Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo, is an attractive mix of heritage and modernity with old Portuguese, Dutch and British colonial era buildings mixed with modern shopping malls and high-rises. Compared to other capitals in Asia, Colombo is quite a small city. Despite this, it is the largest in Sri Lanka. So if you’ve had enough of the city and want to unwind in a quieter spot, the northeastern port city of Trincomalee is a good destination. Here you will find one of the best beaches in Sri Lanka and a historic fort with fantastic views of blue whales. From the temples on the surrounding hills, you’ll also get great views of the city. Read on to find out the best way to travel from Colombo to Trincomalee.
Train from Colombo in the background © Melih Cevdet Teksen / Shutterstock.com
Travel options from Colombo to Trincomalee
If you take the road or plane from Colombo to Trincomalee, you will drive from the west coast of Sri Lanka to the east coast. The city of Trincomalee is located northeast of the capital, 260 kilometers away. Since the landscape is quite flat and there are not many mountains to climb, the road is quite straight forward. The bus from Colombo to Trincomalee is quite popular and incredibly cheap. Traveling by train is also very cheap and should be faster than by bus. Flights are also available, but they are much more expensive and departure times can be a bit uncertain.
Colombo to Trincomalee by bus
Public bus in Sri Lanka © Val Shevchenko / Shutterstock.com
Buses may be the cheapest option to get from Colombo to Trincomalee, but prices vary depending on who you book with. Sri Lanka’s National Transport Commission is a public entity that operates long-distance buses, including the Colombo to Trincomalee route. NTC tickets are usually the cheapest, but you will have to weigh up the pros and cons of traveling with this public company and other private companies.
From the NTC there is usually one departure per hour each day, so there are plenty of buses to choose from. But these buses tend to be slower than the others, with a scheduled travel time to Trincomalee of nearly seven hours from Colombo. You will also need to check what type of bus is operating on the route you are interested in. In general, almost all of these long-distance buses are upgraded with air-conditioning and cost more than a conventional standard bus, so the trip is a bit more expensive. Still, it’s a good option as buses also depart from Colombo Bastian Mawatha Bus Station which is near the city centre.
If you want to know what the other options are, you can book tickets with private companies through the website 12Go.asia. Avro Travels has three outlet stores in Colombo, so this might be a better option if you live near Dehiwela Frazer Avenue, Galleface or Bampalapitty 7 Stories. These buses reach Trincomalee in less time as the maximum scheduled journey time is 6 hours 25 minutes depending on where you start your journey. The minimum duration is 6 hours and 5 minutes. Tickets are a bit more expensive than from NTC, but the service is a bit better and you can book your tickets online in advance.
Flights from Colombo to Trincomalee
We wanted to include information about the possibility of flying from Colombo to Trincomalee, although it does not seem to be the most recommended travel option between these cities. Firstly, this option is much more expensive than the others, and the high cost of the ticket will make almost every traveler reject it. The second disadvantage is that it can be difficult to find flights using an internet search. According to some websites, there are several airlines that serve the route from Colombo to Trincomalee, but almost all of them are charter companies such as Air Senok, FitsAir, Helitours and Millennium Airlines, so you can only book through one travel agency. SriLankan Airlines (operated by Cinammon Air) seems to be the only commercial airline with scheduled flights between the two cities, but the prices are a bit exorbitant.
Colombo to Trincomalee by train
Traveling by train from Colombo to Trincomalee seems to be very similar in price to the bus, so the train is a very reasonable option to travel between these two destinations. Prices vary slightly depending on the travel class you choose, but rest assured that all tickets are very affordable. The cheapest third class tickets are the least comfortable and we advise against choosing this option. The seats are very basic and considering the train journey takes at least 3.5 hours you will want to sit in a minimally comfortable seat.
Second class travel can cost one or two euros more, while first class tickets are a bit more expensive. In any case, the price differences are minimal, so it may be worth spending a little more to travel as comfortably as possible.
The trains are operated by Sri Lanka Railways. It leaves Colombo Fort Station at 10:05 every morning and arrives at Trincomalee Station at 1:40 PM. There are more trains that run on this route, but this one is the most direct and fastest. Other trains can take eight hours to complete the journey. Make sure to book your ticket as far in advance as possible, as you can only book cross-class tickets if there are at least 37 days left until your travel date.
Excluding the flight option, it is worth traveling from Colombo to Trincomalee by both bus and train. Remember that you can choose between public and private buses. The private ones are a little more expensive, but they offer a faster service and you can book your tickets online over the internet 12Go.