Public transportation Negombo airport to Anuradhapura

Actually the air port is in Katunayake ( within 30 mins drive from Negambo).

first of all if you have big baggage you can't travel by bus..I'm writing this assuming you dont have big baggages.

From air port take a tuk tuk and go to Colombo -Negambo main road (LKR150 max). from there can get direct bus at-least 6 buses per hour. As they coming from Colombo can't guarantee a seat. YOu have to draw your luck.

if you want a small rest in between..take a bus to Puttalam from the same place (but less buses around 2-3 per hour) and then direct bus from Puttalam to a'pura.. Whole journey is around 3.5-4 hours ..

hope it helps

Raja

I am glad you shared this here

Thank-you. That's great...I was trying to avoid going into Columbo and wondered if there was a bus to Puttalam and then transfer to a'pura. So, to be clear, do I need to go to the bus station in Negombo to get the bus or can one flag one down on the highway? How many hours is it to Puttalam?

no you don't need to go to the Bus stand. the are only 3 buses for all day from Negambo to A'pra. So just go to Colombo- Negambo maiin road (A3) and just catch a bus that coming from Colombo going towards Puttalam. In Puttalam bus stand there are direct bus to A'pura.

from Negambo to Puttalam around 130Km max will 2-2.5 hours by bus....
Puttalam to A'pura - 75 km 1.5 hours by bus xx

no you don't need to go to the Bus stand. the are only 3 buses for all day from Negambo to A'pra. So just go to Colombo- Negambo maiin road (A3) and just catch a bus that coming from Colombo going towards Puttalam. In Puttalam bus stand there are direct bus to A'pura.

from Negambo to Puttalam around 130Km max will 2-2.5 hours by bus....
Puttalam to A'pura - 75 km 1.5 hours by bus xx

Thank you so much...that is very helpful...our flight arrives at 7:15 am so we should be on the road fairly early. is there any way to find out approximately when the bus may go by? Do you know the colour is it and will it say Puttalam in English on the front? I guess we would probably have have to stand if the bus starts in Columbo...may be kind of uncomfortable for 2.5 hr. ride...

there is not a time table for it..just need to wait on a bus stop...your tuk tuk driver will drop you in a right place. there is one government bus in every hour it will be a red colour bus( all the government buses are red..).. the route number will be "4" .. there is another 4 bus going to chillaw so dont get in that..

the destination is written in English and Sinhalese and tamil.. route number is written in big numbers in between. for an example go to this link (https://www.google.lk/search?q=colombo+puttalam+bus&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=638&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiZt8Pq4r_RAhWGtY8KHf7fCIsQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=qWZDOm543sVb4M%3A) (https://www.google.lk/search?q=colombo+puttalam+bus&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=638&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiZt8Pq4r_RAhWGtY8KHf7fCIsQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=o8sc355LiluqBM%3A this is not to Puttalam just to show you how it looks) when you see a bus coming towards you just look at the number at first if it says 4 just wave your hand... also there can be a posibility that a bus going to anuradhapura is coming with seats available..if so you can go with that as it is direct and quick.. there are some seats mailny reserved for clergy . so dont sit on that. if some one come you ahve to offer that seat as a respect////

also you have this option too....there is a bus from katunayake staion to puttalam at 09.13 am (http://slr.malindaprasad.com/index.php?from=KTK&to=PTM) you can try this too.it is 95% can guarantee a seat if you not travel in a holiday. it is comfortable than bus but take more time x

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