The two halves of the city — Tirunelveli town on the west bank of the Thamirabarani and Palayamkottai on the east — are connected by a couple of bridges and around a 10-minute auto-rickshaw ride. Autos use meters but most drivers prefer to negotiate; expect to bargain.
City buses run frequently between the railway junction, the new bus stand on Madurai Road, the Nellaiappar temple area, and Palayamkottai. They are cheap and crowded. For temples and sights outside the city — Krishnapuram, Courtallam, Papanasam, the tiger reserve — the simplest option is to hire a taxi for the day from one of the operators on Trivandrum Road; rates are modest by Indian standards.