of 80-90 KPH you can reach perambalur in 4 hours (300kms). The total Toll Cost was Rs.191 (way better than chennai to bangalore). After perambalur I took a left to Ariyalur-Kunnam-Melmathur-Tanjore (60 kms). The roads were so pathetic that it took 2 hrs for me to reach tanjore from perambalur. Please do not take this route, i cannot even visibly see roads in some places.

Other option to reach tanjore is Proceed till Trichy in NH45, then from there take SH to Tanjore which is near completion, except some 5 km stretch pot hole roads, but far better than 50kms (10km in ariyalur-tanjore road was ok to clock 80-90kph) pot hole roads.

Infact in places like Kunnam and Melmathur, i could constantly go at around 5-10kph for nearly 1/2 hr

. After such pleasurable drive from chennai to perambalur, this stretch did haunt me. Instead i should have taken the words of my friend from trichy who asked me to take chennai to trichy and trichy to tanjore route. This might add another 10kms to your odo, but you can reach 1 hr earlier and with minimal dent to your machine.

Hope this might be of some help to someone who might be planning in the future.

Regards,
Rajan.

venki.bala · 21st July 2010, 18:29

Hi Rajan,

What made you decide the Chennai to Perambalur -Ariyalur - Tanjore Route instead of the conventional Chennai - Vikravandi - vadalur - Kumbakonam - Tanjore route? This route is very good and can make tanjore in 6 - 7 hrs depending on your starting time. I traveled a month back to Kumbakonam and I covered the distance in 5.5 hrs with 30 mins break, but I did start very early in the morning( 4 am). From kumbakonam it will take another hour to Tanjore.

Regards,
Venkatesh

informmaha · 21st July 2010, 18:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by venki.bala

Hi Rajan,

What made you decide the Chennai to Perambalur -Ariyalur - Tanjore Route instead of the conventional Chennai - Vikravandi - vadalur - Kumbakonam - Tanjore route? This route is very good and can make tanjore in 6 - 7 hrs depending on your starting time. I traveled a month back to Kumbakonam and I covered the distance in 5.5 hrs with 30 mins break, but I did start very early in the morning( 4 am). From kumbakonam it will take another hour to Tanjore.

Regards,
Venkatesh

hi Venkatesh,

Yes i know that's the conventional route and i have gone in that route many times, but not self driving though. I did know how that route would be and i am more of a NH traveller and have travelled a lot betw chennai and bangalore, so changing myself to SH was an uphill task to manuver those trucks, so went for this route.
Haven't tried NH45 after relaying works, so thought of doing it this time. i started frm chennai at 12.45 PM, reached perambalur by 5 PM (with 1/2 hr traffic jam in Guduvanjeri and 20 mins break for lunch), but the next 60 kms stretch costed me time, it took a whopping 2 hrs

to reach tanjore. If it had not been a new car i would have reached in 5 hrs to tanjore in this route. Safety was my concern (No offences meant) rather than distance and the distance difference is hardly 30-40 kms i believe. I personally feel these toll roads are much more safer to drive than compared to SH's, what do you say?

The total KM's i clocked frm chennai to tanjore was 357 in this route. I dont know the exact KM's in the conventional route.

My post was just to let people know about the alternative routes as mentioned in the post.

Regards,
Rajan

ampere · 21st July 2010, 21:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by informmaha

Other option to reach tanjore is Proceed till Trichy in NH45, then from there take SH to Tanjore which is near completion, except some 5 km stretch pot hole roads, but far better than 50kms (10km in ariyalur-tanjore road was ok to clock 80-90kph) pot hole roads.

Trichy-Tanjore is an NH and not SH. But its so pathetic, its worse than a SH!
Last time I went on this road, getting out of Trichy itself is a big pain. Add to it heavy truck traffic. Not sure how is the current status.

But as you say if TN govt fixes the Perambalur-Tanjore road via Ariyalur, then it becomes a very good option apart from the conventional route.

venki.bala · 22nd July 2010, 20:30

Hi Rajan,

Now I undertsnad why you took the alternative route. The NH till Perambalur is a safe option considering the Vikravandi - Neyveli - kumbakonam - Tanjore road is not double carriage road as the other option is. The distance may be 20 - 30 kms or so short in the conventional route.

Ampere,

As far as the Tiruchi - Tanjore road is concerned, I always hear complaints from my relatives it is one of worst roads as far as safety is concerned. Lot many accidents happen everyday and things havent improved it seems.

funnyguru · 4th August 2010, 13:24

Guys, am planning for a trip to Tanjore by the month end. Being a first timer to this route, help me out with one direction that will make it an enjoyable trip. Also let me know good hotels /restaurants to stop by for lunch.

Also any recommended hotels in Tanjore for a night stay?

Btw I stay in Virugambakkam.

Is the route Chennai - Tindivanam - Panruti- Kumbakonam - tanjore recommended?

informmaha · 4th August 2010, 15:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by funnyguru

Guys, am planning for a trip to Tanjore by the month end. Being a first timer to this route, help me out with one direction that will make it an enjoyable trip. Also let me know good hotels /restaurants to stop by for lunch.

Also any recommended hotels in Tanjore for a night stay?

Btw I stay in Virugambakkam.

Is the route Chennai - Tindivanam - Panruti- Kumbakonam - tanjore recommended?

Hi Funnyguru,

If you are a first timer and if you want to enjoy a pleasuralble drive, take the NH45 from chennai to trichy (Chennai-Chengalpet-Tindivanam-Villupuram - Perambalur-Trichy) in which you can touch speeds upto 150KPH with ease and its a dream to drive. Then take the route from Trichy to Tanjore (this is also nearing completion). This is by far the lengthiest route (may be 40kms more than the conventional route), but you can save time from pothole roads and traffic. There are clear hoardings of places and exits in this NH. It took me 4 hrs frm chennai to perambalur (trichy is another 60kms from perambalur i think). As mentioned in my previous post i took perambalur to tanjore route which was totally off shaped.

The other is the conventional route which is conventional Chennai - Vikravandi - vadalur - Kumbakonam - Tanjore without medians inbetween which and its around 30kms less than compared to this route as posted by Mr.Venkatesh.

Regarding the hotels for food, i am not sure about this. But I can suggest some good hotels for stay in Tanjore. There is Sangamam, parisutham which are a bit expensive but provides you with very good hospitality. There are also very good decent budget hotels like Oriental Towers and PLA residency which is very nearby to railway station. You can search for this through google, you will be able to find it. Its adviced to do a booking if its a peak time (generally weekends will be booked in advance).

I hope this information is of some use.

Regards,
Rajan.

funnyguru · 5th August 2010, 20:24

Thanks Rajan,
So it would be better to touch trichy to reach Tanjore, considering it a pleasure drive. Well the hotels mentioned are really expensive

Hopefully i do the research a find a good one!

Thanks again.

venki.bala · 6th August 2010, 17:17

Funnyguru,

I would suggest you to stick on to Chennai - Vikravandi - Neyveli - Kumbakonam - Tanjore Road. First the roads are very good, double carriage till Vikravandi and are good after that even though they are not double carriage roads. You can easily maintain sppeds 80 - 100. If you start from virugambakkam say @ 6 am, you will be in Neyveli by 9 am, Hotel Archana on the highway, you wont miss this hotel. Very good one. Beautiful garden, excellent food. Then the traffic is sparse after that till you reach kumbakonam. From kumbakonam it will take maximum 45 mins to reach tanjore. Also you save a lot of time by not entering Tiruchy city. I am not sure about the hotels, but there is a thread by Hotstuff http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...tamilnadu.html. You can get the hotel details in tanjore from that one. it is very good thread with loads of information and snaps.

Regards.
Venkatesh

funnyguru · 6th August 2010, 18:36

Hi venky,
Thanks for that suggestion. So basically it is NH 45 and NH 45 C that I have to take. Will there be clear route boards that indicate that i need to enter NH 45 C after Vikravandi?..

navan49 · 6th August 2010, 23:52

Hi Funnyguru,

So you are heading towardsTanjore. As for as my knowledge the road from Vikkiravandi, Neyveli,route may be smooth but not like the runway of Trichy and then to Tanjore route. There are lots of turnings in the Neyveli route. So take the smooth route towards Trichy.

20th November 2009, 08:43	#31
cruiser_1982 BHPian Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Chennai Posts: 313 Thanked: 16 Times	Guys, I am leaving today after noon. I am sure that the road till perambalur is fine(NH45). Can some one let me know the state of roads from Perambalur-Ariyalur-Thanjavur? If this road is not in good condition, I will go through Trichy. Your inputs are highly appreciated.
	() Thanks

23rd November 2009, 14:25	#32
cruiser_1982 BHPian Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Chennai Posts: 313 Thanked: 16 Times	I am back from Thanjavur. The road condition from Perambalur to Thanjavur is pathetic. The roads are totally broken and should not be taken during nights.It took 3 hours on friday evening (5:30 PM to 8:30PM) to reach thanjavur from Perambalur. On the way back we were able to reach perambalur within 2 hours during daytime. The road from Perambalur to Chennai(NH45) is a dream to drive.
	() Thanks

23rd November 2009, 16:01	#33
gajadonga Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 1,047 Thanked: 461 Times	I have driven Chennai-Srirangam before completion and used to take 5-6hrs.After completion of the road to four lane I drove in October as cruiser said it is really a dream drive.It took 3.30hrs from Tambaram to Srirangam.
	() Thanks

11th May 2010, 14:11	#34
carbhp BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 120 Thanked: 16 Times	Any updates on the road condition now? I am planning for a trip next week. TIA
	() Thanks

21st July 2010, 13:38	#35
informmaha BHPian Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Banglore/Madras Posts: 220 Thanked: 41 Times	Update on chennai to Tanjore route An update on this route. I went on 17-Jul-10 from Chennai to Tanjore. I took NH45 from Chennai to Perambalur and after that Ariyalur - Tanjore State Highway. It was a pleasure to drive between Chennai to Perambalur. At an avg speed of 80-90 KPH you can reach perambalur in 4 hours (300kms). The total Toll Cost was Rs.191 (way better than chennai to bangalore). After perambalur I took a left to Ariyalur-Kunnam-Melmathur-Tanjore (60 kms). The roads were so pathetic that it took 2 hrs for me to reach tanjore from perambalur. Please do not take this route, i cannot even visibly see roads in some places. Other option to reach tanjore is Proceed till Trichy in NH45, then from there take SH to Tanjore which is near completion, except some 5 km stretch pot hole roads, but far better than 50kms (10km in ariyalur-tanjore road was ok to clock 80-90kph) pot hole roads. Infact in places like Kunnam and Melmathur, i could constantly go at around 5-10kph for nearly 1/2 hr . After such pleasurable drive from chennai to perambalur, this stretch did haunt me. Instead i should have taken the words of my friend from trichy who asked me to take chennai to trichy and trichy to tanjore route. This might add another 10kms to your odo, but you can reach 1 hr earlier and with minimal dent to your machine. Hope this might be of some help to someone who might be planning in the future. Regards, Rajan.
	() Thanks

21st July 2010, 18:29	#36
venki.bala BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 382 Thanked: 280 Times	Hi Rajan, What made you decide the Chennai to Perambalur -Ariyalur - Tanjore Route instead of the conventional Chennai - Vikravandi - vadalur - Kumbakonam - Tanjore route? This route is very good and can make tanjore in 6 - 7 hrs depending on your starting time. I traveled a month back to Kumbakonam and I covered the distance in 5.5 hrs with 30 mins break, but I did start very early in the morning( 4 am). From kumbakonam it will take another hour to Tanjore. Regards, Venkatesh
	() Thanks

22nd July 2010, 20:30	#39
venki.bala BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 382 Thanked: 280 Times	Hi Rajan, Now I undertsnad why you took the alternative route. The NH till Perambalur is a safe option considering the Vikravandi - Neyveli - kumbakonam - Tanjore road is not double carriage road as the other option is. The distance may be 20 - 30 kms or so short in the conventional route. Ampere, As far as the Tiruchi - Tanjore road is concerned, I always hear complaints from my relatives it is one of worst roads as far as safety is concerned. Lot many accidents happen everyday and things havent improved it seems.
	() Thanks

4th August 2010, 13:24	#40
funnyguru BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 266 Thanked: 5 Times	Guys, am planning for a trip to Tanjore by the month end. Being a first timer to this route, help me out with one direction that will make it an enjoyable trip. Also let me know good hotels /restaurants to stop by for lunch. Also any recommended hotels in Tanjore for a night stay? Btw I stay in Virugambakkam. Is the route Chennai - Tindivanam - Panruti- Kumbakonam - tanjore recommended? Last edited by funnyguru : 4th August 2010 at 13:32. Reason: Added the source place
	() Thanks

5th August 2010, 20:24	#42
funnyguru BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 266 Thanked: 5 Times	Thanks Rajan, So it would be better to touch trichy to reach Tanjore, considering it a pleasure drive. Well the hotels mentioned are really expensive Hopefully i do the research a find a good one! Thanks again.
	() Thanks

6th August 2010, 17:17	#43
venki.bala BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 382 Thanked: 280 Times	Funnyguru, I would suggest you to stick on to Chennai - Vikravandi - Neyveli - Kumbakonam - Tanjore Road. First the roads are very good, double carriage till Vikravandi and are good after that even though they are not double carriage roads. You can easily maintain sppeds 80 - 100. If you start from virugambakkam say @ 6 am, you will be in Neyveli by 9 am, Hotel Archana on the highway, you wont miss this hotel. Very good one. Beautiful garden, excellent food. Then the traffic is sparse after that till you reach kumbakonam. From kumbakonam it will take maximum 45 mins to reach tanjore. Also you save a lot of time by not entering Tiruchy city. I am not sure about the hotels, but there is a thread by Hotstuff http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...tamilnadu.html. You can get the hotel details in tanjore from that one. it is very good thread with loads of information and snaps. Regards. Venkatesh
	() Thanks

6th August 2010, 18:36	#44
funnyguru BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 266 Thanked: 5 Times	Hi venky, Thanks for that suggestion. So basically it is NH 45 and NH 45 C that I have to take. Will there be clear route boards that indicate that i need to enter NH 45 C after Vikravandi?..
	() Thanks

6th August 2010, 23:52	#45
navan49 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: CHENNAI Posts: 1,001 Thanked: 73 Times View My Garage	Hi Funnyguru, So you are heading towardsTanjore. As for as my knowledge the road from Vikkiravandi, Neyveli,route may be smooth but not like the runway of Trichy and then to Tanjore route. There are lots of turnings in the Neyveli route. So take the smooth route towards Trichy.
	() Thanks