How To Reach Madurai

This holiday, skip the beaches and the hills and make your way to Madurai, an all-time favorite destination for the historians and even the itinerants, willing to spend a few days exploring the grandeur of South India. If you are traveling to Tamil Nadu, then a stopover at Madurai is highly recommended. This old town has won quite a distinction for its slew of temples and is chiefly feted for its Sri Meenakshi Temple. With a history of nearly 2500 years to its name, Madurai is one of the oldest cities in the country. A walk through the city narrates its own story and importance through its glorious architecture. If you think that the place is only for devotees and religious people, then you couldn't be more wrong as the city attracts tons of tourists from around the world by its pristine beauty and history alone. Since it is an important stopover at Tamil Nadu, the place is well connected by air, rail and road transport. Thus, reaching Madurai is very convenient. To know more about how to reach Madurai, go through the article below.

Traveling To Madurai

By Air
Madurai airport, located 12 km away from the city, is well connected to all the major cities in the country including Chennai, Calicut, Mumbai, Bangalore, Coimbatore and Trichy. Although the airport is located at some distance, regular taxi services and other public transportations make the route easy to access. Some of the major airlines operating back and forth from Madurai are East West Airlines, Vayudoot Services, Air India, Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines and SpiceJet. During the festive seasons, the airbuses flying to Madurai remains crowded. Thus, it is best to book your tickets in advance. The international terminal provides flights to the cities of Singapore, Dubai and Kuala Lumpur. However, for any other international destinations, you need to depend on Chennai International Airport, which is situated at a distance of 500 km from Madurai.

By Rail
Madurai, being a major pilgrimage center of South India, is endowed with a good railway network. In fact, the railway station of the city serves as an important railway junction of Southern Railway and is well connected to the cities of Chennai, Bangalore, Palakkad, Trichy and Tirunelveli. Vaigai Express, a superfast train, connects Chennai, Egmore and Madurai in just 7 hours. During the vacations and Hindu festivals, the train remains crowded by devotees and visitors. Thus, if you plan your visit during this time it is always best to book your tickets ahead of time to avoid those last minute worries.

By Road
The excellent roads leading to Madurai connects it to almost all the major cities in South India. With nearly five bus stands to its name, Madurai provides comfortable travel through its wide number of regular buses. You can choose from AC, non-AC, deluxe and sleeper coach buses depending on your comfort and pocket. The state buses of Tamil Nadu connect Madurai to almost every town in the state. Apart from the public transportations of Tamil Nadu, buses from Karnataka and Kerala also ply from here regularly. In case you plan to reach the city via car, then you can opt for national highways for safe and comfortable journey. You can take the route NH45 to reach Madurai via Tindivanam, Trichy and Dindigul. Within the city, you can explore the city by using auto rickshaws.