Flight tickets pricy & trains full, so hit the road for weekend getaways

Coimbatore: Road trip seems to be the buzzword as the long weekend commences from August 25, largely because of soaring flight ticket fares and non-availability of berths in trains.

V Dheena and her husband said they, along with two other couples, were initially planning to take a train to Kanyakumari. But they were disappointed when their names figured in the long wait list. They couldn’t get a direct flight either. The three couples have now decided to embark on a week-long road trip from August 25 to September 3. The itinerary includes a drive up to Valparai, then to Athirapally Falls, Munnar and back home.

With the month packed with long weekends and public holidays, inter-city travel has become more hectic. Just as one long weekend begins tapering off, travel enthusiasts are already planning short getaways for the upcoming long weekend during Vinayaka Chaturthi and Onam. While a few families like Dheena’s are planning week-long road trips, starting on August 25, others are planning short three-day getaways by road.

Businessman Vignesh D and his wife Kannal said they were planning to take a three-day trip to Pondicherry with their kids. The itinerary included stay in a villa in White Town. The couple initially planned to fly down to Chennai and take a cab from there. “We were shocked to find fares shooting up to Rs 4,500 a person. So, we have decided to drive down instead,” Kannal said.

Flight tickets to Chennai, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi and Goa from the city are priced at anywhere between Rs 4,500 and Rs 19,000 a person this festive season. “Flight bookings began as early as mid-June as most youngsters and working professionals want to come home to celebrate festivals with their families,” said city-based travel agent, A Raj.

Grabbing a train ticket is also an impossible task. This has forced many families, who first planned to take train to Kerala for the Onam weekend from September 1-3, to drive down to their native places. “All the night and evening trains are fully booked,” said Sudhir Kumar, a native of Thiruvananthapuram. “Since we do not want to bet on Tatkal bookings, we have decided to drive down from Coimbatore, though it would take eight hours,” said the soft skills trainer.