2,200 km - 4,000+ pets moved
2,200 km South to North, door to door. By train it is MAS to NDLS. By air it is MAA to DEL.
We run this corridor in both directions. Delhi to Chennai is planned and priced the same way.
Short answer first
Answer
2,200 km is three to four days of driving, so the honest answer on this corridor is not road. A booked coupe out of MAS keeps your pet with a person for the whole journey, and a flight from MAA turns it into a few hours plus ground time.
Moving one pet Chennai to Delhi costs ₹25k to ₹35k by road, ₹17k to ₹30k by train and ₹22k to ₹60k by air. The cheapest published option is train.
We usually recommend air here. This runs South to North, so it crosses the country rather than staying in one region. One of the longest routes we run, so air is usually kindest.
Pricing
Ranges are per pet and include handling and our coordinator. Crates, extra handlers and premium add ons are quoted separately.
Swipe the table sideways to see everything.
| Mode | Cost per pet | Journey time | Coverage | Crate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Road | ₹25k to ₹35k | 42 to 46 hours | Home to home | Travel crate or harness | A stop every two hours for water and a walk. |
| Train | ₹17k to ₹30k | 37 to 41 hours | Station to station | None needed in a 1A coupe | Needs the full first AC coupe, booked early. |
| Air | ₹22k to ₹60k | About 3 hours in the air | Airport to airport | IATA compliant hard crate | Add three to four hours ground handling at each end. |
Modes marked On request depend on live airline or railway availability for your date. See the full pet transport cost guide for what moves these numbers.
Choosing a mode
Chennai International Airport (MAA) to Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), about 3 hours in the air. The cargo terminal is about 20 km out at Meenambakkam on the Chennai side and 15 to 45 km depending on your part of NCR out at Palam at the other end, and that driving is part of the day.
Boarding at Chennai Central (MAS) and arriving at New Delhi (NDLS), roughly 37 hours on board, in a first AC coupe or as registered luggage.
A dedicated vehicle covers the 2,200 km from your Chennai address to the Delhi address. At roughly 42 hours it means 4 nights on the road, which is why we rarely lead with road on this pair.
Crate rules, coupe bookings and airline acceptance are the same on every route. They are set out on the road, train and air guides.
Timing
Heat and humidity are the main planning factor from April to July, and the north east monsoon brings heavy rain around October and November. Both push us towards early morning pickups. On the Chennai pickup we load at first light and keep a spare day either side.
Summers cross 45 degrees and winters bring heavy fog. Both matter: we shift pickups to early morning in May and June, and build extra buffer into December and January journeys. On the Delhi delivery we load at first light and give an arrival window rather than a fixed time.
Dogs and cats
The dogs we move most out of Chennai are Indies, Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Beagles, Spitz, Pugs and Persian cats. This is what we would put each of them on for a 2,200 km run.
Swipe the table sideways to see everything.
| Your pet | Best on this route | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Small dog, under 10 kg | Air or train | May qualify for cabin travel on airlines that carry pets, which is the calmest option. |
| Medium dog, 10 to 25 kg | Train or air | A first AC coupe keeps your dog with a person the whole way. |
| Large dog, over 25 kg | Road or train | Cargo charges rise sharply with weight, so road or a booked coupe is usually kinder and cheaper. |
| Snub nosed breeds | Road or train only | Pugs, Bulldogs, Boxers and Shih Tzus are restricted from cargo holds by most airlines. |
| Cats | Train, in a 1A coupe | Cats stay enclosed and covered rather than taking walk breaks. They cannot use the train dog box. |
Two bonded pets from one home can often share a crate or coupe. Breed specific guidance is on the dog transport and cat transport pages.
What actually happens
We book the cargo slot on the MAA to DEL sector and arrange the fitness certificate through our Chennai vet contacts.
Collection anywhere in Chennai, including Adyar, Besant Nagar, Velachery. Then the run out to Meenambakkam, about 20 km from the city.
Photo and location updates at every planned stop, and a named coordinator on WhatsApp the whole way.
Delivered anywhere in Delhi, including Gurugram, Noida, Greater Noida.
Paperwork is the same on every domestic route: vaccination record, a fitness certificate dated within 72 hours, and your ID. No NOC and no titer test. Full document table and checklist.
Tell us your pet's breed and weight and a rough date. You get an honest recommendation and a clear price on the same call, with no form to fill in.
Questions people ask
The cheapest published option on this route is train at ₹17k to ₹30k. Road is ₹25k to ₹35k, train is ₹17k to ₹30k and air is ₹22k to ₹60k, per pet.
Your exact figure depends on your pet's weight, the crate and whether pickup is central or out towards Manali. The same ranges apply both ways, so Delhi to Chennai is priced the same.
2,200 km works out at about 42 hours by road, roughly 37 hours by train, or 3 hours MAA to DEL plus three to four hours on the ground at each end.
This runs South to North, so it crosses the country rather than staying in one region. One of the longest routes we run, so air is usually kindest.
Chennai brings summer heat and the monsoon. Heat and humidity are the main planning factor from April to July, and the north east monsoon brings heavy rain around October and November. Both push us towards early morning pickups. On the Chennai pickup we load at first light and keep a spare day either side.
Delhi brings summer heat and winter fog. Summers cross 45 degrees and winters bring heavy fog. Both matter: we shift pickups to early morning in May and June, and build extra buffer into December and January journeys. On the Delhi delivery we load at first light and give an arrival window rather than a fixed time.
Yes, and most moves on this corridor are unaccompanied. Collection anywhere in Chennai, handover anywhere in Delhi, one handler the whole way.
Yes, and it is the same 2,200 km, the same trains and the same price, which is why this one page covers both directions.
