Vavuniya Getting there & around

Getting there & away

Land

Bus

The Central Transport Board (CTB) bus station is close to the clock tower. Private buses to Mannar (Rs 50, 2½ hours), Trinco (Rs 80, four bone-shaking hours) and, on alternate days, Omantai (for Jaffna) leave from First Cross St, while for Anuradhapura (Rs 34, 1½ hours, at least hourly until 7pm), Kandy (Rs 96 to 106, four hours) and Colombo (bus/air-con minibus Rs 200/250, 5½ hours) they start from Second Cross St. Colombo services run around the clock on the Puttalam route (via Anuradhapura) and until 7pm on the Dambulla route, but some buses will charge full Colombo fares for intermediate drop-offs.

Train

Vavuniya is the northern railhead for the line from Colombo. There are four trains to Colombo daily, plus a 7am Anuradhapura service. Fares to Colombo are Rs 560/290/160 in 1st/2nd/3rd class on the 3.15am slow train, 6.05am express (five hours) and the 1.15pm semiexpress (9½ hours). The convenient overnight sleeper train (seven hours) departs 10pm and costs Rs 520 for a 1st-class berth and Rs 309/175 for a 2nd/3rd class sleeperette. Reserve your tickets at the station between 7am and 10.30am within 10 days of departure.

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