165 km · 4 toll plazas · about 3 h 20 min on the road. Change the vehicle, fuel or mileage below and every number updates.
The road distance from Chennai to Pondicherry is 165 km — doable in a single day with a couple of breaks.
You cross 4 toll plazas across Tamil Nadu, Puducherry. For a car the published fees add up to ₹275 one way, about ₹1.67 per km, which is on the expensive side for Indian highways.
States on the way: Tamil NaduPuducherry
Fees for a single journey with FASTag. Return fees apply when you come back through the same plaza within 24 hours; a monthly pass covers 50 single journeys in a month.
| # | Toll plaza | At km | State | Car single | Car return | Car monthly | LCV | Bus/Truck | Multi-axle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vanagaram (Chennai Bypass) | 16 | Tamil Nadu | ₹55 | ₹80 | ₹1,815 | ₹90 | ₹185 | ₹290 |
| 2 | Paranur (Chengalpet) | 58 | Tamil Nadu | ₹75 | ₹110 | ₹2,500 | ₹120 | ₹255 | ₹400 |
| 3 | Athur (Tindivanam) | 108 | Tamil Nadu | ₹75 | ₹110 | ₹2,435 | ₹120 | ₹245 | ₹390 |
| 4 | Morattandi | 160 | Tamil Nadu | ₹70 | ₹105 | ₹2,280 | ₹110 | ₹230 | ₹365 |
| Total (published fees) | 165 | ₹275 | ₹405 | ₹440 | ₹915 | ₹1,445 |
Totals for all 4 plazas. “No FASTag” is the 1.25x UPI rate.
| Vehicle class | One way (FASTag) | Return in 24 h | No FASTag (UPI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car / Jeep / Van | ₹275 | ₹405 | ₹345 |
| LCV / Mini bus | ₹440 | ₹650 | ₹551 |
| Bus / Truck (2 axle) | ₹915 | ₹1,375 | ₹1,144 |
| 3-axle commercial | ₹1,000 | ₹1,500 | ₹1,251 |
| 4–6 axle (MAV) | ₹1,445 | ₹2,155 | ₹1,807 |
| 7+ axle (oversized) | ₹1,745 | ₹2,625 | ₹2,182 |
One way, 165 km, at Tamil Nadu prices (petrol ₹108.78/L, diesel ₹100.59/L). Typical highway mileage; change it in the calculator for your car.
| Car type | Petrol | Diesel | CNG | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hatchback | ₹997 | ₹755 | ₹632 | ₹413 |
| Sedan | ₹1,197 | ₹874 | ₹746 | ₹472 |
| SUV / MUV | ₹1,632 | ₹1,186 | ₹966 | ₹600 |
Petrol is cheapest in Puducherry (₹103.45/L) and dearest in Tamil Nadu (₹108.78/L). Filling the ~11 litres you need in Puducherry saves about ₹59 versus buying it all in Tamil Nadu.
For the same sedan, fuel for one way costs ₹1,197 on petrol, ₹874 on diesel and about ₹472 on electric (public fast charging at ₹20/kWh; home charging is far cheaper).
The pass costs ₹3,075 for 200 crossings (₹15.38 per crossing) on NHAI plazas. This trip uses 4 crossings one way — worth about ₹62 of pass value against ₹275 in regular fees. If you drive highways often, the pass pays off on this route.
Return within 24 hours and the car toll for the round trip is ₹405 instead of ₹550 — a 26% discount that FASTag applies automatically.
About ₹275 one way with FASTag across 4 plazas. A return within 24 hours costs ₹405. Without FASTag you pay 1.25x by UPI: ₹345.
4 on the fastest route: Vanagaram (Chennai Bypass), Paranur (Chengalpet), Athur (Tindivanam), Morattandi.
About 11 litres for a car doing 15 km/l (₹1,197 at Chennai prices). A hatchback at 18 km/l needs ~9 L; an SUV at 11 km/l needs ~15 L.
Around ₹1,472 one way for a petrol sedan (fuel ₹1,197 + toll ₹275), or ₹2,799 for a same-day return. Split between four people that is ₹368 each, one way.
Plan on about 3 h 20 min including short breaks. Free-flowing traffic can do it in 2 h 23 min, but towns, trucks and plaza queues usually add time.
One way with FASTag: bus/2-axle truck ₹915, 3-axle ₹1,000, 4–6 axle ₹1,445, 7+ axle ₹1,745.
Yes, plazas charge the same fee in both directions, so the Pondicherry to Chennai toll is the same ~₹275 for a car. Fuel cost differs only if you fill up at Pondicherry's state price.
Fees are revised every 1 April and some plazas change mid-year, so treat results as a close estimate. Spotted a wrong fee or a missing plaza? Tell us — we fix reported errors within 72 hours and log them on our corrections page.
Built and maintained by Nikhil Shrivastava. Full method: how the calculator works.
Last updated: 24 October 2026