Colombo Airport taxi & transfers

Getting to and from the airport

The expressway from Katunayake to the northern edge of Colombo is the only stretch of road on this journey that behaves predictably, and it does most of the work. The old road through Ja-Ela and Wattala is still there and still used when the expressway is closed, but it runs through the middle of every town on the way and takes very much longer. Going north to Negombo instead is a short run on ordinary roads.

Arranging a pickup

Arrivals opens onto a covered set-down area; drivers wait past the exit rather than inside the hall, and meeting outside the terminal building is normal here rather than a sign that something has gone wrong. Flights from Europe and the Gulf land in a cluster before dawn, which is the one time of day the road into Colombo is genuinely clear. Give the flight number when booking — a driver who has it will wait through a delay rather than a booked hour.