Colombo - Sri Lanka - page 165

Car You can arrange an airport car with most Colombo-area hotels for Rs 3000 to Rs
5000. Hotels as far as Galle and beyond also often arrange airport transport. Drivers will
meet you in the arrivals area of the airport.
Taxi You can book a car into Colombo (or elsewhere in Sri Lanka) at the desks when
you arrive in the arrivals hall. Or you can use the hassle-free taxi service outside. Rides
cost Rs 2600 to about Rs 3200 depending on where you are going in Colombo. Be sure to
specify you want to use the expressway and pay the Rs 300 toll.
COLOMBO'S NEW EXPRESSWAYS
New expressways are greatly speeding up travel times to and from Colombo, although
traffic jams on local roads can still greatly slow journeys until the network is done. The
three new toll roads are:
Southern Expressway This 161km highway links Colombo's southern suburbs with Galle
and Matara.
Colombo-Katunayake Expressway Running some 25km from the airport to a point
4km northeast of Fort, this has dramatically cut travel times.
Outer Circular Expressway This beltway will link the Colombo-Katunayake Expressway
with the Southern Expressway, putting Galle within two hours of the airport. It is opening
in sections and should be complete by 2018.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Bus The A-Z Street Guide contains a detailed table and a map showing bus routes in Co-
lombo, but the best way to find out which bus to take is just to ask people at the nearest
stop. Buses going down Galle Rd from Fort or Pettah include the 100. Fares vary from Rs
5 to Rs 40, depending on distance. Service is frequent; there is usually an English-lan-
guage destination sign on the front of the bus.
Taxi Most taxis are metered, but often the driver won't use the meter - agree on the fare
before setting off. A taxi from Fort train station to Galle Face Hotel (a little over 2km)
should cost about Rs 250; Mt Lavinia should cost around Rs 1300.
Dispatched cabs are popular and good value. Reliable companies:
Ace Cabs ( 281 8818; www.acecabs.lk )
Budget Taxi ( 729 9299)