Airports
 The most common way to get to Sri Lanka is to fly, and Colombo provides the main gateway to this island nation. Direct flights arrive daily at Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport, 19 miles north of the city, from major cities across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Australia. A number of inexpensive and frequent flights arrive from India’s main cities such as Madras and Bombay.
Bandaranaike’s terminal has all the amenities international travellers might need upon arrival. There are banks where you can exchange money, restaurants, bars, duty-free shopping and a useful tourist information kiosk. Travellers can choose to use a bus, train or taxi to get from the airport to their destination in Colombo. By car, the journey from the terminal to the city centre takes about an hour.
Sri Lanka’s main domestic airport is called Ratmalana, and is also in Colombo. Daily flights operate to Jaffa and Trincomalee in the north via Expo Aviation and Aero Lanka carriers, though service is sometimes disrupted due to security concerns. The well-heeled can hire a helicopter with Deccan and travel around in luxury, but most Sri Lankans and tourists travel around by road due to the relative lack of reliable flights.
Public Transport
If you’re already in India, it is possible to travel to Sri Lanka by ferry. The country’s main ports are in Colombo, Galle, Kankasanthuri, Hambanota, Trincomalee and Point Pedru.
Trains provide one of the best ways to travel between cities in Sri Lanka. Colombo is connected via rail with virtually every tourist town on the island, although service to northern cities has been suspended due to security concerns. Don’t expect a dearth of first-class or air-conditioned seats, but there is a new intercity express service between Colombo and Kandy which is very comfortable. Otherwise, expect a leisurely train journey where schedules are lax and subject to change.
 Buses offer another good way to get around the island. The Sri Lanka Central Transport Board maintains an extensive network of routes operated by private bus companies. Since the buses are privately-owned, they can be either new and comfortable or dirty and crowded. It’s worth paying a little extra for the best coach you can find.
Hiring a car with a driver is another nice option if you want to do a bit of sightseeing. Renting a car and driving yourself isn’t recommended, as driving in Sri Lanka is chaotic at best.
 Within the towns and cities there are taxis, auto-rickshaws and buses to help you get around. The official taxis in Colombo have yellow roofs and are supposed to be metered, but unscrupulous taxi drivers often take advantage of tourists and refuse to switch of the meter. Visitors are advised to find out the average taxi fares before they hail a taxi. As with all transport in Sri Lanka, it’s best to settle on the fare before getting in. Taxis drivers will expect a 10 per cent tip.
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