Going From Coimbatore to Ooty By Bus

After spending the night in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, I woke up early and left my hostel at around 7am to figure out how to reach Ooty by bus. As I have mentioned in my previous post, no train was on schedule to Ooty so there’s no other choice but take the bus instead. I did some online research about the public transportation in Coimbatore but couldn’t find any exact information.

The only way I could figure things out was asking random strangers in front of the Coimbatore Junction about the right bus that goes to Ooty. I was assisted by a young female student and was informed that I should go to the new main bus terminal, which is about 6 kilometers away from railway station. Apparently, there are no direct buses from the Coimbatore Junction to Ooty. She later suggested that I take the auto rickshaw if I want to get there faster. I told her I wasn’t on a rush and would prefer taking the bus.

I hopped on a public bus (I forgot the bus number, sorry. Fare:10 rupees) that goes directly to the New Bus Stand located in Mettupalayam Road. All buses plying from Coimbatore to Ooty and other nearby destinations such as Bangalore, Mysore and Karnataka are parked there with frequent departures every 15-30 minutes.

There are many options to choose from at the bus terminal. Volvo, AC buses run by private companies are available. As usual, I opted for the cheapest one – a public, non-airconditioned bus. Fare was 56 rupees (about 80 cents). What a great bargain!