One of the most important gateways to southern India, Chennai is famous for its quaint architecture, thriving culture and art scene and long sandy beaches. This state capital of Tamil Nadu counts among the most-frequented cities in India by international travellers, owing to its myriad tourist attractions and its interesting neighbouring towns like Mahabalipuram. The presence of more than one-third of India’s automobile industry has given Chennai the sobriquet of ‘the Detroit of India’. Furthermore, it has the offices of many prominent IT companies, financial institutions and other industry giants, due to which a large number of corporates visit the city every year. Additionally, the city attracts 45% of medical tourists coming to India owing to world-class health facilities offered in its hospitals.
How to Get to Chennai by Flight, Train or Bus
Chennai, located on the Coromandel Coast of India, attracts thousands of domestic and international travellers every year. Adding to the convenience of its visitors is the efficient road and rail network in the city connecting it to the rest of the country. Chennai also has an international airport that serves as the main entry point for flights from across India and all the major destinations worldwide.
Read more to know more about how to reach Chennai:
How to Reach Chennai by Air
Chennai International Airport (MAA), located 19 km from the heart of the city, is among the busiest airports in the country. It has two separate passenger terminals, T1 (Kamaraj Terminal) and T3 (Anna Terminal), used for domestic and international operations respectively. Major airlines like Oman Air, IndiGo, SpiceJet, Etihad Airways, TruJet and Vistara cater to travellers flying to and from this airport. Visitors can choose to travel to their desired destination from the airport by Chennai Metro, Chennai Suburban Railway, prepaid cabs, MTC buses, auto rickshaws, private taxis and rental cars.
How to Reach Chennai by Rail
Chennai is home to the headquarters of the Southern Railway and has two major railway stations – Chennai Central (MAS) and Chennai Egmore (MS). Serving as the main entrance for travellers who wish to enter the city by train, Chennai Central is well-connected to major destinations across India. On the other hand, Chennai Egmore mainly connects the city to places within Tamil Nadu.
Major train stations in Chennai: Chennai Central (MAS), Perambur (PER), Chennai Egmore (MS), Tambaram (TBM), Mambalam (MBM), Avadi (AVD)
How to Reach Chennai by Road
The city of Chennai enjoys easy connectivity nationwide via a network of expressways and highways. A few of the arterial thoroughfares in Chennai are NH 16, NH 32 and NH 48 that connect the city to other parts of India by road. The city is also home to one of the largest bus stations in Asia, Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT), which services private and government-operated buses to and from various destinations within South India like Tirupati, Pondicherry, Coimbatore and Tirunelveli.
Interstate bus terminals and major bus stations of Chennai: Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus, Madhavaram Inter-state Bus Terminus
Distance Between Chennai and Major Indian Cities:
- Mumbai to Chennai: 1343 km (approximately 18 hours by road)
- Pune to Chennai: 1190 km (approximately 20 hours by road)
- New Delhi to Chennai: 2174 km (approximately 33 hours by road)
- Ahmedabad to Chennai: 1793 km (approximately 28 hours by road)
- Hyderabad to Chennai: 626 km (approximately 10 hours by road)
- Kolkata to Chennai: 1670 km (approximately 28 hours by road)
- Bangalore to Chennai: 326 km (approximately 6 hours by road)
- Jaipur to Chennai: 2076 km (approximately 37 hours by road)
- Chandigarh to Chennai: 2460 km (approximately 42 hours by road)
- Lucknow to Chennai: 1907 km (approximately 36 hours by road)
- Visakhapatnam to Chennai: 790 km (approximately 14 hours by road)
- Kochi to Chennai: 692 km (approximately 13 hours by road)
- Goa to Chennai: 941 km (approximately 18 hours by road)
- Amritsar to Chennai: 2665 km (approximately 46 hours by road)
- Vadodara to Chennai: 1733 km (approximately 30 hours by road)
- Surat to Chennai: 1603 km (approximately 28 hours by road)
- Patna to Chennai: 1930 km (approximately 41 hours by road)
- Bhopal to Chennai: 1475 km (approximately 27 hours by road)
- Indore to Chennai: 1485 km (approximately 29 hours by road)
- Kanpur to Chennai: 1867 km (approximately 34 hours by road)
- Ooty to Chennai: 556 km (approximately 11 hours by road)
- Mysore to Chennai: 477 km (approximately 8 hours by road)
- Munnar to Chennai: 597 km (approximately 12 hours by road)
- Alleppey to Chennai: 738 km (approximately 14 hours by road)
- Vellore to Chennai: 138 km (approximately 4 hours by road)
- Vijayawada to Chennai: 453 km (approximately 8 hours by road)
- Tirupati to Chennai: 136 km (approximately 4 hours by road)
- Coimbatore to Chennai: 508 km (approximately 8 hours by road)
- Mangalore to Chennai: 705 km (approximately 14 hours by road)
- Thiruvananthapuram to Chennai: 766 km (approximately 13 hours by road)
- Madurai to Chennai: 453 km (approximately 7 hours by road)
- Nagpur to Chennai: 1129 km (approximately 19 hours by road)
Top Attractions to Explore While Travelling to Chennai:
Marina Beach, Valluvar Kottam, Thousand Lights Mosque, Elliot’s Beach, Dakshinachitra, Ashtalakshmi Temple, Government Museum, Mylapore, Guindy National Park, Sri Parthasarathy Temple, Kapaleeswarar Temple, Connemara Public Library, Royapuram Fishing Harbour, Semmozhi Poonga, Marundeeswarar Temple,
