Mumbai-Hampi-Munnar

eggman64

Here is a tentative itinerary I've worked out:
Starting on the 18th of June, here is the plan:


Here are some questions I hope can be answered. Cheers.

• Is there an alternate route from Hospet to Ernakulum, which lets me avoid the long wait at Guntakal (between the Haripriya and Kanyakumari trains)?
• How would I book this ticket, telescopically?
• How long would it take me by bus: Hampi - Hospet, Munnar-Ernakulum? (to get to the trains in time)
• An extention of the previous question - Would I get a bus to make the train 6382 Ernakulum - Mumbai on time?

eggman64

PS. Should this go into the "Indian railways" section?
I'm puzzled

steven_ber

Try searching for a Mumbai - Raichur train, then getting a bus from Raichur to Hampi.

The following post gives details of how to get from Hampi to Cochin via Bangalore, Tirupati or Goa.

Click here.

a

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eggman64

Thanks Stephen!
It's good I decided to plan this in advance...at least the itinerary gets help and perspective.
I'll consider the Riachur / Guntakal route, but my traveling companions and bus journeys....

York_Katni

Hi Egg Man,
You may want to take the Hampi Express to Bangalore and then take the weekly superfast from Bangalore to Ernakulam.


Or take the Haripriya from Hospet at 5.15 AM to Hubli at 8.30AM [All change please as the saying goes and this beats the heat!] and take the Janashatabdi which leaves at 13.30hrs and gets to Bangalore by 20.30 [usually a decent train barring those passenger train crossings near Arsikere, Chikajajur and Kyatsandra loop line after Tumkur ] and then take the 6526 Kaniyakumari Express[21.50hrs] to Ernakulam. Involves changing trains but the trains look better and are cleaner than that long tedious ride via the hot blazing sun of cuddapah and the rather slower cape mumbai express. Go to Lamington road in Hubli and you will find very decent air conditioned restaurants. As most of these trains are shortdistance trains they are cleaner, have good AC facility and tend to be on time.
If I were in your predicament and not wishing to be a trainspotter whose heart lay in class 57's or Wams or Wdms or Crewe, and Vijayawada Junction, I would prefer this one, as a normal point A to point B traveller. As the JS, the haripriya and the Kanyakumari expresses are relatively punctual trains and you do not have to spend two nights to get to your destination.

If you are willing to wait in Guntakal there is the Mumbai Nagarcoil express which will take you all the way till Erode in the evening or the weekly once 6331 Trivandrum express[tuesdays only] which goes straight to Ernakulam. This is FAR Better than the Mumbai cape train and reaches Ernakulam the same night at 23.40hrs(which is a a day and one night from Hospet)!

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Besides Guntakal is not an interesting place to wait for trains or change trains other than for the train enthusiast species who descend with cameras from here and India to capture inanimate objects in motion! The nearest cash machine [SBI] is quite a walk and the town is rather uninspiring[and best avoided by people not conversant with the local language in the small hours]. It is not very passenger friendly with the clatter of EWS like diesel engines and long freights leaving a trail of dust and smoke plausibly. The whole world of this town revolves around trains as it is a railway town like Crewe. The facilities are not exceptional [Vijayawada fares far better] and the wait is rather long. And the route of the Mumbai-cape express is rather lengthy. The same time could have been used to get to Bangalore by the Udyan and rest and take the evening superfast. Even if you did not get a berth by the kanyakumari there are loads of trains from Jolarpet when you get there from Bangalore. For example Bangalore Madras Mail to Jolarpet and then a train from there to ernakulam. Please refer to the railway map.



Alternatively you could continue to Tirupati by the same haripriya and take the 6054 Madras express to Arrakonam [11.40 and usually not late] a town on the outskirts of Madras [depends when you are travelling as this area can be quiet a wrench now] and take the west coast express leaving Arrakonam at 12.28 and gets to Palghat at 21.10hrs and take the nightly amritha to ernakulam junction or the 2695 to Ernakulam.
Hospet at this juncture will be blazing with the sun in all its mercurial splendour worthy of worship by the aztecs! Do you really intend to go in the near future?


The other option is the very unreliable VSG howrah express from Hospet to Madgaon and then the Trivandrum rajdhani or in theory the Maru Sagar express to Ernakulam or an evening train from Madgaon to Cochin.
But there however after consideration of these possibilities there, appears no need to take a bus to raichur.

Hope this helps. Steven and other timetable experts could chip in.
York_Katni

eggman64

Whew!!
I'm constantly amazed at (and grateful for) the amount of information people can pour out here. Thanks!

dhans

7 days Munnar?

You must like tea plantations a lot!

Hans

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eggman64

The plan is to relax up in the hills. We'll need it after a 2000 km journey. Some trekking and some monsoon frolicking in honour of the rain gods.

I'm not sure what monsoon frolic is....