India - Chennai to Bangalore options

I need to travel Chennai city centre to Bangalore city centre, and I see that there are two viable options. Which one would you take with a large suitcase and why?

5 hours by train, Shatabdi Express in 1A for Rs 995 (downside: leaving at 6am)

or

4 hours by air for Rs 2500 including taxi fare:
(Assuming no delays,
30 min city to MAA
1 hr wait for flight
1 hr flight including wait for checked baggage
1.5 hr to BLR to city)

Dude there's at least 6 trains a day maa-blr as you know

And there's also the literally hundreds of "travels" buses - which run aircon or even volvo coaches between the two locations.

I need to travel Chennai city centre to Bangalore city centre, and I see that there are two viable options. Which one would you take with a large suitcase and why?

5 hours by train, Shatabdi Express in 1A for Rs 995 (downside: leaving at 6am)

or

4 hours by air for Rs 2500 including taxi fare:
(Assuming no delays,
30 min city to MAA
1 hr wait for flight
1 hr flight including wait for checked baggage
1.5 hr to BLR to city)

either options are fine....but keep in mind that there are tons a trains daily between the 2 cities....no need to take the 6am shatabdi....

Maybe I should have clarified, those are the only options that work for getting into Bangalore for lunchtime on the day I want. The other trains only arrive later in the day. :)

The flights leave after 10am which means I don't have to wake up at an unreasonable time, but I can sleep on the train as well. Decisions, decisions...

Will go google the bus services now.

KSRTC (karnataka state road transport corp, the state bus service) runs about two dozen buses daily between Madras and Bangalore. They get you from city center to center. Consider the Airavata or Mercedes Benz Buses. Here's the daily schedule (http://www.ksrtc.in/AWATAREnquiry/manageServiceEnquiry.do?hiddenStartPlaceName=Banga lore&hiddenEndPlaceName=chennai&hiddenAction=Enquiry). Take your pick. Cheap in comparison to the train or air. Here's the KSRTC fleet detail (http://ksrtc.in/busservice.html). There even seems to be a bus with "sleeper" berths (Corona AC sleeper)!

There are also private bus operators between the two cities. I have never taken them.

Of course, the Bangalore Airport is way out and the drive into the city can take between 90 and 120 minutes (similar time heading back to the airport). THat's caused a surge in people taking the train or buses or simply driving down to Madras.

If you want to get to Bangalore by lunch time, you will have to leave Madras by 0600 (Shatabdi) or 0630 (KSRTC Airavat). The flight options are really unviable imo given the Bangalore Airport's location.

I'd take the Shatabdi just for the experience. And of course, its a convenient and comfortable option. And you'll get to see parts of the country you wouldn't otherwise.

Shatabdi or the bus service, my preference is always for the train as a railfan.

The Shatabdi is indeed nice. You are pretty much by the city center around 11:00AM or so.

I have done the 10:25 9W flight as well. I could get in to BLR city center by 12:30 or so.

Never taken the bus (except many years ago as a child).

Not sure Shatabdi leaves MAA at 0600. Looking at the timetable on indianrail.gov.in (here (http://www.indianrail.gov.in/train_Schedule.html), search for 12027), I see a departure of 17.30 arriving Bangalore City at 2230.
The return (12028 (http://www.indianrail.gov.in/shatabdi_trn_list.html)) does depart Bangalore City at 0600 reaching MAA at 1100.

I think I'm going to go with the 10:10 9W flight.

When did India get awesome buses like this though?
http://www.superluxurybuses.com


Not sure Shatabdi leaves MAA at 0600. Looking at the timetable on indianrail.gov.in (here (http://www.indianrail.gov.in/train_Schedule.html), search for 12027), I see a departure of 17.30 arriving Bangalore City at 2230.
The return (12028 (http://www.indianrail.gov.in/shatabdi_trn_list.html)) does depart Bangalore City at 0600 reaching MAA at 1100.

12007 leaves Chennai at 6am.

They just started, within the last year or so. I took the bus to Chennai in Jan and it was pretty neat! Two downsides: pickup and drop off points (http://www.deccanherald.com/content/112349/super-luxury-inter-city-bus.html) were not exactly convenient (IMO).


When did India get awesome buses like this though?
http://www.superluxurybuses.com

They just started, within the last year or so. I took the bus to Chennai in Jan and it was pretty neat! Two downsides: pickup and drop off points (http://www.deccanherald.com/content/112349/super-luxury-inter-city-bus.html) were not exactly convenient (IMO).

Yeah, the drop off in Chennai is not convenient.
I am not well versed with BLR.

I think I'm going to go with the 10:10 9W flight.
.

good..i think its a safe choice.

Yeah, the drop off in Chennai is not convenient.
I am not well versed with BLR.

Do remember that's the "final dropoff point". Chances are they'll pull in at one or two convenient spots along the OMR (or at the Madhyakailash signal, where the OMR starts and that's a major bus station + has a metro) before they go all the way to Sholinganallur.

Do remember that's the "final dropoff point". Chances are they'll pull in at one or two convenient spots along the OMR (or at the Madhyakailash signal, where the OMR starts and that's a major bus station + has a metro) before they go all the way to Sholinganallur.

Ah yes. You have a point. So, one could get off somewhere reasonable.

There's now going to be a superfast train that will cover the Chennai-Bengaluru distance in just 2 hours:

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/transportation/railways/rail-budget-2012-travel-in-high-speed-double-decker-from-bangalore-to-chennai-in-just-2-hours/articleshow/12266720.cms

If things really pan out as expected, this will probably significantly lower the air traffic on this route.