Hi there!
So you’re backpacking around South India and Mahabalipuram is on your list of places to visit!
Bus can be a good way to get to/from Mahabalipuram when you’re traveling along the coast (like to/from Chennai or Pondicherry).
When it comes to Mahabalipuram and taking the bus to/from Mahabalipuram, there are basically 2 bus stands to know about:
- Mahabalipuram bus station in town
- Mahabalipuram bus stand on ECR (East Coast Road)
Mahabalipuram bus station in town
Mahabalipuram bus stand on ECR
Well, there are 2 ECR bus stands – one for each direction, on opposite sides of the road!
So how to you know which bus stand is best for you?!
Bus station in town OR bus stand on ECR?!
I’ve traveled between Chennai and Pondicherry, so this will be about going between:
- Mahabalipuram and Chennai
- Mahabalipuram and Pondicherry
In this area, I’ve gone:
In short:
- If you are going to/from Chennai, it can be either the bus station in town OR the ECR bus stand
- If you are going to/from Pondicherry, the ECR bus stand is the one you’ll take the bus from or get dropped off at
Mahabalipuram bus station in town
For Chennai
Good for:
- Arriving on a bus from Chennai to Mahabalipuram
- Getting a bus from Mahabalipuram to Chennai
If you arrive to the bus station in town, you’ll find rickshaws around if you want to get one.
If you’re looking to go to Chennai from Mahabalipuram, you can head to the “inquiry office” to ask about bus timings.
If no one’s there, you can also ask other people around who seem to be in-the-know (like people in uniform such as bus workers or rickshaw drivers) about when the next bus to Chennai is. They will probably know.
I asked at the Mahabalipuram bus station, and I was told there are NO buses from this Mahabalipuram bus station to Pondicherry.
So you have to go to the ECR bus stand to get a bus to Pondicherry.
Mahabalipuram ECR bus stand
For Chennai and Pondicherry
Good for:
- Arriving on a bus from Chennai
- Arriving on a bus from Pondicherry
- Getting a bus from Mahabalipuram to Chennai
- Getting a bus from Mahabalipuram to Pondicherry
Basically, no matter which direction you’re going, you can get a bus from the ECR bus stand!
Arriving at ECR bus stand (drop-off point)
If you take an ECR bus from Chennai or from Pondicherry to get to Mahabalipuram, you’ll be dropped off a little bit away from town.
You can either walk (about 20-30 minutes) or you can get a rickshaw.
When you’re dropped off, you can look for the sign pointing in the direction of Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram).
You can start walking that way.
You will soon be approached by a rickshaw, or you will see a rickshaw stand basically within seconds of starting down the street.
Departing from ECR bus stand (pick-up point)
If you are taking an ECR bus to Chennai or to Pondicherry, the main thing is to make sure you’re standing on the correct side of the road.
You can ask around, or you can consult Google Maps.
But basically…
ECR bus stand to Chennai
If you are going TO Chennai, you want to walk across the road to the other side. The bus stand is on the side away from town.
ECR bus stand to Pondicherry
If you are going TO Pondicherry, you want to stay on the town side of ECR.
Look for the “ECR” bus
And then, when trying to figure out which bus that passes by you should get on to get to Chennai or to Pondicherry…
You’ll be looking for a bus that says “ECR” on it.
This is a bus traveling along ECR (East Coast Road) with destination Chennai or Pondicherry, depending on which direction you are going!
It might be a green bus or a blue bus.
Then once you’re on the bus, confirm that it’s going to your destination!
Map of Mahabalipuram bus stand locations
Click on one of the 3 bus icons for the brief info about each bus stand.
You can also click the icon on the top left of the map below, and click on a bus stand name in the list to see more.
HAPPY MAHABALIPURAM BUS RIDE!