Transportation in Kerala and Tamil Nadu

cazaresil

This is my third theread. In the first two, I got exactly the responses I was looking for. This website should be voted best of the world! Anyway, I'm going to spend a few days (9 days) in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It's going to be a short introduction to India, while my highlight will be Rajasthan, where I will spend almost 2 weeks. I quoted a car with a driver for Tamil Nadu and Kerala, but honeslty, I was expecting a better price. This is my itinerary:
Day 1: Chennai- Mamallabuparam- Pondicherry
Day 2: Pondicherry- Thanjavur
Day 3: Thanjavur- Srirangam (travelling in the night to Madurai)
Day 4: Madurai
Day 5-6: Munnar
Day 7: Munnar- Kochi
Day 8-9: Kochi
Seems to me that the price is high because I'm starting so far from where I'm ending... Do you think it makes sense to hire a car just for each segment of my trip? What about public transportation... distances don't seem to be huge, but I have heard that even short distances in India demand long travel journeys. Also, if you know about travel agencies that offer the car and driver combination, please share it with me. Probably I quoted the most expensive!
Any advise is highly appreciated,
Ivan

skell

Sorry I can't answer your question since I only traveled by trains and buses. But just one comment on your itinerary (my opinion only ): try to spend a little more time in Mammallapuram. We rented bicycles for the day. It was lovely and there's lots to see. Stop in Madurai long enough to see the Sri Menackshi Temple (sp?), it's gorgeous; but then continue on to Munnar.

I'm sure some will disagree with me. Oh well, one's man's trash......

cazaresil

Skell, thanks for answering my post! I will keep in mind your tip. How was travelling by bus and train in Tamil Nadu? I can try that as well, I'm just afraid of spending so much time in a bus or a train. But distances in Tamil Nadu seem to be manageable. What do you think?

citybell

Suggest you as below:

You can go either by bus or by taxi from Chennai to Mahabalipuram.From Mahabalipuram to Pondy, i don't think taxi is necessary.Lots of busses ply and about 1.5hrs journey only

From Pondy, go to Villupuram by bus as there plenty and from Villupuram take a train to reach Srirangam /Tiruchy(not Thanjavur). Ofcourse you can take a taxi too.But trains are fastest and good number of trains both during day and nights. Frm Tiruchy then go to Thanjavur by bus as there are busses every 10mnts and takes about 1 hour or 1 hr 15mnts.
From Thanjavur take a bus to Madurai takes about 3 hrs. or you can return to Tiruchy to go to Madurai(every 10mnts you have a bus thru out day and night).Ofcourse many trains too.

Interesting thing about Tamilnadu is that there are plenty of busses at any time of the day and depending on your convenience you can reach another point by bus conveniently.Only in some places trains are convenient.You don't ned a taxi to travel within Tamilnadu unless you have heavy baggage or family with you. Also busses are faster too if you take a "pont to point" to busses.

If you are very particular to take a taxi there are reputed agencies like "Bala Tourist" "TS.NARAYANAN&COMPANY" where they charge you about Rupees 4.50 per Km + night halt+ driver's fee+ etc..Ofcourse all agencies offer you car with driver.

Let me know ifyou need any further inf.

ave a nice trip in TN.

SitaParityaga

Last January I was in TN and Kerala, covering some of the same ground as you plan to. Citybell gave some great info on the public transportation around TN, though I would add that the bus from Madurai up to Munnar will involve a long, slow ride.

Would recommend you get the car/driver in Madurai for the ride over the Western Ghats to Munnar, and then on to Kochi. Its a beautiful ride, but there are "18 hairpin curves" (as the sign said) as you go up to Munnar. You may be more comfortable doing this in a car, and it will be way faster. It was a pleasent five hour drive from Madurai to Munnar on our rip...the busses we passed were going very slow up the hill, so it may be a time consuming way to go.

You will be able to find car/driver hire places in Madurai: the hotels will refer someone for you.

skell

My itinerary was a bit different: Madurai to Pondy to Mallalapuram to Chennai. Overnight train to Mysore (which I really liked) and bus to Ooty. (I lost count of the hairpin switchbacks to Ooty!) Then we took 2 buses from Ooty to Cochin, with a change in Coimbatore. That was the only long day on buses; about 3 hours each. But the scenery is so nice that the bus rides are very enjoyable.

Krishnika

I would suggest you skip Pondicherry, and from Mahabalipuram take a taxi to Chengalpattu and from there a train to Kumbakonam. You can travel 1st class w/out AC on this train, there's are 2 options either day or night, and it's a way to avoid the roads for part of your trip. Kumbakonam is close enough to Thanjavur to make it convenient, plus it's prabably a better hub for the area. Take my advice with a grain of salt since I'm only talking of my own plans (more or less) for a very similar trip in Jan. I've got 16 days and will also go to Gingee, and Rameswaram, skipping Trichy, and in Kerala adding Periyar and a boat trip before going to Kochi. Many of my decisions about the itinerary were based on trying to travel by train AMAP.

Digital Drifter

As other posters have suggested, at least in madurai, use taxis for Munnar, You'll find lots of them on Town Hall Rd, near college house restaurant. Town hall rd, is opposite the railway station. If you enter College house resturant, the reception will be able to help you book cabs. In every place you go, try the trains, you might be lucky to get to the place you want, albeit a little slowly and at odd times.Even if it's a passenger, try them. In TN, for short distances, try the buses, you might be able to reach faster.

cazaresil

Oh, you guys are great. Based on your tips, I will be travelling by bus until I reach Madurai. Only when I get there I will hire a car with driver for my trip to Munnar and my 2 days in Munnar's environs. I appreciate all your tips about changes to my itinierary. Your input suggest that I should do my best to spend more time in Mamallapuram and probably less time in Madurai. Again, thanks a lot.

Jorge Reverter

Hi Cazaresil,

As you don't say the price quoted, can't say whether is expensive or not. A medium price is around 1600/1700 rupees per day all included.

Main matter for me is the very long distance and the few days you have. Roads in India are not very good, and the average in TN should be around 40 km/hour, and in the mountains in Kerala even less than that. Get a map and calculate distances in hours.

In any case have a look in this website: www.allindiatours.com
They are absolutely reliable.

Best of luck

Jorge

cazaresil

Jorge,

The price I got is from allindiatours, $18,000 Rp = USD $400. I think it's because the distance between the starting and ending point. Thanks!

gluedtoweb

Ivan
It is true that Rs 18,000.00 is high.
At the same time the time you have is very less.
Though you can save a ton on that, if you travel by trains and buses, you may not be able to cover all the things you planned. It will be a total hurry and may result in utter disatisfaction.
Drop a few things in the itenarary.
chennai, mahabalipuram, Tanjavur or Srirangam, Madurai, Skip Munnar for this trip go straight to Kochi with some good activities like house boats etc. Or still you can do Munnar.
cheers

Krishnika

another thought - road travel at night (you mentioned this for trichy to madurai) can be very unpleasant. I don't know about this particular road- somebody else? - but I had to do this a couple of times with a car and driver tour in the north, and night travel gave me some of my worst memories for an otherwise wonderful trip. If you go by bus, I think the danger factor skyrockets as well. Maybe do a search on buses here, there has been quite a bit written about it.

citybell

Krishnika,

Road travel between Tiruchy and Madurai is only about 3 hours.Also there are number of busses(almost every 15mnts) between these two great cities. The road are broad and it does not take whole night to reach eiter tiruchy or madurai.Bus travel between these two cities are safe so far.
Bus travel in the north is a nightmare even to me but not so in the south specially between these two cities.

Cazaresil:
Madurai to Munnar would be a bit tedious due to distance.
Instead of going to Munnar directly from Madurai by car, suggest you to take a car to Kumili(Thekkady)about 3 hours .Enjoy your stay in Thekkady in the wild life sanctuary and you can go ahead to Munnar from Kumili.It is about 104kms from Kumili.Takes about 1.5hrs.

Have a nice trip.

Krishnika

Citybell - do you know the road conditions between Rameswaram and Madurai in case the broad gauge tracks aren't ready by mid-Jan?