Chennai to Bangalore: Trains, Flights, Buses and Driving

Chennai to Bangalore is one of those journeys almost everyone in the south makes sooner or later. Whether it is a weekend away, a job interview, a family visit or a work trip, the two cities are close enough that you can leave in the morning and be there for lunch. The corridor between them is one of the busiest in the country, which is good news for travellers because you get a real choice of trains, flights, buses and the open road.

Bengaluru, as the city is officially called now, is the capital of Karnataka and sits roughly 350 km inland from Chennai. Below we have laid out every sensible way to make the trip, with honest timings and rough costs, so you can pick what suits your budget and your patience. We have travelled this route plenty of times ourselves, and each mode has its moment.

Chennai to Bangalore distance and travel time

Here is the quick version before we get into detail. The road distance is about 350 km, and the rail distance is similar. Timings depend heavily on which service you catch, so treat these as realistic ranges rather than promises.

• By train: around 4.5 to 6.5 hours, fastest on the Vande Bharat Express, from Rs 350 to Rs 1,500 plus.
• By flight: about 1 hour in the air, but budget 4 to 5 hours door to door once you count airports, usually Rs 2,500 to Rs 6,000.
• By road: roughly 5.5 to 7 hours over about 350 km on NH48, with tolls, by cab or self drive.
• By bus: 6 to 8 hours, mostly overnight, from Rs 400 on government service to around Rs 1,500 for a private sleeper.

For most people the train is the sweet spot on speed, cost and comfort. But there are good reasons to choose each of the others, which we will come to.

By train

The train is the most popular way to travel between the two cities, and honestly it is the one we recommend first. There are many daily services, the fares are reasonable, you skip the airport rigmarole, and you arrive in the middle of the city rather than an hour outside it. Trains leave mainly from MGR Chennai Central, often just called Chennai Central, and arrive at either KSR Bengaluru City Junction, which is the central old station, or SMVT Bengaluru at Baiyappanahalli, which is on the eastern side of the city. Check which terminus your train uses before you book, because it changes how far you are from where you want to be.

The Vande Bharat Express

The premium option and the fastest is the Vande Bharat Express, which covers the route in around 4.5 hours with very few stops. It is a modern, fully air conditioned chair car service with reclining seats, on board catering and large windows, and it tends to run at convenient times for a same day trip up and back. Fares sit at the higher end for this route, usually well above the ordinary expresses, and there are two classes, standard chair car and the pricier executive chair car. It books out on busy days, so reserve ahead if you can. If your priority is getting there quickly and comfortably without going near an airport, this is the one to look at.

Beyond the Vande Bharat, you have plenty of choice:

• Shatabdi Express: a long standing fast day service, fully air conditioned chair car, taking around 5 hours. A reliable, comfortable middle option with catering included in the fare.
• Double decker express: an air conditioned double decker chair car service that is usually a little cheaper than the Shatabdi and popular for day travel. Takes around 5.5 to 6 hours.
• Other mail and express trains: a good number of daytime and overnight expresses run the route, with journeys from about 5.5 to 6.5 hours. These carry a mix of classes, from second sitting and sleeper on some services to air conditioned chair car and sleeper berths on others.

On classes, broadly you will see unreserved and second sitting at the cheapest end, then air conditioned chair car on the fast day trains, and sleeper and AC sleeper berths on overnight services. Chair class fares can start from a few hundred rupees, while premium and executive seats run to Rs 1,500 and above. Book through the IRCTC website or app, or an authorised agent. Popular trains fill up on Fridays, Sundays and around festivals, so plan ahead and consider Tatkal if you are caught out. Because the two cities are so close, even a mid range train gets you there in an easy half day.

By road

Driving between Chennai and Bengaluru is genuinely pleasant by Indian standards. The main route is NH48, a well built four lane highway that carries you through towns like Sriperumbudur, Vellore and Krishnagiri before the long climb up towards the Karnataka plateau. In clear conditions the drive takes around 5.5 to 7 hours including a stop or two, and there are plenty of good roadside restaurants along the way, especially the well known ones near Vellore and around the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka border.

The big development to know about is the Chennai Bengaluru Expressway, a new access controlled highway being built in phases. As sections open, it is steadily cutting the driving time and taking pressure off the older NH48, and once it is fully through it should make this one of the quickest intercity drives in the south. For now, parts are usable and parts are still under construction, so check current conditions before you set off.

This is a toll road, so keep your FASTag topped up and expect to pay tolls across the journey. Self drive is popular and straightforward, and if you would rather not drive yourself, one way and round trip cabs are easy to arrange from Chennai. A one way outstation taxi is the more expensive option overall, but it is comfortable, door to door, and worth it if you are carrying luggage or travelling as a family. Start early to avoid Chennai’s morning traffic and to reach Bengaluru before its notorious evening jams.

By flight

There are many daily flights between Chennai and Bengaluru, and the flying time is only about an hour. On paper it looks like the fastest option, and in the air it is. The catch is everything either side of the flight. Chennai airport, MAA, is reasonably placed in the city, but Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport, BLR, sits well to the north of the city, a long way from most central and southern neighbourhoods.

That airport transfer is the thing to plan for. Depending on traffic and where you are headed, getting from BLR into the city can take anywhere from about an hour to two hours by taxi or airport bus. Add check in, security and the transfer at both ends and your quick one hour flight becomes a four to five hour journey door to door, often longer than the Vande Bharat once you count it all up. Fares are usually in the Rs 2,500 to Rs 6,000 range, cheaper if you book well ahead and travel light, more on peak days. Flying makes most sense if you are connecting onwards from either airport, or if your destination in Bengaluru happens to be on the northern side near the airport.

By bus

Buses are the workhorse of this route and run at all hours, though the overnight services are the most popular. Most depart from Chennai’s Koyambedu bus terminus, the CMBT, which is the main hub for intercity buses. You have two broad choices. Government buses come from the Tamil Nadu SETC and Karnataka’s KSRTC, and these are dependable and cheap, with fares from around Rs 400. Private operators run a huge range of coaches, from ordinary seaters to plush air conditioned sleepers with individual berths, and these run up to about Rs 1,500 depending on the operator and how far ahead you book.

An overnight sleeper is a sensible way to travel if you want to save a day and a hotel night. You board in the evening, sleep through most of the journey, and arrive in Bengaluru in the early morning. The trip usually takes 6 to 8 hours depending on traffic getting out of Chennai and into Bengaluru. Book through the operators directly or a booking platform, pick a reputable coach for the overnight run, and note where in Bengaluru your bus terminates, as private buses drop at various points around the city.

Which option should you choose?

Here is how we would decide, depending on what matters most to you:

• If you want the best all round trip: take the train, ideally the Vande Bharat or Shatabdi. Fast, comfortable, city centre to city centre, and fairly priced.
• If you are on a tight budget: a government bus or an ordinary express train in chair or sleeper class will get you there for very little.
• If you want to save a day and a night: an overnight sleeper bus lets you travel while you sleep.
• If you value flexibility and are travelling as a group or family: drive or take a cab, so you can stop where you like and go door to door.
• If you are connecting onwards by air or heading to the north of Bengaluru: fly, but be honest with yourself about the airport transfer time.

A quick note on Bengaluru

We focus on Chennai here, so we will keep this short. Bengaluru is a green, easygoing city with a pleasantly mild climate for most of the year, cooler than Chennai thanks to its higher elevation, which is a big part of its charm. It is known for its gardens, with Lalbagh and Cubbon Park giving the city its leafy reputation, and for a food and cafe scene that ranges from old school Karnataka breakfasts to some of the best restaurants and coffee in the country. There is history too, from Bangalore Palace to Tipu Sultan’s summer palace. It is also the usual gateway for onward trips to Mysore and the Karnataka hills. If you have never been, a couple of days is enough for a first taste. Do pack a light jacket for the evenings, which surprise a lot of first time visitors from the coast.

Tips for the trip

• Book trains and flights early for weekends, long weekends and festival dates, when this route fills up fast.
• Check whether your train uses KSR Bengaluru City or SMVT Bengaluru, as they are on opposite sides of the city.
• If you fly, plan the BLR airport transfer carefully and leave extra time, especially in the evening.
• Keep your FASTag topped up if you are driving, and set off early to beat traffic at both ends.
• Carry a light jacket or shawl. Bengaluru evenings are cooler than you expect after Chennai.
• For overnight buses, choose a well reviewed operator and note your exact drop off point in the city.
• Weekdays are quieter and often cheaper across every mode than Friday and Sunday travel.

However you go, Chennai to Bangalore is an easy and well served journey, and one of the simplest long trips to make from the city. Pick the mode that fits your day, book ahead where you can, and you will be there before you know it.