Chennai to Munnar

Travellers often prefer to use the bus services to travel from Chennai to the scenic green hill station of Munnar. The road that leads to Munnar, while beautiful, is an uphill journey and especially far when travelling from Chennai. However, bus operators like SRS Travels, KPN Travels, and Thirumal Alaghu Travels who ply buses to and from these two destinations do everything in their power to make the journey comfortable. There is a total of 4 operators who ply buses from Chennai to Munnar daily. The first of these trains leave Chennai at 6:15 AM while the last leaves at 11:10 PM. The fastest bus system is run by SRS Travels whose one bus begins the journey at 8:30 PM and reaches Munnar at 7:30 AM, which is a short 11 hours.

Cost

The starting price for bus travel from Chennai to Munnar is INR 700.

There are no direct trains from Chennai to Munnar as Munnar does not have a railway station of its own. The closest station to Munnar is the Aluva Railway Station at a distance of 110 kilometres or the Ernakulam Junction Railway Station. From these stations, you can take either a cab or a bus that will take you to Munnar. The stations are less than 2 hours drive away from Munnar.

There are approximately 18 trains that run from the Chennai Egmore Station to the Aluva Railway Station on a daily to weekly basis. Out of these trains, the fastest one is the Chennai Central- Thiruvananthapuram Central Mail that makes the journey every day of the week and takes only 10 hours and 23 minutes to reach Aluva Railway Station.

Available Train Options - Chennai to Aluva

• Dhanbad- Alappuzha (Bokaro) Express (14 hours and 48 minutes)
• Tatanagar- Alappuzha Slip Express (14 hours and 48 minutes)
• Chennai Egmore- Guruvayur Express (19 hours and 43 minutes)
• Chennai Central- Thiruvananthapuram Central Super Fast Express (11 hours and 40 minutes)
• Chennai Central- Thiruvananthapuram Central Mail (10 hours and 23 minutes) 
• Chennai Central- Alappuzha (Alleppey) Super Fast Express (10 hours and 48 minutes)

Cost

The average cost from Chennai to Aluva by train ranges from INR 400 to INR 1000.

The average road distance from Chennai to the hill station of Munnar is approximately 575 kilometres. While this is a long drive, should you opt for it, the roads are well made and provide all the possible requirements for the perfect road trip. Aside from this, the change is beauty, and the pleasant atmosphere will keep your spirits high while on the road. When travelling to Munnar from Chennai by road, there are three possible routes that can be taken.

The Routes That Can Be Taken

Route 1: Chennai- Villipuram- Tirchy- Dindigul- Vatalgundu- Periyakulum- Theni- Bodi- Devikulam- Munnar

This route is at least 583 kilometres long and is more popularly known as the Bodi Ghat route. From Chennai, you can take the National Highway 45 (NH45) for 174 kilometres to reach Villupuram. From here to the town of Trichy, individuals have a lot of options for food due to an abundance of restaurants alongside the highway. A restaurant which is extremely famous along these roads is the Biryani Talappakatti Restaurant. Most of this route is also said to be laden with greenery and pockets of beauty, especially when climbing Bodi Ghat, that make the entire trip a fun and pleasant one. Due to the well- made highways, scenic beauty and the frequency of pit stops, this route is considered to be the best when travelling from Chennai to Munnar.

Route 2: Chennai- Villipuram- Tirchy- Dindigul- Palani- Udumalpet- Marayoor- Munnar

The second route that joins Chennai to Munnar goes about the same way till Dindigul after which you have to head to Palani which is at a distance of 60 kilometres from Dindigul. This route is slightly longer than the first one as its total distance measures up to 596 kilometres. You will see many waterfalls along the road that will keep you entertained. One of the reasons this route is not as used as the first one is due to the hairpin bends at Udumalpet. These hairpin bends are excessive and often dangerous; hence, this route is considered only by experienced drivers looking for an adventurous ride.

Route 3: Chennai- Villipuram- Tirchy- Dindigul- Vatalgundu- Periyakulum- Theni- Kumili- Kattapana- Idukki Dam- Munnar

Route 3 is very similar to route one up to Theni. This route is generally the more attraction laden route and is often taken by individuals who wish to visit Thekkady at the same time as Munnar. Thekkady is a small hill station which is approximately 58 kilometres from Kumili and is as loved and enjoyed as Munnar. The roads on this route may become a little rough after a little while, so keep a lookout for the smoother patches.

Duration

The average amount of time taken to travel from Chennai to Munnar is 12 hours. However, timings may vary depending on the route taken