The easiest and cheapest transport for Rs 40 to the centre is the metro from the station located about 5 minutes walk from the terminals.
A very popular mode of transport in Chennai is also via the mobile app Uber or Ola.
Metro
There is a blue metro line to the airport directly to the city centre and also a so-called inter-corridor line that transfers from the blue line to the green line, but the journey to the city centre is significantly longer than the blue line.
- Blue line
- Travel time to Chennai Central (Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran) - 41 minutes
- Frequency - 6 to 7 minutes
- Last train from airport - 23:00
- First train from Chennai Central - 5:44 am
- Inter-Corridor
- Travel time to Chennai Central (Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran) - 56 minutes
- Frequency - 12-15 minutes
- Last train from airport - 23:17
- First train from Chennai Central - 4:55 am
The ticket price is calculated according to the distance and for example at Chennai Central station (Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran) you will pay 40 inr.
You can buy the ticket in the form of a card at the station ticket counter or at a machine.
Fare can also be paid through Paytm or the CMRL mobile app.
For the official timetable and fare table, visit chennaimetrorail.org.
Taxi / Uber / Ola
Taxi is the most convenient and straightforward transport option to the city centre.
Official taxis are pre-paid at the arrivals hall and you don't pay the taxi driver anything after that.
The mobile apps Uber or Ola, available at both terminals, usually offer lower prices.
Average prices to central Chennai are as follows:
- Taxi - 700 inr
- Uber / Ola - 500 inr
Suburban Rail
Approximately 150 from the terminal behind the highway (there is a pedestrian underpass between the airport and the station) to the Tirusulam railway station.
From here very frequent trains run to Chennai Central station (Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran).
The journey time is shorter than the metro (about 34 minutes) and the ticket price is lower (about 30 inr).
However, compared to the modern metro, trains are usually unconditioned and considerably crowded.
We definitely recommend the metro more for getting to the city centre.
