Bangalore to Rameswaram by Road

Bangalore to Rameswaram by Road, always felt like a distant dream. For some reason, in my subconscious mind, I always imagined it to be an extremely tiring journey. But I was wrong. Anyways! a heads-up, for serious travelers, do checkout our two videos shared in this blog further down from our visit to Rameswaram. One is on the road trip from Bangalore to Rameswaram and the other is on Rameswaram Darshan.

Table of Contents

Planning

Like I always say, any trip, begins at the Planning phase. It is always a good idea to do some research before hitting the road. Read some materials to know about the experiences what other people had when they did this journey. This is one case, where you would want to learn from the mistakes of others and not from your own. Though, we should try to have this approach in any aspect of life.

What should you cover in your planning for Rameswaram Road Trip?

Since, this post is focused on the Journey, and not on the places to see in Rameswaram, the suggestions would be more towards the journey and not on the sightseeing.

Research a little on the Route to take.
Read on from the experiences of other travelers.
Talk to friends and family who have already done the trip.
Stay options – Choosing the right place to stay, especially when in Rameswaram, makes a huge difference in experience you will have of the place.
Be realistic and don’t be over ambitious on your trip itinerary.
Since, it’s a long journey, do a basic check of your vehicle before start.
Familiarize yourself with places enroute to have a better grip on your journey when you actually hit the road.
If you prefer to eat outside, research on possible eateries on the way, to have a pleasant experience.
But, if you prefer to pack, pack something which is easy to prepare and easy on your stomach.
Put some time to gather information on the suitable season to visit. As TN gets extremely hot and humid, it would be a good idea to visit when it is not so hot.

Route – Bangalore to Rameswaram by road

There are multiple route options available to choose from when you are travelling from Bangalore to Rameswaram. Depending on area of Bangalore you are starting from, Google will show you different route options to choose from. Recommended, however, would be via Hosur – Salem – Madurai.

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What is the distance between Bangalore to Rameswaram?

Rameswaram is about 600 kms from Bangalore and takes about 10 to 12 hours of drive to reach by road.

Recommended Route – Bangalore to Rameswaram by road

Whichever part of Bangalore you may be starting from, the best advice would be to start early morning. Since, the drive is about 10 plus hrs., starting early will give you an edge. Now coming back to the route options, there are multiple route options available to choose from, however, advisable would be to choose the Route 1.

Route 1: Via Hosur – Salem – Madurai -> Recommended Route ( Google map Route )

Bangalore – Hosur – Salem – Madurai – Rameswaram

This route is easily a no brainer. Butter smooth roads throughout, at least for major portion of the route. This not only enhances the drive experience, but also goes easy on your vehicle. This is one the most sought routes. Just set the destination in your Google Map and an effortless driving experience in terms of navigation and comfort is guaranteed.

Route Distance: 600 Kms

Travel Time: 10 to 12 hrs

Eateries enroute: Plenty of options available. You can make a stop at Adyar Anand Bhavan – A2B (Google Coordinates: 11.492592530339373, 78.1536813710455), just before Salem, for a sumptuous breakfast. They open at 7am in the morning. For lunch, you can plan after Madurai.

Route 2:

Bangalore – Nice road – Bidadi – Channapatna – Tiruppur – Madurai – Rameswaram

We did not opt for this route. Route 1 seemed the perfect choice for us for multiple reasons like Route 2 was like going backwards, then Route 1 is four lanes mostly, earlier experience of driving via Salem had good memories, etc.

Our journey

We started around 5:30 AM in the morning. Weather was pleasant with clouds making guest appearances from time to time. Starting in the wee hours of the morning is always a special feeling. We took the route which would require us to travel through Hosur, Salem, Madurai and Rameswaram. This was a 6-day trip, where we spent about 3 nights in Rameswaram and remaining in Kanyakumari. After doing the Bangalore to Patna by Road, our craving for a long drive trip was just waiting for an opportunity to explode. There are things, which may sound small, but takes you to different world of experiences. These kind of Travels are such experiences.

Imagine driving with your loved ones doing a road trip, chit-chatting, grooving on your favorite tracks, making stops on the way to sip over homemade tea and snacks that you have packed for your journey. It’s just out of the world experience. I would go to lengths, to have such experiences over and over again. Driving through the unknown roads is undeniably an enthralling escapade.

Soon we reached KA-TN toll gate. This is a 4-way lane road i.e. 2-way thruway for each side of the traffic. Once you enter TN, the highways are just buttery smooth. We crossed Salem before 10 and by 12 we were already approaching Madurai. We did take a couple of breaks to stretch our legs in between, had some tea and snacks. Since, we carried our breakfast, we didn’t require to stop at any eateries for breakfast. Since, you are in TN, mouthwatering South-Indian dishes is a must, if you prefer to eat outside. Though, this was not the case with us, we did enjoy Nariyal Pani on the way.

Once you reach Madurai, the aura of the city doesn’t go unnoticed. Madurai is also known as the Temple City of India. Many travelers to Rameswaram, usually take a halt at Madurai to give a visit to the famous Meenakshi Temple. Though, we had other plans. Our plan was to reach Rameswaram directly and after a couple of days, hit the road again to reach to KanyaKumari.

Here is an informative video Nutan did on Bangalore to Rameswaram – Road Trip. I am sure, you will find this video helpful to get the actual feel of the route. Do show support by Subscribing to the Channel 🙂

Most frequently asked questions by Travelers from Bangalore to Rameswaram

Just to answer few most asked questions by travelers traveling from Bangalore to Rameswaram:

How far is Rameswaram from Bangalore?

Rameswaram is set at a distance of about 600 Kms from Bangalore.

How long does it take to reach Rameswaram from Bangalore by Car?

Time taken to reach Rameswaram from Bangalore is usually between 10 to 12 hours.

How is the drive experience from Bangalore to Rameswaram?

It is a long drive to Rameswaram, but thanks to excellent Road conditions, drive experience is extremely pleasant.

What is the best season to visit Rameswaram?

October to March is ideal to visit Rameswaram, though, Rameswaram is favorable throughout the year. But during other seasons, Rameswaram can be very hot and humid. Try and avoid December end or first two weeks of January, as one can witness huge surge in number of visitors. I have even heard people getting stuck for hours at Pamban bridge, only to eventually give up the plan for Rameswaram and visit another place nearby.

Why should one visit Rameswaram during October to March?

One can plan their visit to Rameswaram during October to March for below reasons:

Weather is pleasant during this time.
One can catch migratory birds during this season.
Dhanushkodi is much more enjoyable during this time due to pleasant weather.

Which is the most recommended route to Rameswaram from Bangalore?

The most recommended route from Bangalore to Rameswaram is via Hosur – Salem – Madurai – Rameswaram.

Where to stop for Breakfast while driving from Bangalore to Rameswaram?

Adyar Anand Bhavan – A2B, just before Salem. (Google Coordinates: 11.492592530339373, 78.1536813710455)

Where to stay in Rameswaram?

Though, there are plenty of budget to semi-budget hotels in Rameswaram. But what is more important to note is its proximity to the Rameswaram Temple. We stayed at SreMethila Hotels, which is less than 2 kms by walk from the main temple. A few meters walk from the auto-stand. This is a semi-budget hotel, clean and tidy, big spacious room. Ample parking space, has it’s own restaurant which serves delicious Veg Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Other stay options in Rameswaram

Hotel SS Grand – Semi Budget
The Residency Towers, Rameswaram – On the Expensive side
Hotel Star Palace – Semi Budget
Hotel KNP Nest – Budget Hotel

Few things to keep in mind before booking your stay in Rameswaram:

Whichever stay option you choose, just check the parking option availability, if you are driving in your own car. Budget hotels, either don’t have parking options or will have parking option available at some other location in distance.
Closer you stay near the temple, the room size of the hotels will be much smaller. So, better to look for hotels about 2 kms distance from the temple.

Alternatively, you can expand your search here:

Rameswaram Darshan

Check my blog Rameswaram Darshan Simplified for the full details.

Rameswaram Darshan Simplified

Must haves for Long Distance Travel by CAR

A reliable Tyre inflator which not only does the job, but at the same time is also not bulky, taking all the space. After all, for long distance travels, every inch counts. Here is one of the coolest Tyre inflators I have ever come across:

An additional organizer which gives you space to keep mobile and other loose items in a clean way.

A decent trunk organizer, which is big enough to hold big items, still not taking much boot space.

Another handy, yet functional, item to have in your car is “Headrest Hook”

Trust me, when it comes to comfort, long distance travel, you definitely need a good reliable seat cushion which will keep your legs free of numbness in long drives. Tested and trusted multiple times is this car seat cushion by GiGi G:

A Blind spot mirror is always a life saver.

Dashcam – Who wouldn’t want a dashcam that is easy on pocket, but also does the job in an efficient way. Plus, top build quality, amazing customer service and what not? Your search for the ultimate Dashcam ends here.

Quality microfiber cloth is a must have.

Next in line is the good Glass Cleaner

Last but not least, the ultimate hack for cleaning extremely dirty glass after every travel. Specially, comes handy when you are traveling back from your vacation.