Getting from Bandaranaike International Airport to the city

The bus

• Route 187 links the airport with Colombo Fort railway station, the hub for trains south to Galle and up to Kandy and the hill country.
• About LKR 290 for the fare.
• The 187-E03 express is operated by the Sri Lanka Transport Board, running roughly 05:30 to 20:00.

The luggage charge

• Large bags are commonly charged separately, at around the same again as the fare.
• This is normal practice rather than an imposition on foreigners, but it doubles the cost and catches people out.
• Have small notes for it.

Negombo, and why it matters

• The airport is about 35 km north of Colombo and only a few kilometres from Negombo.
• A great many visitors stay in Negombo on their first or last night rather than travelling into Colombo at all - it is close, it is on the coast, and it removes an hour of driving from either end of the trip.
• If your itinerary starts elsewhere in Sri Lanka, going into Colombo may be an unnecessary detour altogether.

Taxis and apps

• PickMe is Sri Lanka's own ride-hailing app and is widely used; Uber also operates.
• The official taxi counter inside arrivals sets a price before you go.
• Do not accept a ride offered to you in the arrivals hall.
• Agree the fare or use the app, and expect to be offered a driver for your whole trip - which, given Sri Lanka's roads, is a genuinely common and reasonable way to travel.