Getting around Sri Lanka
How to get from one place to the next: by train, by road, with a driver or by tuk-tuk.
Timetables and road times change, so each guide says when its figures were checked.
From Colombo airport to Kandy or Sigiriya: real road, bus and rail times (2026)
By road: about 3 to 4 hours to Kandy and 3 to 4.5 hours to Sigiriya. No train reaches Kandy until 2027. Taxi fares, buses and night arrivals (Oct 2026).
Kandy to Ella by train: booking, classes and the 2026 closure
No train runs Kandy to Ella as of October 2026. Go by road to Nanu Oya and ride the open section. How booking, classes and fares work on this line.
Colombo to Galle by train: the coast line, times and tickets
The Colombo to Galle train runs along the coast: about 2 h 20 min on an express, Rs 240 to Rs 1,100. Times, tickets and the seaward side (Oct 2026).
How to book a train in Sri Lanka: classes, seats and tickets
Book reserved seats on seatreservation.railway.gov.lk up to 30 days ahead with your passport number; unreserved tickets are sold on the day (Oct 2026).
Kandy to Ella without the train (2026)
No Kandy–Ella train in 2026. Drive about 130 km (3.5–4.5 hours), or drive to Nanu Oya and ride the reopened train to Ella. Times, fares, buses (Oct 2026).
Buses in Sri Lanka: how they work, and when to take one
Buses in Sri Lanka are the cheapest way around: Colombo to Kandy is 521 rupees on a normal bus (October 2026). How to ride, pay, book and stay safe.
Hiring a driver in Sri Lanka: what to agree before you start
Agree in writing: daily rate, fuel, tolls, parking, the driver's room and meals, distance and hours. How to check a licence, and stay safe (Oct 2026).
Driving or riding a scooter in Sri Lanka: the permit and the roads
To drive in Sri Lanka you need a temporary local licence (15,000 rupees a month) or a 1949 IDP plus an AA recognition permit. The roads, as of Oct 2026.
What a tuk-tuk ride should cost, and how to agree a fair price
In Colombo the official tuk-tuk fare is 110 rupees for the first km and 90 per km after (October 2026). How to agree a fair price everywhere else.
PickMe and Uber in Sri Lanka: when an app beats a tuk-tuk
PickMe covers far more of Sri Lanka than Uber, whose rides run in Colombo, Kandy, Galle and a few districts (Oct 2026). Where each works, and how to pay.
The India–Sri Lanka ferry: Nagapattinam to Kankesanthurai
The India–Sri Lanka ferry sails Nagapattinam to Kankesanthurai six days a week, 4 to 5 hours (Oct 2026). It stops for the monsoon from about November.