[nairrk]

Hai.
Calicut to Trivandrum by Road.
I got following routing from website - is this okay or any alternative,
better routing some one can suggest?

Calicut - Thirurangadi - Kottakkal - Chavakkad - Thrissur - Chalakkudy - Aluva - Ernakulam - kalavoor - Alleppy - Ambalapuzha - Haripad - Ochira - Quilon - Trivandrum ?

Are the roads in good condition?

Thanks

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

What time are you driving?

Not sure of the Thrissur - Kunnamkulam stretch.

I you reach Ankamaly, you may be better off taking the MC road rather than NH 47 to avoid the busy Ernakulam bye pass.


My vote would be for Kunnamkulam > Kodungallur > (turn right after the Kottapuram bridge) Maliankara > Munumbam > Cherai > Vypeen > "Junkar" > Fort Cochin > Eda Cochin > Aroor > NH 47.

Enter the Ernakulam city only if you find the Junkar extremely crowded or driving in late nights.

Expect 10+ hours of day time driving; or 7-8 hours during night (Starting after 10PM).

Edit - Junkar to Eda Cochin are narrow roads but better than being stuck up in the city traffic.

[nairrk]

Thanks
I am planning to go by second half november 2009.
Plan to drive only in the day time .

Kunnamkulam -chavakkad road is very very good ( I recently went to Guruvayoor),
but from chavakkad - Thrissur no idea !

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

I you reach Ankamaly, you may be better off taking the MC road rather than NH 47 to avoid the busy Ernakulam bye pass.

Isn't the MC Road also being widened? Or is that work complete?

My vote would be for Kunnamkulam > Kodungallur > (turn right after the Kottapuram bridge) Maliankara > Munumbam > Cherai > Vypeen > "Junkar" > Fort Cochin > Eda Cochin > Aroor > NH 47.

This is not the NH17 Cheranalloor route via Paravur? What is the "Junkar" route?

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Isn't the MC Road also being widened? Or is that work complete?

MC road work is under progress from Muvattupuzha to Kottayam, AFAIK. The 7 or 8 KM from Ettumanoor to Kottayam is a pain. Suffering the Ernakulam traffic for some time would be better than putting up with the minor irritants on the whole of MC road.

Ugh. Oh. No. The pleasure of driving from Ankamaly to Muvatupuzha more than compensates for the conditions from Muvatupuzha to Trivandrum.

Ok. I admit; I cannot make up my mind. ;-)

Also, the MC roads means you enter the city directly; taking the NH 47 means we can access the TVM - balaramapuram byepass, from where we can choose where to turn off, depending on where we want to go into TVM.

This is not the NH17 Cheranalloor route via Paravur? What is the "Junkar" route?

I recall mentioning this new route somewhere. After Kottapuram bridges (Kodungallur), you turn right immediately after the 2nd bridge. This takes you to Maliankara, where a enw bridge has opened, to Munambam. Munambam is the northern tip of Vypeen Islands. It is a fairly straight, non-highway, good, but no-traffic-sense road. But any day better than the Kottapuram - Paravur - Varapuzha - Cheranellore - Edappaly route (the NH 17), which also has a railway gate in between.

From Munambam, it is a fairly straight road, approximately 28 to 30 KM (with exactly 2 S curves) to the point where the new "Goshree" bridges connecting Ernakulam and Vypeen start (this takes you to the High Court at Ernakulam). During day time, instead of entering Ernakulam, he can avoid the block and bumber to bumper traffic and take the Junkar to Fort cocnin. The total distance From the point where Goshree bridges start to Aroor (NH 47) would be approximately 16 KM.(including the Junkar ferry).

[abhilash_iv]

I had done a Ekm-Kannur and back trip recently.
I would suggest the following route:

Kozhikode - University - Kottakkal - Kuttipuram - Edappal - Ponnani - Chavakad - Kodungallur - Paravur - Edappally - Aroor - Alappuzha - Kollam - Tvm.
Approximate running time could be around 10 hrs day time (with few breaks totaling 1 hr). Only possible congestions will be at Edappally (railway gate & signal), Vyttila, Alappuzha and Kollam.

You could also avoid Edappally and Vytilla by taking the Malyankara-Munambam-Vypeen-Jhangar-Fort Kochi- Eda Kochi - Aroor route.
But in my experience Jhangar is not reliable it may even take 1 hr to wait & cross the path sometimes. If after reaching Vypeen we decide to avoid Jhangar, then we have to cross the Ekm city fully, which may easily take 1 hr sometimes.

[nairrk]

@abhilash

Thanks, How about Edappal - Kunnamkulam - Chavakkad?
Early this month, I went to Guruvayoor via this route and the road in/out kunnamkulam stretch is very very good

[abhilash_iv]

Originally Posted by nairrk

@abhilash

Thanks, How about Edappal - Kunnamkulam - Chavakkad?
Early this month, I went to Guruvayoor via this route and the road in/out kunnamkulam stretch is very very good

That route also is good. I mentioned Ponnani because, about that route I have recent experience, and there is a possibility of congestion in Kunnamulam town.

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Originally Posted by abhilash_iv

Ekm city fully, which may easily take 1 hr sometimes.

Umm... not exactly. Take a left from the High Court, (first traffic signal after getting off the last Goshree Bridge; follow the road till PNVM Junction. Turn right to enter the MG Road. (that is first signal after you turn left at High Court). Reach end of MG Road - to reach Thevara; turn left at Thevara, take the NH 47A (I think that is what it is) turn left just before the thevara ferry, and in 2 kms, you are at Kundanoor / Le Meredien. Turn right to reach Aroor. Maximum 20 Minutes to cover approx 6 KM (from High Court up to Le Meredien). There are plenty of side / narrow roads and "vents" in case of traffic blocks, and 1 hour is a bit stretching.

[abhilash_iv]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

Umm... not exactly. Take a left from the High Court, (first traffic signal after getting off the last Goshree Bridge; follow the road till PNVM Junction. Turn right to enter the MG Road. (that is first signal after you turn left at High Court). Reach end of MG Road - to reach Thevara; turn left at Thevara, take the NH 47A (I think that is what it is) turn left just before the thevara ferry, and in 2 kms, you are at Kundanoor / Le Meredien. Turn right to reach Aroor. Maximum 20 Minutes to cover approx 6 KM (from High Court up to Le Meredien). There are plenty of side / narrow roads and "vents" in case of traffic blocks, and 1 hour is a bit stretching.

True. I was stretching, because I was under the impression that he may not know the city roads properly and may take the Highcourt-PNVM-South bridge- Kadvantra- Vytilla- Kundanoor way. This route mostly in the evenings become very difficult to cross. Anyway, If he is comfortable with the city roads, he can cross in the said time. Even then 1 hr is too much, I accept.

[nairrk]

Thanks all yours valuable comments.
I preferably want to avoid city travelling, as it is not easy for some one unknown about that place to go right/left/right turnings because, if we have any doubt and to ask someone for the route, we will not be able to stop the vehicle as then people behind will start honking. And what I can see (especially in kerala), sign boards in the city limits are not easily accessible to drivers (either some poster will be there or some ad banners will block the view) so eventually we will get stuck some where there and keep driving within the circle.

To avoid this, even if little more time or some more distance, I prefer to go out and out route, without touching major city area.
Thanks

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by nairrk

Thanks all yours valuable comments.
I preferably want to avoid city travelling, as it is not easy for some one unknown about that place to go right/left/right turnings because, if we have any doubt and to ask someone for the route, we will not be able to stop the vehicle as then people behind will start honking. And what I can see (especially in kerala), sign boards in the city limits are not easily accessible to drivers (either some poster will be there or some ad banners will block the view) so eventually we will get stuck some where there and keep driving within the circle.

To avoid this, even if little more time or some more distance, I prefer to go out and out route, without touching major city area.
Thanks

In which case, I would stick to the NH17 or NH47, and take the Ernakulam bypass at Edapalli, where signages are good. If you come on NH47 from Trissur side, you will see the turn off to the left which will lead you right through to Aroor. If you are coming on NH17, you will reach the big junction, at Edapalli, where the turn to right takes you to Kaloor/Ernakulam city, the left takes you to Trissur on NH47, and the road straight is the Ernakulam bypass to Aroor.

You can check out distances in the following log book (see the return leg from Trivandrum to Bombay)

SOUTH INDIA Jan 2005 - hvkumar | Google Groups

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Adding to HVK's post - you may be better off taking Kunnamkulam - Trichur - (and if in Trichru between 9 am and 9 PM find the other road via Jubliee medical college and not the usual Ollur route) to NH47 and then Chalakudy > Angamaly > Aluva > Edappally.

Edappally is where the 4 lane ends/ turns towards left to go to Vytilla, and you will know when you reach ther - there would be a heavy traffic jam.

There is plenty of 4 laning work going on from Palakkad end of the Trichur byepass to Ankamaly. In Aluva, a flyover construction is going on, just after the 2nd bridge (from Ankamaly side) None of these should be a problem for day time driving, and I guess you can cover Trichur Edappally in around 75 minutes. (do not try to reduce the time taken).

[nairrk]

@abhilash
@BackSeatDriver
@hvkumar

From the routings/recommendations given by you, can I recap the full routings as under:

Calicut - University - Kottakal - Kuttipuram - Edappal - Kunnanmkulam - Chavakkad, Trichur - Chalakkudy - Angamaly - Aluva - Edapally - Arror - Alappuzha - Quilon - TvM.

I have no objection in breaking the journey somewhere and proceed next day morning (How about Trichur - can visit some temples- or Alappuzha?).

I like to avoid continuous driving (the zest for long long drive is still with me but co-passengers and my wife may get tired -am 55 years young man), hence prefer to have a break in-between. (Actually I will be starting from Payyannur which means payyannur - kannur -38 kms, Kannur - Calicut -95kms, so about 133kms has to be added in the total running time. Since I knew the route upto calcut, I asked the routing only from calcut to tvm).

Your valued suggestions/recommendations are appreciated

Thanks

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Payyannur - Kannur - 1 hour.
Kannur - Kozhikode - 2 hours.
Kozhikode - Trichur 3. to 4 Hours (depending on traffic conditions).

Can be covered in 5 hours odd if you start around 6 AM.

Trichur - Ernakulam (edappally) 1 hour

Lunch at BTH Sarovaram at Kundanoor - just after the first bridge after Vyttila junction (NH 47 Ekm byepass).

4-5 hours to TVM from BTH (depending on traffic conditions).

Light footed driving will do.

PS - where in Payyannur?