How to Get Around Sri Lanka: Buses, Trains & Tuk Tuks

There are several ways to get around Sri Lanka but unfortunately there is no one best way.

If you’re exploring around the island, the chances are that you’ll end up using a bit of everything: trains, buses, tuktuks.

And Sri Lanka’s public transport really isn’t that tough to navigate.

Yes, it may look a little daunting with huge buses blasting loud music and trains with wide-open carriage doors, but it’s not bad at all!

We have visited Sri Lanka three times now, spending two months total in Sri Lanka, and we travelled by public transport for the vast majority of our time here.

Once you learn the basics and get in to the swing of it, the public transport can actually be a really fun way to travel; it kind of becomes an activity in itself.

This transport guide will talk you through how to get around Sri Lanka, all your options and all the nitty gritty details you need to know to get you prepared for your trip!

Trains

Sri Lanka’s trains are a really affordable and fun way to explore the island but they are slow, often delayed, and pretty infrequent.

The trainline in the central highlands is beautiful and scenic through the rainforest, while the trainline running south from Colombo provides sweeping coastal views the whole way.

But, not all of Sri Lanka is covered by the train network. One of the country’s biggest attractions known worldwide has to be the blue Kandy to Ella train.

How to Buy Train Tickets

Online

If you’re planning on taking a busy route, like Kandy to Ella, you absolutely need to book your tickets in advance (like, well in advance). Make sure you’re checking the railways website a good month before you’re actually planning to take the trip.

You can book your tickets through the official Sri Lankan Railways website or if you’re looking for a website that you’re likely more familiar with, you can also book train tickets through 12Go Asia.

At the Station

Buying tickets at the station is also dead easy. Tickets are paid in cash at the counter, and you’ll receive a small (usually) purple cardboard ticket.

Ticket Classes

When you’re booking tickets, you’ll have the option of first, second or third class. First class has only reserved seats, while second and third class are split into reserved carriages and unreserved carriages.

If you want a reserved seat, specify that when booking in person, otherwise you may just get an unreserved ticket.

Unreserved tickets never sell out because, well, there is always space for more! That means that your journey may end up being uncomfortable, but at least you’ll still be able to get on.

Also, carriages either have all reserved seats or all unreserved seats which means that standing passengers can’t be in the reserved carriages and so they are less crowded.

If you’re travelling a longer distance, book yourself a seat.

Otherwise, just turn up an hour before your train leaves, grab a regular ticket and go with the flow. The trains are a great way to see real life and meet locals.

Buses

Sri Lankan buses are kind of a rite of passage. They are brightly painted, often have ferociously loud music blaring from the speakers, and it’s not unusual to have some kind of disco ball/lights.

We took a bus that played loud music and had colourful flashing lights like we were in some kind of rave. But no, this was just the 6am local route to Batticaloa (not even a touristy part of Sri Lanka!).

The buses career down the road at a million miles per hour as if they own the roads.

Yes, it can sometimes be sweaty.

Yes, it can look a bit daunting.

But it’s the quickest and most affordable option with the best connections around the country. And the buses are much more frequent than the trains.

Timetables

So, this is a tough one. We never actually managed to find timings unless we asked locals or went to a bus station. But we did find that we never really had to wait very long for a bus as they were so frequent.

If you head to the main bus station in the town (most have them), people will point you in the right direction even if there isn’t a direct bus. Otherwise, speak to your accommodation host to get the insider info!

Tickets

Buy your tickets on the bus in cash. There is almost always someone who wanders up and down the bus collecting payment off new passengers, otherwise you’ll pay the driver directly when you get on or off.

If you are given a ticket, hold on to it until you get off the bus just in case they ask for it to be checked.

If all the locals are being given a ticket but the foreigners aren’t, well, that’s when you have a scam on your hands. We have come up against this a couple of times.

The foreigners aren’t given a ticket because it has the price printed on it. If you don’t know the price on the ticket, you can be charged whatever the ticket guy wants to charge.

So if everyone else gets a ticket, stand your ground and demand a ticket before you pay. However, if no one else is getting a ticket, don’t worry too much about it.

Luggage Space

Realistically, there isn’t much space for big luggage, but there is usually a small shelf running above each row of seats.

For big bags, your best bet is to get on the bus at the front and place it there next to the driver.

If there really is no space for luggage, sometimes they will be able to put it in a hatch outside on the back of the bus.

We spent two months travelling all over Sri Lanka using A LOT of public buses, and we never came across any issues storing our two huge 20kg bags.

How to Get On and Off the Bus

The easiest way is to head to the main bus station, but this doesn’t always make sense depending on where you are staying.

As long as you know the road that the bus travels down (ask a local), you can stand anywhere along this road, wave your arms frantically, and the bus will stop for you.

To get off the bus, head to the front and tell the driver or the ticket guy.

Public or Private Buses

Public buses are usually the red TATA buses, while the private buses are the colourful and decorated Lanka Ashok Leyland buses.

We didn’t notice a difference between prices or routes. The red ones are quieter, the jazzy buses are the one with the loud music and flashing lights.

Tuk Tuks

Drive Your Own Tuk Tuk

Not something that we have tried ourselves, but next time we’re in Sri Lanka, this is on our list!

You can hire through Tuktuk Rental, they’ll show you the ropes, help with licences, and then off you go. It would be such a fun way to explore the country and travel at your own pace. And it’s definitely the less-sweaty option!

Taxi Apps

The local taxi apps in Sri Lanka are Uber and Pick Me, and both of them have the options to request cars and tuk tuks.

Now, I’d definitely recommend NOT relying on taxi apps in Sri Lanka (or India).

Sometimes it’s great.

Sometimes the driver accepts but doesn’t turn up.

Sometimes the driver turns up but demands you cancel and pay in cash instead.

It’s a lottery so try to be flexible, have a back-up plan, and be ready to stand your ground! And if payment is taken through the app and then you end up having any of these issues, contact their customer support team on the app and ask for a refund.

Getting a Tuk Tuk/Taxi at the Side of the Road

Making sure you agree on the price before you get in is the number one rule.

99% of the taxi and tuk tuk drivers we came into contact with were lovely and fair, but it’s good to be wary of scams.

If they say that they charge by the meter, make sure you can physically see the meter and that they start the meter when the journey starts.

We had a driver tell us that his tuk tuk was on the meter but we weren’t allowed to see it because it was an app on his phone?

Erm, big red flag.

So, we left and he got pissed off with us.

Have More Questions?

If you have any more specific questions on how to get around Sri Lanka, give us a shout!

Follow us on Instagram @relentlessroaming and send us a direct message, or send us an email at hello@relentlessroaming.com.

Plan more of your trip with these:

• Travel Tips for Sri Lanka: 12 Actually Useful Things to Know
• Vegetarian Food in Sri Lanka: 19 Delicious Dishes to Try
• Climbing Sigiriya Rock: Sri Lanka’s Lion Fortress Ruins
• 6 Top Things to Do in Anuradhapura: Sri Lanka’s Sacred City
• Mihintale: Sri Lanka’s Sacred Cradle of Buddhism
• Kandy to Ella Train: Review & Tips to Not Be Disappointed
• 6 Best Beaches in Sri Lanka Without Crowds (& 2 to Skip!)