Chennai to Vellore?

Hi all,
I'm landing in Chennai in January at about 11.45pm at night.

Now is it feasible for me to get to Vellore (approximately 2 hours away from what I can tell) at this time of the night or am I best finding accommodation in Chennai for the night and heading there in the morning?

Bit of a rhetorical question I guess, I'd imagine staying in Chennai is the most sensible option (Especially given this will be my first time ever on Indian soil!)

With that in mind, I'm also interested to hear the forums thoughts on the easiest way to get to Vellore from Chennai - at this point I'll be a solo traveller experiencing his first hours in India! *gulp*

Thank you!

Damo

Definitely not a short journey especially late night.

Best option is to stay on at Chennai for the night and then make arrangements in the morning. Minimum 3 hours journey. Might take longer depending on the traffic situation.

Easiest way to travel is to hire a cab - which might be expensive, but would be far more comfortable than other options.

There are also plenty of bus services along this route (both State run as well as private). (The ordinary state-owned buses might be rickety and uncomfortable - private buses will generally be in better shape but tickets will be more expensive)

The nearest railway station is Katpadi on the Chennai - Bangalore line. Most express trains halt at Katpadi.

Hi Harishankar,
Thank you for your response Do you have any idea how much it would cost me to take a taxi to Vellore?

Additionally, would it be a simple matter of me just asking the first cab driver I find, or is there a way to find a trustworthy driver who isn't going to go out of his way to scam me on my first steps on Indian soil

Slightly more general than the OP's question, but still on the same lines: do people take those Airport pre-paid cabs further afield than the city?

In my limited experience they can rickety old things with rickety old drivers, and there can be quite a variation of price quoted by the three booths there.

YES people DO take the rickety cabs a lot further afield than the city.

I would have thought that the route to Vellore is a well travelled one.

Damonic have you somewhere to go to in Vellore?

If you have get them to send a car to pick you up, then you will get the going rate for the trip.

If not check first at the prepaid booth.

Though the yellow cabs look as if they are held together by sellotape and prayers, they do work.

If you're going to choose a taxi for long distances (that is > 100 km), the best way is to call a reputable tourist taxi service, arrange for pick-up and negotiate/find out the rates beforehand and not get into one of the black and yellow painted ones or call taxis which use the horrible maruti Omni. Tourist taxis are slightly more expensive, but the vehicles are in better conditions and you're more likely to get a good driver who'll ensure a comfortable drive.

Also try to get an Indica rather than an Ambassador. The rates are (generally) the same for both. Indica is way more comfortable (at least in my opinion). Hiring an air-conditioned vehicle might be slightly more expensive.

Good for short distances, but if you want to travel far, be very, very patient, as these ancient vehicles won't do more than 55-60 km/ph and can test your patience at the best of times.

Yup, I'll be meeting my partner who will be working at CMC in Vellore - the hospital arranges for a car to pick her up but so far as I can gather this offer isn't available for me - I'll be meeting her 1 month after she's arrived in India.

Hi Harishankar,
Do you have any suggestions on a reputable tourist taxi service? I've searched the forum for this information but wasn't successful.

Cheers,
Damo

There are so many tourist taxi services around - I haven't a clue as to which one of them is the best of the lot, unfortunately. I hate to recommend any one over the other, because I myself don't use them a whole lot to judge.

However, did you try any online Chennai directory? That should give you a list of some of the more popular ones around.

"Wheels India" is a good option as my mother's company uses it for airport pick-up and drop.

Most of those drivers, the Chennai call-taxi guys, and even many of the travels/cab company people, are doing local business, like driving Harishankar's mother, or my wife, around. They will not speak English.

OK, as long as the destination is understood, I guess that doesn't matter.

Personally, I'd prefer an Ambassador over an Indica. Indicas are fine for city stuff; I really don't like them for longer distances. Also they have very little space for luggage, but if you are travelling alone there will be enough.

Your safest bet is to go to Bus station in Chennai, take a bus to Vellore. Bus station in Vellore is in the heart of the city. It will not only be safe but very cheap.

Vellore now has a 'new' bus stand quite some way out of the town.

The old one is near CMC.

Mossiful in Chennai is awful to get to.

If your partner is already in Vellore surely it is not beyond her to arrange transport for you through CMC contacts.

Someone ALWAYS knows a driver

Good thinking! Get her to send a car for you!

Moffusil (meaning village, ie buses to outlying places) Bus Station is at Koyambedu. How hard it is to get to depends on where you start from and what time of day it is

At 11:45pm, from the airport, by car, it should take about half an hour or less even. Now that the Kathipara flyover system is open, it is one almost-straight road pretty-much all the way there.

fsg, if you tried to do this trip anywhere close to the rush hour, then I can understand your saying 'awful'!

Hi all,
Thank you for your responses - Hopefully she can arrange a driver for me, otherwise I will be looking very closely at your suggestions:P

Damo

If she cant arrange a car for you.......... look elsewhere.

Its so simple to do

India is a giant village , someone always there to help