Getting around the heart of Chennai city often takes time, due to traffic and heavy congestion. So it is advisable to plan your journey accordingly. Travelling within Chennai is not so cheap by Indian metropolitan standards, and are quite cheap by European and USA standards.
By train
Chennai has a suburban train (http://www.sr.indianrailw...) network. There are four routes:
Chennai Central - Arakkonam
Chennai Central - Gummidipoondi-Sulurpet-Gudur
Chennai Beach - Tambaram and Chengalpet
Chennai Beach - Velachery MRTS
The suburban trains are generally reliable and fast. The frequency of suburban trains is generally good and it is advisable to take a first class ticket during peak hours. Trains offer a reliable alternative to quickly reach your destination when compared to buses which might get trapped in traffic jams. The fare in Chennai suburban trains is the lowest in the country and you don't have to compromise comfort for the meagre amount that you pay as in other Indian metros. The lowest second class train fare is Rs.4/-. Always keep your baggages safe when you are travelling in the suburban railway system.
By Auto-Rickshaw
Auto-rickshaw drivers in Chennai do not use meters; some try to overcharge and often drive rashly, but that's part of the fun of being in Chennai. They are happy to exploit foreigners and locals alike. The advantage of being a local is that you know when you're being fleeced, and so you'll know when to walk away and find another auto. The upside is that autos are ubiquitous and possibly the easiest form of transportation to locate. Use Auto-rickshaws only for short distances because they are uncomfortable. Before talking to an auto driver you might like to try and ask any local person what the actual fare should be, because the drivers will often ask for up to 3 times more. Even so, by Western standards they are dirt cheap. You'll have no problem once the fare has been agreed and for short trips the Auto is a must. The State Government of Tamilnadu which includes Chennai has utterly failed to regulate the price mechanism of the auto-rickshaws in spite of many complaints. The permits for autos are issued only to the politicians/corrupt and influential Government officials and they try to set the price unreasonably low and make it unworkable purposely though everything right from issue of permits is made to appear to have been done in a fair manner as per rules. The exact reason for this lawlessness in this regard is that the autos are run on rental basis by the politicians and corrupt and influential Government officials. The auto drivers therefore know the corrupt practice and hence they exploit the situation by charging exorbitantly.The auto drivers having been accustomed to this practice of over-charging, only a strong political will can change this scenario by making sweeping changes to i make only owner-driven autos exist and ii strictly enforce meter-fare with kilometer reading and fare-card and revise it whenever petrol cost goes up considerably, say, by more than Rs.3. If you want to travel by the auto, stick to these rules:
Dont take the first auto or take the first price ,take a least quote and go to the second or third.
Never leave anything behind when you leave.
Forget the meter; no one will go by it, and if they do, it's probably rigged to show a higher fare.
Negotiate a rate with the driver beforehand; if he doesn't agree, just go to the next auto on the road; there will always be others unless it's very late or very early or you are in a remote area: then be prepared to pay up. Stick to the agreed price, though on many occasions the driver may attempt to ask for more.
Consult local friends beforehand to find out reasonable market prices for the distance you intend to go.
Try to hail individual auto rickshaws in traffic which are heading in the general direction of your destination.
As a general rule, expect to pay about 10 to 15 for every kilometer 0.6 mi you travel.
Be careful about the following when you plan to undertake an auto-rickshaw trip:
You don't have to pay for any empty return trips that the auto-rickshaw driver has to make once you have agreed upon a fare.
You tell them to go to a landmark near where you want to go, and upon reaching the landmark, ask them to go a little further along a particular road to your destination. They might cite the extra distance traveled and ask for more money. So it is better to negotiate the fare upfront.
You don't have to pay for petrol during the ride.
If you pay them for petrol, make sure you pay them the remaining fare amount after subtracting petrol charges.
Sometimes airport and Railway station have something called prepaid auto section they would have a tariff chart also, the actual cost should be around ~20 rupees of the amount.
The call taxis are better regulated and can be ordered air-conditioned, although unlike auto-rickshaws, advance reservations are needed and they cannot usually be flagged on the street.
Share autos have emerged in the recent years as an alternative mode of transport in Chennai. They are over-sized three wheelers running on diesel and charge slightly more than the bus. There are four wheelers known as meter taxis, which don't have a meter and are not taxis. Recently, yet another four wheeler, Magicmanufactured by Tata, has started running in and around the city, which operate similar to share autos and meter taxis. They are all over crowded and the drivers indulge in rash driving, owing to the competition. The only advantage is that it is cost effective.
On a side note - if you are fascinated by the idea of going around in an auto, think about all those foreigners, who are riding an auto from Chennai to Mumbai. A Chennai based event management company, Chennai Event Management Services, has been having these auto-rickshaw rallies from Chennai to Mumbai, or Kanyakumari, etc.,and has developed a great fan following for the same. More info: (http://www.autorickshawch...)
By car
It is generally not advisable for foreign travelers to drive on their own as they might be unaware of the traffic rules and congestion in the city. The roads in Chennai are better maintained than the average Indian road. The main highway is Anna Salai also known as Mount Road.
If you choose to rent a car, it's highly advisable to hire a driver as well, whose fee comes to around 150/- for an 8-hour shift. Companies include: