Chennai to Mumbai

About the city:

About the city: Mumbai is the commercial capital of India, the heart of Bollywood, and a melting pot of people and cultures. This city is always on the move and always in a hurry, but has a lot to offer from history to arts to shopping and nightlife for every kind of tourist that comes her way.

About Airports and Railways: The Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport lies about 30 kilometres north of the city. The Santa Cruz Domestic Airport is about 4.5 kilometres from the international airport and 26 kilometres north of the city. The major railway stations in Mumbai are Mumbai Central, Vashi Railway Station and Lokmanya Tilak. know more about Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport

Hotels & Restaurants: If you are looking for a luxury stay at Mumbai, there are a number of options. Stay at the Trident at Nariman Point, the Lalit near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport, Taj Palace for its scenic views or Novotel Hotel on Juhu Beach.know more about Mumbai hotels

Must try food: Make sure you sample the local flavours of Mumbai on your trip. For non-vegetarians, a must-try is seafood at Trishna or Gajalee for its garlic-butter crabs and koliwadi prawns. For vegetarians, a must-eat is vada pao and pao bhaji at Chowpatty. If you are looking for intellectual conversation, stop at Jehangir Art Gallery for a cup of tea at the gallery’s quaint little café, Samovar.

Markets: Mumbai has markets for all shopping needs. If you are up for a good shopping day, head to Colaba Causeway or Linking Road, where you can find almost everything. If you are still looking for more, you can take a trip to Chor Bazaar or Crawford Market.

City Transportation: One of the best things about visiting Mumbai is its convenient and safe public transport accessible round the clock. Carrying up to 8 million passengers per day, the Mumbai local is the city’s major transport artery. Tourists, especially girls, would have no trouble catching a taxi, auto rickshaw or even an air conditioned bus to get around the city.

Must visit Places: On your trip to Mumbai, make sure to take a walk along Marine Drive all the way to the popular Chowpatty Beach. For a divine experience, head to Shree Siddhivinayak temple. For a dose of history, visit the Gateway of India. The Gateway is also the starting point for ferries heading towards the ancient Elephanta Caves.Know more about Places to visit in Mumbai

Climate of Mumbai: From November to February, winter months are the most pleasant in Mumbai. Humidity starts rising from March as summers start approaching. The maximum temperature in May can go as high as 40°C. The predominant season in Mumbai is the monsoon from June to October. If you are travelling between June and September, be prepared for recurrent rainfall through your trip.Know more about Mumbai weather

About the city:

About Chennai

Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu, situated on the Coromandel Coast along the Bay of Bengal. It is the fifth largest urbane settlement in India, a hub for culture, commerce, and education in all of South India. The main city and its adjoining regions form the limits of what was initially known as Madras, presently called the Chennai Metropolitan Area. Chennai is visited by many foreign and domestic tourists. While one of the reasons is that Chennai is considered among the safest cities in India, many tourists come here seeking health.

How to reach Chennai

• Chennai By Air

– Chennai International Airport (IATA: MAA) is the main airport serving people taking flights to Chennai or from Chennai. Located in Meenambakkam, the airport is 21 km from Chennai’s city centre. Major domestic carriers operate direct flights to Chennai and from the city, while all major international carriers fly from and to the city too.

• Chennai By Rail

– Chennai houses the headquarters of Southern Railway, one of the 17 zones of the Indian Railways. Three of the major railway stations in the city are Chennai Central, Chennai Egmore (2 km from the city) and Tambaram (which lies in the suburbs). Most super-fast and express trains travel to Chennai on a daily basis, with direct connectivity to top metropolitan cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Kochi, Hyderabad, and Kolkata.

• Chennai By Road

– The Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminal (CMBT) connects cities like Tirupati, Pondicherry, Coimbatore, and Tirunelveli. Among the bus services offered, one could select between deluxe, semi-deluxe, hi-tech, Rajahamsa executive, and sleeper buses; they also connect major cities like Bangalore and Calicut to Chennai.
Chennai is well connected to most neighbouring cities by a network of highways. The five major highways connect Kolkata, Bengaluru, Madurai, Tiruvallur, Nellore, Vellore, and Pondicherry to Chennai.

What to do in Chennai

Chennai has some very classical looking structures and is one of the metropolitan cities in the country, which has the largest number of heritage monuments. The Marina Beach has a 6 km coastline, the longest coastline in India. The San Thomas Cathedral Basilica, built by the Portuguese in 1523 and designed in the Neo–Gothic style, is one of the only 23 Basilicas in India. Chennai is also about 74 km away from spiritual destinations like Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram. Pondicherry and Vellore are two cities that are a drive’s distance from the metropolitan capital city. This city is combination of experiences that bring in foreign and domestic tourists on a daily basis. One must-explore beyond the obvious to really soak in that well-preserved southern culture of the country. If you also want to experience the famous Pongal festival, try to travel here around January. Following places should form your list of must-see places when in Chennai.
1. Mylapore temple
2. Fort Saint George Secretariat
3. Madras High Court
4. George Town Markets and Bazaars
5. Marina Beach
6. T Nagar
7. Cholamandal Artists’ Village
8. Kalakshetra Arts Academy
9. Vivekananda House (Vivekananda Illam)
10. The Turtle Walk: To See Olive Ridley Turtle
11. The Ripon Building
The best time to visit the city is from November until February, when the temperatures range between 20°C and 25°C. During the day, cool breeze from the sea provides relief from the regular sultry weather. Pongal, celebrated in the month of January, makes this a special season to travel to Chennai. From March to June, summers make the city extremely hot and humid, with temperatures rising to a whopping 40°C and above. However, the city is less crowded then, and one can expect good hotel deals during this time. Monsoons in Chennai last from July to September, with the city being engulfed in heavy rainfall and strong winds.

Major Airports in and near Chennai

Chennai International Airport (IATA: MAA) is the main international airport, serving people taking flights to Chennai or from the city. It is located in Meenambakkam, which is 21 km from Chennai. The airport is ranked as the fourth busiest airport in India. The Chennai International Airport has two adjacent domestic and international terminals, which were the first of its kind back in the day. They are named after former chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, K. Kamaraj and C. N. Annadurai.
• The Chennai airport serves as the South Indian regional headquarters for the Airports Authority of India.
• The airport also serves as the nucleus for Blue Dart Aviation, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and IndiGo airlines, and a focal point city for Air India and GoAir airlines.
MakeMyTrip offers a wide range of flights to Chennai. One can easily use the website to book a flight to Chennai or from Chennai, with the major airport being a hub to domestic and international airlines. MakeMyTrip flights to Chennai can be availed at highly discounted rates during festivals and off seasons.