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Home› Road Trip Cost› From Salem› Salem to Varkala
TOLL₹
Toll tax · Fuel cost · 2026

Salem to Varkala toll tax & fuel cost: ₹3,691 by car

479 km · 3 toll plazas · about 10 h on the road. Change the vehicle, fuel or mileage below and every number updates.

Toll (car) ₹215Petrol ₹3,476Updated 24 October 2026
Vehicle
Fuel
Trip
km/l
Highway figure for a sedan
₹/litre
Today in Tamil Nadu
Standard FASTag fee
people
Splits the cost per person
One way · Sedan · Petrol
₹3,692
Fuel ₹3,477Toll ₹215 (1 est.)
479 kmDistance
10 hDriving time
3Toll crossings
32 LPetrol needed
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Your route · 3 plazas
  1. SalemStart · Tamil Nadu
  2. Rasampalayankm 58 · Tamil Nadu
    ₹60
  3. Velanchettiyurkm 131 · Tamil Nadu
    ₹80est.
  4. Kodai Road (Kozhinjipatti )km 192 · Tamil Nadu
    ₹75
  5. VarkalaDestination · 479 km

“est.” = this plaza doesn't publish fees in the NHAI dataset; we use the median fee for your vehicle class.

Quick answerDriving from Salem to Varkala covers about 479 km and takes around 10 h. A petrol sedan pays about ₹215 in tolls at 3 plazas (₹80 of that is our estimate for 1 plaza that don't publish fees) one way with FASTag and burns about 32 litres of petrol (₹3,476 at ₹109/litre), so the one-way trip costs roughly ₹3,691.
479 kmRoad distance
10 hRealistic drive time
3Toll plazas
₹215Car toll, one way
32 LPetrol @ 15 km/l
₹3,691Total, one way

About the Salem–Varkala drive

Salem to Varkala is a full day on the road of 479 km.

You cross 3 toll plazas across Tamil Nadu, Kerala. For a car the published fees add up to ₹135 one way, about ₹0.28 per km, cheaper than most highway corridors. 1 plaza on this route does not publish fees in the NHAI dataset; budget about ₹80 extra to be safe.

States on the way: Tamil NaduKerala

Route map: Salem to VarkalaRoad route of about 479 km with 3 toll plazas marked in order.KodaikanalMunnarMaduraiCoimbatoreKochiThrissur123SalemVarkala479 km · 3 tolls
Route map: Salem → Varkala. Orange squares are toll plazas, numbered in the order you reach them.

Toll plazas between Salem and Varkala

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 plazaAt kmStateCar singleCar returnCar monthlyLCVBus/TruckMulti-axle
1Rasampalayan58Tamil Nadu₹60₹90₹1,760₹105₹205₹330
2Velanchettiyur131Tamil Nadun/a—————
3Kodai Road (Kozhinjipatti )192Tamil Nadu₹75₹115₹2,255₹130₹265₹425
Total (published fees)479₹135₹205₹235₹470₹755

Salem to Varkala toll for every vehicle

Totals for all 3 plazas, including our estimate for 1 plaza without published fees. “No FASTag” is the 1.25x UPI rate.

Vehicle classOne way (FASTag)Return in 24 hNo FASTag (UPI)
Car / Jeep / Van₹215₹365₹269
LCV / Mini bus₹360₹600₹450
Bus / Truck (2 axle)₹730₹1,225₹912
3-axle commercial₹1,060₹1,740₹1,325
4–6 axle (MAV)₹1,170₹1,960₹1,463
7+ axle (oversized)₹1,255₹2,130₹1,569

Fuel cost from Salem to Varkala

One way, 479 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 typePetrolDieselCNGElectric
Hatchback₹2,897₹2,192₹1,835₹1,198
Sedan₹3,476₹2,538₹2,168₹1,370
SUV / MUV₹4,741₹3,444₹2,806₹1,743

Ways to spend less on this trip

₹Where to fill up

Petrol is cheapest in Tamil Nadu (₹108.78/L) and dearest in Kerala (₹114.57/L). Filling the ~32 litres you need in Tamil Nadu saves about ₹185 versus buying it all in Kerala.

⚡Petrol vs diesel vs EV

For the same sedan, fuel for one way costs ₹3,476 on petrol, ₹2,538 on diesel and about ₹1,370 on electric (public fast charging at ₹20/kWh; home charging is far cheaper). An EV with ~350 km real range needs about 1 charging stop on the way.

◎Is the FASTag Annual Pass worth it here?

The pass costs ₹3,075 for 200 crossings (₹15.38 per crossing) on NHAI plazas. This trip uses 2 crossings one way — worth about ₹31 of pass value against ₹135 in regular fees. If you drive highways often, the pass pays off on this route.

↺Coming back the same day?

Return within 24 hours and the car toll for the round trip is ₹205 instead of ₹270 — a 24% discount that FASTag applies automatically.

Salem to Varkala: common questions

What is the toll tax from Salem to Varkala for a car?

About ₹215 one way with FASTag across 3 plazas — ₹135 in published fees plus ~₹80 estimated for 1 plaza that don't publish rates. A return within 24 hours costs ₹365. Without FASTag you pay 1.25x by UPI: ₹269.

How many toll plazas are there between Salem and Varkala?

3 on the fastest route: Rasampalayan, Velanchettiyur, Kodai Road (Kozhinjipatti ).

How much petrol is needed from Salem to Varkala?

About 32 litres for a car doing 15 km/l (₹3,476 at Salem prices). A hatchback at 18 km/l needs ~27 L; an SUV at 11 km/l needs ~44 L.

What is the total cost of a Salem to Varkala road trip?

Around ₹3,691 one way for a petrol sedan (fuel ₹3,476 + toll ₹215), or ₹7,318 for a same-day return. Split between four people that is ₹923 each, one way.

How long does it take to drive from Salem to Varkala?

Plan on about 10 h including short breaks. Free-flowing traffic can do it in 7 h 8 min, but towns, trucks and plaza queues usually add time.

What is the toll for a truck or bus from Salem to Varkala?

One way with FASTag: bus/2-axle truck ₹730, 3-axle ₹1,060, 4–6 axle ₹1,170, 7+ axle ₹1,255 (includes estimates for plazas without published fees).

Is the toll the same from Varkala to Salem?

Yes, plazas charge the same fee in both directions, so the Varkala to Salem toll is the same ~₹215 for a car. Fuel cost differs only if you fill up at Varkala's state price.

Plan another trip

Varkala to SalemReturn journey · 479 kmSalem to Yercaud30 km · no tollsSalem to Trichy140 km · ₹45 tollSalem to Hosur145 km · ₹300 tollSalem to Coimbatore167 km · ₹150 tollSalem to Bangalore184 km · ₹395 tollSalem to Thanjavur184 km · ₹65 tollSalem to Pondicherry218 km · ₹320 tollSalem to Ooty224 km · ₹145 toll

Driving to Varkala from elsewhere

Trivandrum to Varkala41 km · no tollsAlleppey to Varkala109 km · ₹0 tollKanyakumari to Varkala129 km · ₹160 tollKochi to Varkala163 km · ₹0 tollMunnar to Varkala232 km · no tollsMadurai to Varkala266 km · ₹105 tollKodaikanal to Varkala304 km · no tollsCoimbatore to Varkala345 km · ₹330 toll

All trips from Salem → All trips from Varkala →

Where these numbers come from

  • Toll plazas & fees: NHAI Toll Information System, via the India Toll Plaza dataset (Esri India Living Atlas). 1,764 plazas, fees for 7 vehicle classes.
  • Route & distance: OpenStreetMap road data routed with OSRM; plazas are matched to the route line within 200 m.
  • Fuel prices: state-level retail prices as of 24 October 2026; EV uses a public fast-charging estimate.
  • Toll rules: FASTag Annual Pass ₹3,075 / 200 crossings (FY 2026-27); non-FASTag vehicles pay 1.25x by UPI since 10 April 2026.

Accuracy & corrections

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