Sri Lanka›From Colombo›Negombo
Colombo to Negombo by train, bus or road
About 38 km. The private car is fastest at 1 h; the train is cheapest, from ₹30 per person.
Negombo to ColomboFastest
Private car
Car with driver / PickMe, per vehicle
1 h door to door
Cheapest
Train
Puttalam-line train, Colombo Fort–Negombo
from ₹30 per person
Best value
Bus
Expressway bus, Colombo (Pettah)–Negombo
cheapest at mid fares among options within 1.5× the fastest time (or 1 h more on a short ride)
Every option, compared
Door-to-door times (flights include the time at the airports). Fares are typical ranges from the cheapest seat to the premium one.
| Mode | Service | Time | Fare | Runs | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private car | Car with driver / PickMe, per vehicle | 1 h | ₹1,950–₹3,040per car (up to 4) | Daily | Rome2Rio ↗ |
| Train | Puttalam-line train, Colombo Fort–Negombo | 1.3 h | ₹30–₹210per person | Daily | Rome2Rio ↗ |
| Bus | Expressway bus, Colombo (Pettah)–Negombo | 1.2 h | ₹40–₹160per person | Daily | Rome2Rio ↗ |
- Private car, Car with driver / PickMe, per vehicle: On the Katunayake airport expressway; the old Negombo Road takes twice as long.
- Train, Puttalam-line train, Colombo Fort–Negombo: Slow commuter trains; the airport expressway by car or bus is quicker.
Booking links open the route on the country's transport booking site for trains, buses, boats and transfers, and a flight search for flights, dated about two weeks out; change the date there.
What it costs your group, one way
Fares × people; a private car is priced per car, one car per four people.
| Option | 2 people | 4 people |
|---|---|---|
| Private car · Car with driver / PickMe, per vehicle | ₹1,950–₹3,040 | ₹1,950–₹3,040 |
| Train · Puttalam-line train, Colombo Fort–Negombo | ₹60–₹420 | ₹120–₹840 |
| Bus · Expressway bus, Colombo (Pettah)–Negombo | ₹80–₹320 | ₹160–₹640 |
Once you’re in Negombo
- Best time: December – April
- Typical stay: 1 day
- November: Mixed month: November is outside the recommended season (December – April). Nothing in our data flags November as a problem, but it isn't the season the place is best in.
Related
Plan Colombo and Negombo
A day-by-day plan with this journey, the stays and the rest priced in.