Help with itinerary.....another one!

Hi Bianca,
My wife and I went to some of the places you're wanting to go to 18 years ago (time flies). We'll be going this year but with our kids this time.
We went from Pondy to Mamallapuram and from there across on a bus to Trichy. You should also be able to do Pondy to Trichy. From Trichy we went to Madurai and then up to Kodaikanal.
Next we went via Annamalai to Munner before ending up at Cochin.
Sorry, I'll have to stop here. The family want to eat. I'll continue later.
Dave

Thank you.
Enjoy your meal.

@mweupe

these are the places I'd like to visit ...There are other places but I'm a slow traveler.

You can't possibly get to all of the places you have listed in the time you have, let alone add any.

but I don't know in which order and how to get there.

After Pondy:

Week 1: take a car to Villupuram and from there a train to Madurai
https://erail.in/trains-between-stations/villupuram-jn-VM/madurai-jn-MDU
From Madurai take the overnight train to Mysore
https://erail.in/trains-between-stations/madurai-jn-MDU/mysore-jn-MYS

Week 2: From Mysore, take the overnight train to Hospet, for Hampi
https://erail.in/trains-between-stations/mysore-jn-MYS/hosapete-jn-HPT

Week 3: From Hospet, take the overnight train to Hyderabad
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/andhra-pradesh/hyderabad-and-secunderabad
and from there a flight to Kochi

Week 4: Fort Cochin car or bus to Munnar.

Week 5: Car or bus to Alleppey (if you can't afford the taxis, I don't think you can afford the houseboat and you might reconsider Alleppey if you're not taking a houseboat).

You could substitute say Varkala (more beach time) and Trivandrum - although Triv doesn't have too much to distract you.

Train from Kerala to Kannur
https://erail.in/trains-between-stations/ernakulam-jn-ERS/kannur-(cannanore)-CAN

A week on a beach or beaches to relax before going back.

Week 6: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/kerala/kannur-cannanore

Take a car (maybe a bus) to Calicut airport for a connecting fight to Mumbai.

Hi Bianca,

As lifesupport said there is no possible way you can get to all these places in less than 3 weeks, and you need to be in Mumbai 24 hours before your international flight leaves. There are dozens of different itineraries that would get you to some of the places on your list.

Maybe you could go to overland to Madurai using the route suggested, and then use train or fly from Madurai to Kochi. Then you can do Kochi and Allepey plus the Kerala Backwaters.

Indigo has a cheap flight every day from Kochi to Hubli, which is only a few hours from Hampi. And from Hampi you can get a train or overnight bus to Goa, or overnight bus to Gokarna, where you can do your beach time. That only leaves the trip Goa to Mumbai, which isn't hard. Make sure you have 3, preferably 4 days for Hampi.

If you skip Hampi and Goa, that makes it easier and you can fly from Kochi to Mumbai at the end. Trichy - Madurai - Kodaikanal - Kochi - Kerala backwaters - Varkala makes a good 3 weeks.

@ Lifesupport.
Thanks.Food for thought.
I'm aware that it's too much in few weeks and that's why I asked for help.

** Car or bus to Alleppey (if you can't afford the taxis, I don't think you can afford the houseboat and you might reconsider Alleppey if you're not taking a houseboat**)
The plan is to save money for something worth it....

@mstep

I have time until the end of March but still not enough time.
After Pondicherry I think I'll go to Madurai and then I'll see if I can reach Kodaikanal and then Kerala. At that point I'll see how much time I'll still have.
I will

Thanks to everyone...very very helpful!!!!

After Pondicherry I think I'll go to Madurai and then I'll see if I can reach Kodaikanal and then Kerala.

Conventional wisdom says the best option is a bus from Madurai to Kodaikanal; partly because if you take a train to Kodaikanal Road station you don't have much bargaining power to go by road from there (because you have no choice).

From Kodaikanal you are best placed to take a car to Munnar as the most efficient / effective means of getting into Kerala.

The plan is to save money for something worth it....

Good choice. I loved my time on a houseboat.

I'm aware that it's too much in few weeks

Logistics are only part of the answer of course. The real answer lies with your priorities for the sorts of things you want to see, do and experience in India.

Your destinations are a mix of beaches; hill stations; the backwaters; temples; ancient ruins. It is possible to include each of those inside the six weeks you have remaining in India - but not necessarily two hill stations, or two weeks on the beach - and still see everything else.

I am from Kerala and i suggest you to fly directly to Trivandrum, then you can visit Varkala ,alappy ,kochi and Athirappilly waterfalls. These places are well connected with public transport system moreover it is really cheap. Then you can visit Munnar and Thekkady. Its in Tamil nadu border and easily accessible to kodaikkanal and Madurai. Feel free to contact me