How to reach Sri Lanka from India?

You can reach Sri Lanka from India by several methods. Which is best depends on your budget, time, and where in India you’re starting from. Here are the main options:

Options to Reach Sri Lanka from India

To get to Sri Lanka, there are a number of alternatives to India:

1. By Air (Most Common)

This is the fastest and most popular option. Direct flights are available from major Indian cities to Colombo's Bandaranaike International Airport:

• From India: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kochi, Trivandrum.
• Flight duration: 1-3 hours according to your home city.
• Airlines: Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, Sri Lankan Airlines, and so on.

The nearest big Indian city to Sri Lanka is Chennai, and the shortest flight distance of flight approximately 1 hour.

2. By Sea

Passenger ferries between India and Sri Lanka were suspended for many years, but a limited service between Nagapattinam (India) and Kankesanthurai (Sri Lanka) was briefly restarted in 2023. However, as of now, there is no regular or reliable ferry service for ordinary travelers. The principal courses were:

• Rameswaram (India) to Talaimannar (Sri Lanka).
• Colombo (Sri Lanka) to Tuticorin (India).

At present, there is no consistent ferry service between the two nations that can be utilized by ordinary people.

3. Mixed land/sea (Not by road/train entirely)

Due to the fact that Sri Lanka is an island, you cannot fully travel by road or by train in India.
When you are in southern India, you may get to a port (such as Nagapattinam) by road/train, and then by ferry. This is an amalgamation of both land and sea travel.
There are some older/ older suggestions of a bridge or tunnel across the Palk Strait, which have not been constructed yet.

Travel visa to Sri Lanka for Indian Nationals

The citizens of India require a visa in order to enter Sri Lanka. You can apply for:

• Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) - online and fast in processing.
• It is a simple procedure that can be done prior to your flight.

Advice: Flying is the way to go. Use the direct flight between any Indian city that is most convenient to you into Colombo, and the ETA visa should be granted online.
To sum up, flying has always been the quickest and most convenient method of traveling to Sri Lanka, with ferry services being done only occasionally by way of a more adventurous voyage by the people of southern Tamil Nadu.

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