Questions about Tamil Nadu and Kerala (page 3 of 4)

Shows how all our advice is very subjective. Good luck Kate with sorting it all out!

The country itself is polarizing! Everyone has a different take on India, and opinions are often black and white: you either love it or you don’t. But all the tips are helpful—they let us filter things out, think a bit more carefully, optimize our travel plans, and even consider visits we might not have thought of. That’s exactly what we just did thanks to this discussion.

Shows how subjective all our advice is. Good luck, Kate, with sorting it all out! !

The country itself is polarizing! No one feels the same way about India, and opinions are often black and white: you either love it or you don’t. But all the tips are helpful—they let us filter things out, think a bit more carefully, optimize our travels, and plan visits we might not have considered otherwise. That’s exactly what we’ve just done thanks to this discussion.

Speaking of which, I’m surprised you’re skipping Rameswaram. A stunning temple, a pilgrimage town. The spectacle is everywhere: in the temple, in the streets, on the square at sunrise... Plus, that endless beach stretching to a village abandoned after being buried in sand by a natural disaster, lined with fishermen’s huts. For me, Rameswaram is a must-see in this area... I’m working on this for you. Looking for photos of this whole part of your trip...

don’t miss Darasuram, Gangakongacholapuram, or—as already mentioned—the Chettinad. More photos to come, but sorting them, formatting them, and uploading takes time. I’m taking a break.

Rameswaram is too far south for our itinerary, Darasuram is planned, Gangakongacholapuram if we have time, and Chettinad only for a short stop.

I know what you're thinking 😉 We should’ve done one trip to Tamil Nadu and another to Kerala. If it were up to me, I’d spend a week in each place, but I can’t be away from home that long, and I don’t have the budget for it. So our choice is to get a "glimpse" without rushing around too much. As I said: 3 full days on average at each site (8 different accommodations), kind of like we did in Rajasthan, and we don’t regret it!

Hi there!

I’m looking for a train ticket from Pondicherry to Tanjore. We usually used the 12go Asia site, but it no longer offers trains for this route! I found the Rayatri company. https://www.railyatri.in/

The Pondy to Tanjore tickets I’d spotted on 12go Asia are available on this site. Has anyone heard of it? Is it reliable? What do "3A tier" and "2A" mean? What’s the difference?

Thanks! 🙂

Isn’t IRCTC the official site?

This site and others will give you plenty of info about Indian trains.

I personally traveled in 2AC during the day. It was already a memorable experience...

(It’s more about space than comfort in AC classes. The less you pay, the more cramped you’ll be.)

Hello

I'm looking for a train ticket from Pondicherry to Tanjore. We used to use the 12go Asia site, but it no longer offers trains for this route! I found the Rayatri company. https://www.railyatri.in/

The Pondy to Tanjore tickets I had spotted on 12go Asia are available on this site. Does anyone know it? Is it reliable? What do 3A tier and 2A mean? What’s the difference?

Thanks 🙂

Hi Kate, no, I don’t know Rayatri. I mainly use the Ixigo app—it’s really good, reliable, and easy to use. But I’m not sure you can use it from France... Otherwise, there’s also MakeMyTrip, but again, it might not work from France... Unless you have a VPN? If you can’t manage, I can try to make the reservations for you with Ixigo. I’ll let you know the price, and you can transfer the money to my Indian account...

What does 3A tier mean? And 2A? What’s the difference?

3A tier is third-class air-conditioned. It’s plenty for daytime travel in my opinion, given the big price difference with 2A tier. At night, 2A is more comfortable for the berths, and there are only 4 per compartment instead of 6 in 3A tier. 2A is second-class non-air-conditioned. Toilets aren’t always spotless. 🤪

Small correction!

The 3A is indeed the air-conditioned class with 6 berths (3 on each side), while the 2A is the same with 4 berths (2 on each side). If I'm not mistaken, it's the same as 3AC and 2AC. 3A and 2A are just the short forms for 3AC tier and 2AC tier. The Sleeper class is exactly the same as 3AC but without AC and with fans.

The non-AC class without berths that Marien mentioned is the 2S: not recommended unless you really love adventure and want to add an extra challenge to your trip (or have no other choice) 😎

If you're traveling as a group of four, book a 2A compartment—you'll have it to yourselves. Unless you want company, then go for 3A!

Toilets not always spotless

In all classes!

In some places more than others, though!

Pagal, Marien, Attila, thanks! 🙂

3A is indeed the air-conditioned class with 6 berths (3 on each side), while 2A is the same with 4 berths (2 on each side). If I’m not mistaken, it’s the same as 3AC and 2AC. 3A and 2A are just the shorthand for 3AC tier and 2AC tier.

We don’t want berths—we’re traveling during the day for about 4 hours. How does it work? Do we just sit on the berths? 🤪

Exactly, everyone sits on the berths. So there are usually a few more people during the day in 3AC and Sleeper class than in 2AC because the middle berths are folded up, whereas 2AC doesn’t have any. In 2AC or 3AC during the day, you can sit either on the lower berths or the upper ones, depending on what you’re assigned or choose. Everyone stashes their luggage under the lower berths or on the upper berths. In practice, it’s a bit less regulated, and people negotiate things nicely. But generally, as travelers, you’re welcomed with a lot of kindness.

How does it work, do we sit on the berths? 🤪

It's like the sleeper trains in France when they still existed.

The berth folds down to form seats.

Ah okay 😉

Hello, I’m jumping in late to this conversation, but I just discovered that Voyage Forum is back up and running!! Back in February/March 2019, we spent two weeks traveling around Tamil Nadu... and I’d *really* recommend dedicating more time to Chettinad—meaning at least one night in one of the region’s villages, as it was one of our absolute highlights. Plus, this area offers attractions that are totally different from the rest of Tamil Nadu and gave us the feeling of traveling off the beaten path. It’s also a great chance to stay in villages and get away from the city noise.

If you have the opportunity, I’d suggest staying—or at least stopping by—at Saratha Vilas in Kothamangalam, a charming hotel set in one of those stunning Chettinad mansions, lovingly restored by a French architect couple. We only had tea there and I regretted not staying overnight...

Back in 2019, I posted a trip report you can check out: *Two weeks in Tamil Nadu using public transport*. Happy planning!

Thanks so much for the info! 🙂 I’ll check out your trip report.

Well... Chettinad was so highly recommended (by you, Pagal, and other travelers on their blogs...) that we decided to make just a quick stop in Thanjavur and stay 3 days around Kanadukathan. We want to see something other than temples (we’ll have Mahabalipuram, Madurai, the Brihadisvara in Thanjavur, and maybe the one in Pudukkottai along the way).

If you have the chance, I’d recommend staying—or at least stopping by—Kothamangalam at Saratha Vilas, a charming hotel set in one of those stunning Chettinad mansions, lovingly restored by a French architect couple.

Tempting indeed, but a night costs 207 €. I planted a seed in my travel companions’ minds—I’m waiting to see if it takes root ;) At best, we’ll go there for dinner if it’s possible.

Good evening, I think Chettinad will let you take a break after visiting the temple towns and discover some lesser-known aspects of India, like the palace-houses and Ayyanar sanctuaries.

As for us, we stayed two nights in Kanadukathan and enjoyed strolling quietly through the streets, stopping by the edges of the tank bordering the temple... We stayed at Chettinadu Narayana, a mid-range hotel without much charm. However, we were really charmed by the short time we spent at Saratha Vilas and the conversation we had with the owners. Speaking of which, you can hear them in a 2017 Arte documentary that’s still available, called "The Palaces of Chettinad"... But clearly, I didn’t get the chance to stay at their hotel, and 207 € per night is really expensive in India!

Same here—I really enjoyed wandering around the village of Kanadukathan, which was also the starting point for exploring the surrounding areas by bike: villages and Ayyanar sanctuaries and others lost in nature. I also stayed at the Narayana, which was the cheapest option in Kanadukathan, but still way above my usual budget and comfort level! I found it quite cozy, though—the staff was very helpful, and the restaurant was great too. All in all, Kanadukathan is a lovely stop and a great base for discovering the heart of Chettinad.