Cheapest€18.33
- Apsrtc A520906:464h 55m11:41SALEM TOWN BUS STANDBus Stop
Door to door 5h 39mCO2 8.7 kgChanges 0Changeable for a fee
Traveling from Salem to Chennai costs €18.33 at the cheapest and takes 5h 3m door to door at the fastest, across 1 mode and 1 operator. The route covers 322 km. Cheapest is by Coach, fastest is by Coach.
At a glance
- Distance
- 322 km
- Fastest
- 5h 3m
- Average
- 5h 22m
- Services per day
- 5
- Cheapest
- €18.33
- CO2 per passenger
- 8.7 kg
Every way to make this journey
Journey times below are door to door, so they include getting to the terminal and away from it at the other end. Fares are the cheapest we currently sell on September 28, 2026.
| Mode | Door to door | Moving | At the ends | From | CO2 | Per day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coach | 5h 39m | 4h 55m | 44m | €22.73 | 8.7 kg | 4 |
- 5h 39mFastest, by Coach
- €22.73Cheapest, by Coach
- 8.7 kgLowest CO2, by Coach
- 322 kmDistance traveled
The cheapest and the fastest on September 28, 2026
Two journeys we can sell today, with the service number each operator files them under.
Fastest€54.79
- South Western Railway SW502207:301h 22m08:52Salem JunctionOorgaum railway station
- Indian Railway IR494909:391h 59m11:38Oorgaum railway stationChennai Fort railway station
Changes at Robertsonpet, with 47 minutes between services and a walk of about 5 minutes.
Door to door 4h 52mCO2 13.8 kgChanges 1Refundable
Today's real departures
Live from the operators' own published timetables, through the open transit feeds they publish. Times and services are real. Fares are modeled until our booking connectors are live.
No live timetable for this trip yet.
Live from the operators' own published timetables, through the open transit feeds they publish. Times and services are real. Fares are modeled until our booking connectors are live.
Prices over the next three weeks
Live from our own engine, refreshed on every request. The cheapest days for each way of traveling are marked.
| Cheapest fare by mode and day for Salem to Chennai | SatSep 12 | SunSep 13 | MonSep 14 | TueSep 15 | WedSep 16 | ThuSep 17 | FriSep 18 | SatSep 19 | SunSep 20 | MonSep 21 | TueSep 22 | WedSep 23 | ThuSep 24 | FriSep 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coach | €46.93 | €41.43 | €33.73 | €27.12 | €29.33 | €37.58 | €32.08 | €30.98 | €28.78 | €23.28 | €22.73 | €23.27 | €27.68 | €26.03 |
| Train | €134.54 | €109.24 | €89.99 | €85.59 | €83.94 | €102.09 | €102.09 | €91.09 | €75.69 | €66.89 | €66.34 | €69.64 | €86.14 | €87.24 |
Cheapest day: 2026-09-28 · €18.33
That is the traveling done. What happens after you walk out into Chennai is not something we sell.
Rooms within reach of Chennai Fort railway station
Hotels and apartments near downtown, most of them with free cancellation, on a map that shows what is walkable.
Search Chennai on AgodaOr compare on Booking.com
Partner links. We do not sell accommodation. We earn a commission when a booking completes, and it never changes what you pay.
When to book Salem to Chennai
The same search run across the whole booking window, so the shape of the curve is visible rather than described.
- €19.4390 days
- €16.6860 days
- €16.1345 days
- €15.5830 days
- €23.2821 days
- €26.0314 days
- €32.087 days
- €33.733 days
- €46.931 days
- Cheapest lead time
- Fares bottom out around 30 days ahead, at €15.58.
- How much it moves
- The gap between the cheapest and most expensive lead time is 201 percent. The most expensive point is €46.93, 1 days out.
- What that means
- Today sits inside the cheap window, which closes about 30 days before departure. Waiting from here has usually cost money on this corridor rather than saved it.
Book now Fares on this route are lowest around 30 days ahead. You are inside that window.
Which departure day costs least
Median cheapest fare for each weekday, taken across the next three weeks of real prices.
- €28.78Sun
- €23.28Mon
- €22.73Tue
- €23.27Wed
- €27.68Thu
- €26.03Fri
- €30.98Sat
How the fare moves month by month
The same journey priced on the fifteenth of each of the next six months.
- €27.12Sep
- €21.62Oct
- €17.23Nov
- €17.23Dec
- €18.88Jan
- €13.93Feb
The route
What the journey actually looks like
Direct or connecting, how far the route really runs, and what happens when a connection is missed.
- Direct or connecting
- 20% of the services we sell on this corridor run through without a change. The remaining 80% involve one connection.
- How far it really runs
- The route covers 322 km against 280 km in a straight line, a detour of 15 percent. Track and road geometry account for the difference.
- Where the change is
- Connections are made at Robertsonpet, Vellore, Kallakurichi, Puducherry. The gap between arriving and leaving is 47 minutes, of which about 5 is walking.
- If the connection is missed
- The tightest connection we sell here has a 20 percent chance of not being made on the timetable alone. Part of this journey is a self transfer between separate tickets, so leave more time than the minimum and expect to check in again.
- First and last departure
- The first service of the day leaves Salem at 06:46 and the last at 07:30, across 4 departures. The return direction keeps its own timetable, so the times back are not these times reversed.
Where you leave from and where you arrive
The stations, airports and ports each mode on this corridor actually uses.
Salem
Rail
- Salem Junction
- Salem East railway station
- Salem Town Railway Station
Bus
- SALEM TOWN BUS STAND
- Dr. MGR Central Bus Stand - Salem
Chennai
Rail
- Chennai Fort railway station
- Chennai Park railway station
- Chennai Beach railway station
Bus
- Bus Stop
- Taramani
Air
- MAA
Ferry
- Chokani Jetty
Landing at MAA after the trains have stopped is the case this solves. We do not run cars.
A car waiting when you land in Chennai
Settled in advance, so the ride into Chennai costs what it said it would rather than what the cab stand says.
Book a ride from MAA with Daytrip
Partner links. We do not operate transfers. We earn a commission on a booking, and the fare is the same as going direct.
Who runs this route
Speed, flexibility and what is on board. Nothing here is a rating, because we have not earned one.
| Operator | From | Fastest | Typical speed | Flexibility | On board |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apsrtc | €18.33 | 5h 3m | 72 km/h | Changeable | Power outlets, Restrooms, Wi-Fi |
What the fare is made of
Every part of the total, so the number at checkout is the number here.
| Part | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Operator fare | €13.50 | 74% |
| Taxes | €1.35 | 7% |
| Supplier fees | €1.49 | 8% |
| Our service fee | €1.99 | 11% |
| Total you pay | €18.33 | 100% |
The bus gets in hours before any room is ready. Holding a bag is not what we sell.
Baggage storage near Chennai Fort railway station
Stores, cafes and hotels that take luggage, with the hours on the map so you know what is still open when you come back.
Check Chennai on StasherOr try Bounce
Partner links. We do not run these networks. We earn a commission on a booking, and the price is the same as going direct.
Questions about Salem to Chennai
The questions people actually ask about this trip, answered from the same prices and times the page above is built on rather than written once and left to go stale.
How long does it take to get from Salem to Chennai?
The fastest journey from Salem to Chennai takes 5h 3m door to door, of which 4h 55m is spent moving, on the Coach. Most services take around 5h 22m, because that average includes slower stopping services and journeys with a connection. Times include reaching the terminal and leaving it at the far end.
How much does it cost to travel from Salem to Chennai?
The cheapest fare from Salem to Chennai is €18.33, checked on September 28, 2026. A typical fare across the next three weeks is €26.03. Both figures are the total for one passenger, including taxes, supplier fees and our service fee, so nothing is added at checkout.
What is the cheapest way to get from Salem to Chennai?
The cheapest way from Salem to Chennai is by Coach, at €22.73 for one passenger on September 28, 2026. That journey takes 5h 39m door to door. Cheaper is rarely faster on this corridor, and the comparison table on this page shows what each mode costs against what it saves.
When should I book Salem to Chennai?
Fares from Salem to Chennai bottom out around 30 days before departure, at €15.58. Across the whole booking window the gap between the cheapest and the most expensive lead time is 201 percent, measured on September 28, 2026. Booking inside the last week has consistently cost more on this corridor.
Which day of the week is cheapest for Salem to Chennai?
Tuesday is the cheapest day to depart from Salem to Chennai, at €22.73. That is the median of 21 priced departure days across the next three weeks, checked on September 28, 2026. Shifting a departure by one day is usually worth more than shifting the booking by one week.
Which month is cheapest for Salem to Chennai?
February is the cheapest of the next 6 months to travel from Salem to Chennai, at €13.93 for one passenger. Each month is priced on its fifteenth, so the comparison is like for like rather than a mix of weekends and midweek departures.
Who runs service from Salem to Chennai?
1 operators sell services from Salem to Chennai across 1 modes: Apsrtc. Journey times, fares and fare conditions differ between them, and the operator table on this page compares all of them on speed, flexibility and what is provided on board.
Is there a direct service from Salem to Chennai?
20 percent of the services we sell from Salem to Chennai are direct. The rest connect at Robertsonpet, Vellore, Kallakurichi, Puducherry, with about 47 minutes between the two services. Both legs are sold on one booking, so a missed connection is rebooked at no charge.
Which station or terminal do services from Salem to Chennai use?
Services from Salem to Chennai by Coach leave from SALEM TOWN BUS STAND and arrive at Bus Stop. Allow about 44m in total for reaching the departure terminal and leaving the arrival one, which is already included in every door to door time on this page.
Can I change or refund a ticket from Salem to Chennai?
1 of the 1 operators we sell from Salem to Chennai allow a change or a refund. A change on a changeable fare costs €5.00. The operator table on this page names which is which, and the condition is shown again before you pay.
Where these numbers come from
Derived from service area No carrier record names this exact pair. The operators listed publish a service area covering both places at a distance their mode plausibly carries people, which is evidence that the corridor is served and not evidence of a specific service. Pages state which, because presenting the two as the same thing would be dishonest.
Schedules, seat counts and fares are generated by our own model until the supplier contracts are signed. Places, coordinates, operators, which operator serves which pair, and every distance are real. We would rather say that on every page than let a modeled number pass for a filed one.
Defined in full at Door to door, Fares, The booking window, Carbon, Distances
- On this page
- Every figure above was computed for Salem to Chennai on September 11, 2026: 322 km of route against 280 km in a straight line, 5 services a day, 1 operators, a cheapest fare of €18.33, and 5h 3m door to door on the fastest mode. The return direction is computed separately and its numbers are not these numbers.
Our job ends at the platform. What fills the days in Chennai afterward does not belong to us.
What to book in Chennai before you go
Day trips that leave Chennai in the morning and cover a good part of India by evening.
See Chennai on KlookOr browse GetYourGuide
Partner links. We do not sell tours or tickets. We earn a commission on a booking, and it never changes the price.
Other ways to make this journey
Arriving in Chennai
Leaving Chennai
- 104Places you can leave for
- 26Countries
- 41Operators
Plan a trip from here
Ask Ori for the same corridor under a different constraint, or for a longer trip that starts on it.