Getting from Colombo airport (BIA) to the city, Negombo, or Kandy — what is the cheapest and most practical option?

This is one of the most practical questions for any arrival. Here are the options, clearly:

Official airport taxi (counter inside arrivals):
- Fixed rate to Colombo city: approximately LKR 3,500–4,500 (USD 11–14)
- Fixed rate to Negombo: LKR 1,500–2,000
- Pay at the counter inside, receive a voucher. No negotiation needed. Legitimate and safe.

PickMe / Uber:
- PickMe works at BIA — open the app, set pickup to the airport. Typically LKR 2,500–3,500 to Colombo (cheaper than official taxis)
- Requires a local SIM with data. If you don't have one yet, this isn't viable at midnight arrival.
- Drivers sometimes struggle to enter the airport complex — arrange to meet at the arrivals exit

Bus:
- Bus 187 runs Colombo Fort ↔ Airport. Cheap (LKR 100–150) but: infrequent at night, no luggage space, not practical for late arrivals
- Not recommended for midnight arrival

Train:
- Katunayake railway station is 3km from the terminal (free shuttle bus connects them). Train runs Colombo Fort → Airport → Colombo Fort. However: last train is around 9–10 PM. Not useful for late arrivals.

For Negombo first night:
Highly practical — it's 10km from the airport, costs LKR 1,500 in an official taxi, and means you don't have to push to Colombo exhausted at midnight. Many good budget and mid-range hotels within 2km of the beach.

For Kandy direct:
Doable — 3.5–4 hours, approximately LKR 8,000–12,000 by private taxi. Fine for day arrivals. At midnight you'd arrive in Kandy at 3–4 AM, which is not ideal.