Travelling Sri Lanka should be on everyone’s list! It’s a small country with so many incredible sights all throughout! Travelling around the country efficiently should really be a top priority to ensure a smooth trip!
Taxi Apps
For short rides, you can use PickMe or Uber to call a ride right to where you are. This is great as you can choose from a variety of car sizes, even including Tuk Tuk’s! It also helps to eliminate any haggling as the cost for the ride is predetermined.
Just a quick note: Although PickMe and Uber are great options, they are best available in cities. Even then, we did have some trouble getting one in Port City, Colombo, which we were quite surprised about.
Did you also know that you can hire a PickMe driver for multiple hours? Perfect for day trips or if you have plenty of stops within a city!
Hiring a Driver
Hiring a driver to join your travel group can be a great choice, as it eases the travel experience and takes out any of the guesswork in how to travel from place to place. Joining Facebook groups on Sri Lanka Travel and Tourism can be very helpful to find a driver, as you will see companies and recommendations from others.
The price can be negotiable, and there are a few additional items that also need to be predetermined and discussed, including driver accommodations, driver meals, fuel charges, driving distance (in kilometres), and trip length (number of days). Some companies will provide you with a quote that includes all of it, where you don’t need to think much more about accommodations and meals, for example, as they are already paid for, and the driver and company will sort themselves out on their end.
If you do know your specific itinerary and accommodations ahead of time, it can help to ease the travel experience as it will be known ahead of time if the accommodation provides a place for drivers as well.
Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Driver + Van for your Trip:
- What is the total cost that includes all fees? (Driver accommodations, driver meals, fuel, kms, etc.)
- Does the van have seatbelts for ALL seats?
- What is the AC like in the van?
- Is it dual AC (AC in the front for the driver, and an AC behind the driver for the passengers)
- Is it lined AC (AC runs throughout the sides of the van – more common in larger vans)
- Is there a rate per km?
- Can you send me pictures and a video of the van?
- How many rows and seats are included in the van? (With long drives, it will be great to be able to spread out)
For your reference, here are some prices we paid for hiring a driver + van.
- 3-Day Trip: 75,000 LKR
- Includes all fees (driver meals + accommodations)
- Unlimited Km
- 7-Day Trip: 147,000 LKR
- An additional 3500 LKR fee for driver meals + accommodations for stays that did not include driver accommodations (fees shown above included within the 147,000 LKR price we paid)
With these questions answered ahead of time, it can really help to ease the travel experience, as everything, including the price, is negotiated ahead of time! However, it is best to note that despite asking questions ahead of time, it is always best to check over the van when it arrives. In our experience, there can still be hiccups, such as not having all of the seatbelts installed when it showed up!
Local Transportation
Another option that we have personally not explored is taking local transportation. There are large local buses and trains that are additional options.
Trains, especially, are quite popular as they are very affordable, especially if you are packing light and are a small group. You can select a 1st class, 2nd class, or 3rd class ticket option. As we typically have been travelling in a larger group of 5+ we have hired a driver for our travels around the island.
You can find tickets for the train schedules here!
Enjoy travelling around this amazing island! If you have more questions, please leave them below!
