I wanted to pen down something different this time covering my experience with US visa interview in Chennai. I thought this may help people travelling to Chennai for this purpose.
Travel to/from Chennai/Bengaluru:
By car: I would recommend the option using car with a driver. In this way, you have a car to go around including Embassy and OFC center if that is feasible for you. But plan to book your interview in the afternoons so that you can start the travel early morning, finish OFC interview, stay for a night, next day finish the visa interview, you will be back in Bengaluru by night.
By Train: We have traveled by double decker express to Chennai, I would not prefer this train. Not clean and not good. I would recommend to have interviews in the afternoons, go by shatabdi in the early morning then return next day evening by shatabdi.
By Flight: I don't think this would a better option considering to/from airport travel time.
I had decided to travel by train. Since I had an appointment at 10:30AM for both days for OFC and visa interview, traveled by double deck express to Chennai, so that I can reach there by evening and be ready for next day interview. Since having a family with me, better to have extra time to get settled and ready for these interviews.
Hotel:
We stayed in Hotel Savera in Dr Radhakrishnan road/Cathedreal road. Dr Radhakrishnan road is close to US Embassy and OFC center. Hotels on this road must be a good option if you are travelling for visa interview. There are quite few other hotels like Wood lands etc in the same road. Our experience in Hotel Savera is not that bad, considering that good restaurants within the hotels. Hotel staff allocated us a wrong room so called Business Standard!. It was unclean and bathrooms are hard to use. Highly congested for family. In fact I had booked Deluxe room, negligence of the staff (or me!) made us stay in business standard for a day. Next day, after my inquiry, they have apologized and promised to allocate a club room.
To my surprise, after few calls, sent us key but this time, I asked about the type of room allocated but the key is for deluxe room not a club room. I called again, but informed to wait for another 30 mins for club room. So any hotel, please make sure that you get what you have booked for!
Do's/Dont's:
Any place in Chennai where tourists or outsiders visit/stay, you can find set of people with auto rickshaws or taxis, waiting outside to grab money out of you as much as possible. If you need a taxi, one option is to call a "call taxi Golden": Number is : +914426580055. In the railway station, try to opt for pre-paid taxi just outside the station. If you want to pick a auto, please walk little away from auto's waiting outside the hotel or Embassy or any tourist spot, if you find an auto going empty on the road wave hand and tell them
the place. They will start the meter without asking any money in most cases as they are not aware you are new to city or not. This logic works well. In case if they ask money without a meter, you should know how it might be for the destination. Below are some information on the same as of this date of the blog.
From your Hotel on Dr. Radhakrishnan Road/Cathreal road to OFC center i Auto is 30-35 rupees. Maximum you can give is 50 rupees in case of no meter.
To Embassy, minimum charge: 25 rupees with Meter. Maximum should 35-45 rupees in case of no meter. (Auto Charge)
To T Nagar, if you wish to go for shopping, meter would be 60-70 rupees. Maximum should be 80 rupees.
Central Railway station to Dr Radhkrishna Road for Taxi is : 150 rupees if metered using Golden call taxi. Maximum you can pay is 200 rupees not more than that.
If you know the rates you can negotiate in case if no meters or you end up such situation.
Travel to/from Chennai/Bengaluru:
By car: I would recommend the option using car with a driver. In this way, you have a car to go around including Embassy and OFC center if that is feasible for you. But plan to book your interview in the afternoons so that you can start the travel early morning, finish OFC interview, stay for a night, next day finish the visa interview, you will be back in Bengaluru by night.
By Train: We have traveled by double decker express to Chennai, I would not prefer this train. Not clean and not good. I would recommend to have interviews in the afternoons, go by shatabdi in the early morning then return next day evening by shatabdi.
By Flight: I don't think this would a better option considering to/from airport travel time.
I had decided to travel by train. Since I had an appointment at 10:30AM for both days for OFC and visa interview, traveled by double deck express to Chennai, so that I can reach there by evening and be ready for next day interview. Since having a family with me, better to have extra time to get settled and ready for these interviews.
Hotel:
We stayed in Hotel Savera in Dr Radhakrishnan road/Cathedreal road. Dr Radhakrishnan road is close to US Embassy and OFC center. Hotels on this road must be a good option if you are travelling for visa interview. There are quite few other hotels like Wood lands etc in the same road. Our experience in Hotel Savera is not that bad, considering that good restaurants within the hotels. Hotel staff allocated us a wrong room so called Business Standard!. It was unclean and bathrooms are hard to use. Highly congested for family. In fact I had booked Deluxe room, negligence of the staff (or me!) made us stay in business standard for a day. Next day, after my inquiry, they have apologized and promised to allocate a club room.
To my surprise, after few calls, sent us key but this time, I asked about the type of room allocated but the key is for deluxe room not a club room. I called again, but informed to wait for another 30 mins for club room. So any hotel, please make sure that you get what you have booked for!
Do's/Dont's:
Any place in Chennai where tourists or outsiders visit/stay, you can find set of people with auto rickshaws or taxis, waiting outside to grab money out of you as much as possible. If you need a taxi, one option is to call a "call taxi Golden": Number is : +914426580055. In the railway station, try to opt for pre-paid taxi just outside the station. If you want to pick a auto, please walk little away from auto's waiting outside the hotel or Embassy or any tourist spot, if you find an auto going empty on the road wave hand and tell them
the place. They will start the meter without asking any money in most cases as they are not aware you are new to city or not. This logic works well. In case if they ask money without a meter, you should know how it might be for the destination. Below are some information on the same as of this date of the blog.
From your Hotel on Dr. Radhakrishnan Road/Cathreal road to OFC center i Auto is 30-35 rupees. Maximum you can give is 50 rupees in case of no meter.
To Embassy, minimum charge: 25 rupees with Meter. Maximum should 35-45 rupees in case of no meter. (Auto Charge)
To T Nagar, if you wish to go for shopping, meter would be 60-70 rupees. Maximum should be 80 rupees.
Central Railway station to Dr Radhkrishna Road for Taxi is : 150 rupees if metered using Golden call taxi. Maximum you can pay is 200 rupees not more than that.
If you know the rates you can negotiate in case if no meters or you end up such situation.
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