Bangalore - Chennai, The road guide

Possible route options for road trips between Bangalore and Chennai, with brief descriptions. All descriptions are very subjective. This guide was first posted in my travel blog and has been updated in Oct 2009. Note: As the original Route 2 thru Hosur which is the golden Quadrilateral is now complete, I will put it as the main route. Without doubt, it will be the best option for driving.

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Route 1 - Main Route

Bangalore - Hosur (45 KMs) - Krishnagiri (90) on NH7 - Vaniyambadi (145) - Ambur (165) - Vellore (220) - Ranipet / Arcot (240) on NH 46 - Kanchi (Outskirts) (290) - Sriperumbudur(320) - Chennai (360) on NH4

Distance - 350 - 360 KMS

This is the highly traveled road to Chennai and the GQ route. Most TN state buses and almost all private buses and trucks take this route and hence a very high traffic. With the completion of 4 laning, all the private cars too take this route now. At Ranipet the route joins NH4 and continues as GQ. Of all the food places, Adyar Anandha Bhavan (A2B) at chinnar about 27 KMs from Hosur is the most popular and crowded. In Hosur, if you dont take the flyover and go thru the road below you have a choice of 3-4 Veg restautrants. Coming from Chennai, you have Motel Highway with Shri Krishna Sweets a little after Poonamalee and an Arusuvai restaurant before Kanchipuram diversion. There are very few other eating places within the highway now and you may have to deviate into towns which gives you Saravana Bhavan in Kanchipuram and Vellore. Ambur is famous for biriyanis.

Highlights and lowlights:

The completed stretch of GQ is a pleasure to drive. You can easily maintain speeds above 100 KMPH in this route. From Electronic city in Bangalore to Poonamalee on Chennai's outskirts you can do it in 3 hours. There are 5 toll booths in this route costing you heftily about Rs 175 but you get your money's worth.The elevated road till Electronic City in Bangalore and Chennai bypass / Koyambedu Grade separators when completed will make driving in the two cities too a little bit easier.

More than adequate fuel bunks are available enroute

Tourist Spots:

If you are suffering anything from a common cold or HIV/ AIDS, you can try the CMC hospital in Vellore considered one of the best in India. There is also a fort in Vellore with a moat around and a Temple, mosque and church inside. The golden temple in Sripuram near Vellore has now made it a well visited tourist place. Also, Rathnagiri Murugan Temple, a regionally famous temple near Vellore, is now on the highway itself.

Detours:

Yelagiri near Vaniyambadi (30-40 kms?) is a small hill resort good for a day or two of relaxation. Seasonal paragliding training has recently been started here.

Route 2

Bangalore- Old Madras Road - Hoskote (30) - Kolar (57) - Palamner (120) - Chittoor (165) - Ranipet (210) - Kanchi (Outskirts) (260)- Sriperumbudur (290) - Chennai (330)

Distance - 330 KMS

This is the direct highway (NH4) to Chennai. Road is two lanes, wide with clear lane marking and signage. The road is being widened till AP border to 4 / 6 lanes and hence lot of diversions are going on. Decent shoulder available in some stretches. The road surface is excellent, has some nice curves and straights. The road joins GQ route near Ranipet and continues as NH 4. Good Dhabas, Kamath restaurant near Kolar and other decent eating place available. There is one good Andhra restaurant just before Chittoor with excellent service.

Highlights and lowlights:

About 5 KM Ghat section near Palamner. Otherwise nothing especially scenic. Just the usual rural landscape and some distant mountain ranges between Chittoor - Ranipet.

Tourist Spots:

Kanchi is the main tourist spot with a hundred odd temples. Kailasanatha temple, the oldest from 8th or 9th century, Varadaraja temple, Ekamabareshwara temple and Kamakshi temple are the more famous ones. Kanchi Silk saris are of course even more famous with the female of the species.

Detours:

Chittoor Thirupathi (75 KMS). From Thirupathi to Chennai by NH 205: Average road conditions

Kanchi Chennai via Walajabad: More rural landscape may be an option than the direct route, if you want to reach southern suburbs between Tambaram and Chengalpattu.

Route 3

The following two routes to Chennai are very non-conventional. However, these are possible options for an interested rider

Bangalore- Hosur(45) - Krishnagiri (95) NH 7 - Thiruvannamalai (200) - Gingee (250) - Tindivanam (280) NH 66 - Chengalpet (340)- Chennai (400) NH 45

Distance 400 Kms Approx.

For those going to Tambaram and other southern suburbs in Chennai, this is an alternate option. Take the Krishnagiri route as in option 2 and divert to Pondy road, which is NH 66. Join the NH 45 at Tindivanam and reach Chennai from the south.

Highlights and lowlights:

NH66 is a wide two lane road with clear marking on most of the route. The road is almost throughout shaded by Tamarind trees, which provide a welcome respite on hot days. The traffic is very low until Tindivanam but then you join NH 45 the main artery of TamilNadu and very busy. This stretch of NH 45 is already 4 laned and is one of the better roads in TN. Also, the bypass roads for Chengalpet and Chennai are very interesting drives too.

There are some potholes mostly along the road edges but not a two wheeler can evade them easily.

Between Krishnagiri -TVMalai (100 Kms) is the only major town and having anything near a decent eating place. Even here it is the S.Indian Idly, Dosai, Meals type food (Which I personally prefer).Fuel however is available in many places along the Highway.

Tourist Spots:

Thiruvannamalai, with a gigantic Shiva temple against the backdrop of the holy Arunachala mountain is the main tourist spot. This is one of the largest temples in Tamilnadu with a 200 feet high main tower (Gopuram) possibly 2nd tallest temple tower in the country. It has a lot of Ashrams the most famous of which is Ramanashrama. It is considered to be very auspicious to circumambulate (go around?) the mountain on full moon days and hence those days are very crowded.

Gingee (pronounced Senji) is the most famous of the forts in TN. It is a 17th century fort that spans the two sides of the highway.

Detours:

There is a Dam site / Picnic spot called Sathanur Dam a 14 KM detour about 30 Kms before TV malai. The ride is bumpy and they didnt allow photos and video when I visited.

Vedanthangal bird sanctuary is a few KMs off the NH 45 near Maduranthakam

Route 4

Bangalore- Hosur Krishnagiri - Thiruvannamalai - Gingee - Tindivanam - Pondichery (now Puduchery)- Chennai

Distance 480 Kms Approx.

Same as option 3, but instead of taking the NH 45 to Chennai, continue on NH 66 to Pondy and take the ECR (East Coast Road) to Chennai. This is more than 150 KMs of additional riding to Chennai compared to the NH4 via Chittoor. Why should you take it?

1) Drive on the ECR 2) Halt at Mamallapuram aka Mahabalipuram or Mahabs 3) Pondy French ambience, beach and cheap alcohol (hearsay)

Highlights and lowlights:

This is really riding for the pleasure (sake) of riding as it certainly not a route you will take for going to Chennai. However, if you want to relax at the beaches at Pondy, Mahabs and enjoy the wonderful coastal road to Chennai, you should try this.

Tourist Spots:

Apart from the places in route 3, Pondy is itself a tourist place with beaches, a supposedly French ambience and very cheap booze none of which are particularly fascinating for me.

Mamallapuram about 60 Kms before Chennai is the other famous tourist spot. With Shore temple - a UNESCO world heritage site, various rock sculptures and beach resorts; it is a oft visited, crowded and a very touristy place.

The ECR between Mahabs and Chennai is also filled with many other tourist and other attractions, such as the crocodile park, Dakshina Chitra (a sort of South Indian architecture museum), a couple of theme parks, MayaJaal multiplex, a few dozen average eating out places, go-karting track.

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