Although Sri Lanka is a small country and the distances between the places are not considerable, at the end of the trip we will realize that the hours we have sucked moving from one place to another will not be few precisely. That is why we find it interesting to write a guide on transport in Sri Lanka, talking about the price, times, routes and characteristics of the main means of transport: train, the bus, the knock Knock and the rent your own vehicle.
How is transportation in Sri Lanka?
In general, public transport in Sri Lanka can be summarized as follows:
- Slow: the roads are always full, there are practically no highways and public transport makes many stops.
- Cheap: especially traveling by bus, prices are ridiculous compared to what they can cost in other parts of the world.
- Frequency: something very positive is that you will always find some way to reach your destination, the frequency of passage is usually very high and the combinations almost infinite.
- Feeling of insecurity: We do not want to say that it is unsafe because we never had any accidents, many scares! But the feeling that you have while riding in one of the tin buses going down curvy trucks from the highlands is ... I don't get out of here! Then, miraculously (or daily) you always survive.
The different transports in Sri Lanka
| THE TRAIN IN SRI LANKA
It is one of the best ways to move, not only in Sri Lanka, but in any destination, we love it! The Sinhalese rail network developed with the British occupation and since then is used by thousands of people a day.
LINES: consists only of 4 lines that are born in its capital, Colombo:
- Colombo - Kandy - Nuwara Eliya - Badulla. It is the one that goes up to the highlands (passes through Haputale and Ella) and makes one of the most beautiful routes in the world.
- Colombo - Galle - Matara. The west coast line heading south. It is interesting to reach coast destinations such as Hikkaduwa or Unawatuna.
- Colombo - Galoya - Polonnaruwa - Batticaloa - Trincomalee. This line crosses the country to the northeast end. Interesting for the Plonnaruwa stop or for those who go to Trincomalee to enjoy its beaches.
- Colombo - Kurunegala - Anuradhapura - Vavunia - Pallai - Jaffna. It is the north line, interesting especially for its stop in Anuradhapura.
CLASSES: depending on the route we will find different classes:
- Sleeper class: They are offered in few tours at night. It consists of private apartments with bathroom. Reservation is needed.
- First class: With air conditioning and good seats, it is usually only available on the route to the highlands. There is the "observation car" mode, with a large window to observe the landscape. Reservation is needed.
- Second class: of these there are several modalities, with the possibility of reserving a seat and with A / A (for example on the route to the highlands), or without a reserved seat and without A / A (for example on the route of the south coast).
- Third class: It is the popular class, normally there is no reservation and you can buy the ticket the same day, although on the way to the highlands we booked third class with a seat, obviously without A / C, and it was not bad.
PRIVATE TRAIN COMPANIES. There are two private companies that manage their own wagons on the Colombo - Badulla line (that is, the highlands). They are Exporail and Rajadhani Express. On their websites you can make the reservation of the seats, although you will have to show up at the station to pick them up. With Sri Lanka Railways (the regular state line) you cannot book online.
RESERVE: except on private lines, booking online Sri Lankan trains so far is impossible. The only way to do it is in person at the station or through a travel agency. Anyway, don't worry too much, it doesn't happen like in India that two weeks before the trip the tickets are all sold. Our experience tells us that you can get tickets from one day to another, even the same day. Of course, beware of the line to the highlands, those are usually sold fast!
You can see all the schedules and routes in this link of the Sri Lankan government train service.
| THE BUS IN SRI LANKA
It is the most useful means of transport on the island, you can basically go from bus to bus, they reach all sides! But how are buses in Sri Lanka? Some might consider them as one of the worst experiences of the trip, although we always like to move to the local ... more than anything because it is sooo much cheaper! But you have to take into account certain considerations ... let's see:
PRICE: as a rule you can follow the rule of 50 rupees for every hour. A 2-hour trip would be 100 rupees ... very well calculated!
SPEED: but how long do the buses take to get from one place to another? Well, there is another rule that is not more than an average speed ... it is none other than about 30 km / hour! We go back to the calculator ... a trip of 150 km can be done in about 5 hours and costs about 250 rupees.
RESERVATION. Are you crazy? They are not reserved here! Just arrive at the bus station on duty, ask a couple of people about the destination and voila! You will see yourself sitting (or standing) on the right bus.
SEATS: Normally buses always go very full, so we recommend taking them at the station from where they leave, to secure your seat. But if you ride during the route and do not get a seat, then it will be your turn to go very tight until someone gets off and leaves your seat free. Mind you, if there is a service stop of those 20 minutes (you will notice because everyone gets off except tourists), the law of "who went to Seville lost his chair" does not apply. After the break the seats return to the previous owner ... it hurts. In some buses the first seats are reserved for the clergy.
NOTICE FOR WOMEN: buses are a perfect place for men to overcome, take advantage of the squeeze to approach tourists (in their head they have to be very easy) and can get to feel. In that case do not lose your nerves but piss off and shout if necessary, it is normal for other people to turn against him and stop bothering you. It is more common than we would like. If you are a woman traveling alone it is best to look for a seat next to other women.
| THE TUC TUC IN SRI LANKA
It's like the taxi here, but much cheaper. Riding in tuc tuc in Sri Lanka is almost mandatory! We love!
PRICES: although it is cheap, the prices are proportional, probably after 4 hours of bus travel you end up paying more for the tuctuc that takes you to your hotel than for the bus itself. In cities, no matter how short the race, you will not pay less than 150 rupees, but neither more than 250 rupees. If the routes are longer (from 6-7 km) they will ask for more. A route of 10 km can leave for about 400-500 rupees.
REGATEA: you always have to haggle to get a more or less fair price, even if you are sure that you will pay it, it will always be more than what a local would pay for the same race, well, do not get too angry and end up accepting a fair price.
SAME DRIVER: if you plan to spend some time in the same place you may find it interesting to get a driver's phone to always make transfers with him, in the end you can take some confidence and prices can be better (or at least Don't waste time haggling!)
| RENTAL TRANSPORTATION IN SRI LANKA
It is an option that is gaining more and more strength, and that is to travel a destination at your own pace, without depending on schedules or public transport is always recommended! Now, you have to take into account certain criteria. First of all, what should I rent?
- Motorcycle rental: we are always supporters! Essential for coastal destinations, but also for touring highland areas. The price is usually about 800-1,000 rupees a day.
- Tuctuc rental: perfect if you want to have your own vehicle during the whole trip. There are more and more businesses where you can rent your own tuctuc. Apparently it's quite simple to get the hang of it, but keep an eye on the road! We made a guide on how to drive in India that can be applied to Sri Lanka without problems.
- Taxi rental with driver: it is an interesting way to travel in Sri Lanka if you have few days and a comfortable budget. We never did it but we assume that prices will be around € 15-20 per day.
How to get to Colombo from the airport
The fastest way is to take the bus. You have to exit through the door on the left and continue until you leave the airport grounds. Across the road is the bus stop that leads to Colombo. The price of the bus is Rs 110 and it takes about 45 minutes to reach Pettah station. From there you can take a tuctuc to your final destination.
