Scam guide
Do you know that a LKR 2,000 train ticket has sold for LKR 16,000?
The seats vanish in minutes, then reappear on the pavement at eight times the price.
Reserved seats on the hill-country line sell out within hours. Resellers buy them up and sell them on to foreigners at many times the face value. Colombo Fort, Kandy and Ella stations are the main places it happens.
How it works
- Bulk buyers take reserved seats the moment bookings open, 30 days ahead.
- The tickets are resold through agents, tour desks and touts near the station.
- A government minister reported tickets priced at LKR 2,000 being resold to foreigners for as much as LKR 16,000.
How to avoid it
- Book directly on the Sri Lanka Railways reservation site or the Pravesha app as soon as the 30-day window opens.
- If the train is sold out, buy an unreserved ticket at the station on the day for a few hundred rupees.
- If you use an agent because your card is declined on the official site, ask for the face value and their fee separately.
If it happens to you: A resold ticket in someone else's name may be refused on board. Keep your receipt and report the seller to station staff.
Know the fair price: Train tickets should cost LKR 1,500–4,000, for a reserved seat booked directly.
Rather have the price settled before you land?
Tell us where you want to go. We reply with one all-inclusive figure for car and driver, with no shopping stops along the way.