I will be arriving at Chennai Airport from JBangalore and would need to reach Chennai Central train station to get a train. I have a few questions about this particular route from the airport to the station which I have mentioned below. 1. How far is Chennai Airport from Chennai Central station? 2. How long would it take me to reach the station from the airport? 3. Can I easily get an auto or taxi from the Chennai Airport to go to the Chennai Central Station? 4. Are there places to where I can eat at Chennai Central Station?
1. and 2. Its 20kms and would take around an hour w/traffic. 3. There is a specific system where you go to the taxi kiosk and book a cab. And the cabs come turn by turn only. 4. Yes. As long as you're there during before 10 pm. After that also you'll find plenty of options. But, there are a few things to remember. If you're a north Indian, make sure you have all your transportation and lodging details planned. My personal experience and that of my friends hasn't been great in Chennai, especially when I was with a mixed group (i.e. girls and guys). The sense that I got every time I went there was that people don't like north Indians. If you're Kannadiga, even then things aren't going to be great for you considering the current situation. But, I may be wrong there. Otherwise, it's a great metro city and has everything that a city of that size should have. Also, I traveled there multiple times via plane, but I realized that the best journeys were via the AC buses that ply between Bangalore and Chennai.
Hello there, welcome to the forum! The distance between Chennai Airport and Chennai Railway Station is roughly 20 kilometres. It does depend on which route you take as there are three: Route No. 1 via Trichy Chennai Highway - If you take this route, the distance is about 20.5 kilometres from the Chennai Airport to the Chennai Railway Station. Route No. 2 via Chennai Nagapattinam Highway - If you take this route, the distance is about 20.9 kilometres from the Chennai Airport to the Chennai Railway Station. Route No. 3 via Jawaharlal Nehru Road - If you take this route, the distance is about 22.3 kilometres from the Chennai Airport to the Chennai Railway Station. It can take you around 1 hour and 20 minutes to cover this distance by car or by taxi. With public transport, travel duration can be a bit longer, maybe leaning towards 1 hour and 30 minutes to about 2 hours. If you reach Chennai during the rush hours, then you have to take that into consideration as well so your journey duration would take even longer. Yes, there are taxis and auto rickshaws easily available from the airport. For taxis, I would recommend just hiring one from the prepaid taxi counters at the airport. There are many taxi operator counters in the airport but the two most recommended ones are the Fast Track taxis and Aviation Express taxis. You can even choose which type of taxi you'd like to hire. After stating your destination, you are given a receipt which you need to hand over to the taxi driver. Then, he would take you to the required destination but you do have to handle the to and fro bill when using prepaid taxis. They're very convenient though and trustworthy, plus you won't have to negotiate a price with the driver as well. These prepaid taxi counters are available just before you exit the Arrival Gate of the Chennai Airport. For a 30-minute ride, expect to pay anywhere between Rs. 350 to Rs. 500 and higher than that for longer journeys. For the auto rickshaws, there are also easily available outside the airport. You can find the auto rickshaw stand just opposite the Exit Gate of the Domestic Terminal. Travelling with auto rickshaw might be a hassle though if you have plenty of luggages with you. You also have to negotiate a price with the driver even before starting your journey. Expect to pay anywhere between Rs. 200 to Rs. 300, but do not go above that. You have to walk a bit to reach the stand though as it is located a bit of a distance away from the airport. If you don't have much luggage with you, you can also opt for train journey. The nearest subway station to the airport is the Tirusulam Railway Station, about a 20-minute walk away from it. You can also hire an auto rickshaw to take you to the subway station. You need to get a ticket for Park Station, which usually has the end destination as Chennai Beach. Just alight at Park Station and from there, you can ride another train to reach the Chennai Central Railway Station. Train frequency is every 15 to 20 minutes and fare is very minimal as well. There are plenty of restaurants around the Chennai Central Railway Station. Here are some of the best-rated ones: 1. New Sindhu Restaurant - This is just 0.3 kilometre away from the Chennai Central Railway Station or just a 3-minute walk away. They have Chinese and North Indian cuisines. Their meal rates are very affordable as well and you might shell out just Rs. 200 maximum for a full meal. They have a variety of soups, biryanis, chow miens, rice meals, chicken dishes, mutton dishes, breads and many more. They are also a very hygienic restaurant which is their best feature. Best sellers - Vegetable fried rice, butter chicken masala, mutton curry and aloo fry. Address - 147, Walltax Road, Park Town, Chennai, India. 2. National Durbar Restaurant - This is about 550 metres away from the Chennai Central Railway Station. They also have Chinese and North Indian cuisines. They are best known for their snacks and desserts but they also a good variety of biryanis, noodles, fish dishes and chicken dishes. Their meals are very pocket-friendly yet delicious at the same time. For a short but satisfying meal, do try the National Durbar Restaurant and your tummy would thank you. Best sellers - Chicken biryani, chilli chicken, mutton chops fried and chicken puff. Address - No. 33, Raja Muthiah Road, Periyamet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600003, India. 3. Fanar Restaurant - This is also about 550 metres away from the Chennai Railway Station. Like the other restaurants, they specialise in North Indian and Chinese dishes. One good feature of this restaurant is that they have air-conditioning so if you cannot stand the city heat, then this place would be perfect for you. They have combo meals, dosas, idlis, desserts, biryanis and their famous full grill chicken. If you like seafood dishes, the restaurant also has some of them which is quite rare in the city. Best sellers - Vegetable curry, full grill chicken, Kerala chicken fry and shawarma. Address - Shop No.1/5, Vepery High Road, Periamet, Park Town, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600007, India. 4. Hotel Saravana Bhavan - About 20 minutes away from the railway station, there's the Hotel Sarana Bhavan. Serving guests with South Indian, North Indian and Mithai cuisines, they have been quite popular in the city for a while now. For the vegetarians, this is one of the best options for you when you're near the railway station. They also have other branches in the city which has had a local following due to their tasty and affordable meals. Best sellers - Rava masala dosa and rava kesari. Address - No.239, Peter's Road, Gopalapuram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600086, India. 5. Kakada Ramprasad Sweets & Shops - This is about 1.4 kilometres away from Chennai Railway Station. They are best known for their Bengali sweets and street foods. They have chaats, sandwiches, kebabs, tandooris, dals, thalis and desserts. With their affordable rates, they don't compromise on the taste nor quality of their dishes. They have opened up a new branch as well in Kilpauk. Best sellers - Badam milk, paneer butter masala, dahi kachori and jalebi. Address - Ground Floor, 348/343, Mint Street, Sowcarpet, Chennai. I hope this helps you!
