I am going to be very close to Rameshwaram, and it is quite close to Sri Lanka. I think that maybe I should go to Sri Lanka as I would be quite close to it and Sri Lanka is a beautiful country. I would like to know what the Rameshwaram to Sri Lanka distance is? Also how long would it take me to reach Sri Lanka from Rameshwaram?
Hello, welcome to the forum! Overview The distance between Rameshwaram (India) and Talaimannar (Sri Lanka) is about 55 kilometres. Rameshwaram is one of the last Indian cities prior to the sea border with Sri Lanka. On the other hand, Talaimannar is one of the last Sri Lankan cities prior to reaching the sea border with India. Just recently the roads leading to Dhanushkodi, the nearest Indian land territory to the sea border, was renovated and relaid to make the journey from Rameshwaram to this abandoned village easier. Dhanushkodi is merely 23 kilometres away from Talaimannar. Still, despite all these achievements, and despite the small distance between Rameshwaram (India) and Talaimannar (Sri Lanka), ferry connectivity is not yet available between these two ports. Thus, travellers who need to reach Sri Lanka from the Rameshwaram side still need to go to the nearest airport to board a flight reaching the country proper. How to Reach Sri Lanka from Rameshwaram There are no land transfers nor boat transfers from Rameshwaram in India to Talaimannar in Sri Lanka. Your only option is to board a flight going to Sri Lanka, meaning, only air transfers are available for this route. There are government talks about pursuing the previous ferry connectivity between the two piers, but nothing is final yet. This, in part, might have to do with the loss of profits with the previous ferry services that run between the two countries when they were opened in the previous years. Aside from that, the ferry services need upgraded ports or piers too, just to make the journey safer and more comfortable for the passengers. You have two options for air travel though to reach Sri Lanka from Rameshwaram. By Air via Madurai International Airport - Your first and best option is to reach the Madurai International Airport, about 175 kilometres away from Rameshwaram. It takes around three to four hours to reach this airport from Rameshwaram. It has domestic flights for cities like Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai. It only has international flights for Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. But first, you need to reach the airport from Rameshwaram, so below are your transportation options. 1. By Train - There are some trains running between Rameshwaram and Madurai. Most of them are passenger trains though there are some express and super fast one as well. Journey duration can be as long as four hours in some trains. The trains depart from the Rameshwaram Railway Station and arrive at the Madurai Junction Railway Station. Trains from Rameshwaram Railway Station to Madurai Junction Railway Station Train Name and NumberDeparture TimeArrival TimeScheduleJourney DurationRameshwaram Madurai Passenger Train No. 567245:309:20Daily3 Hours and 50 MinutesRameshwaram Madurai Passenger Train No. 5672211:2015:10Daily3 Hours and 50 MinutesRameshwaram Tirupati Meenakshi Express Train No. 1678016:0018:55Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays2 Hours and 55 MinutesRameshwaram Madurai Passenger Train No. 5672618:0022:10Daily4 Hours and 10 MinutesRameshwaram Kanyakumari SF Express Train No. 2262120:4523:30Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays2 Hours and 45 MinutesRameshwaram Okha Express Train No. 1673322:0000:55Fridays2 Hours and 55 MinutesThese are all the trains running from Rameshwaram to Madurai. The earliest train departs at 5:30 in the morning and the latest train departs at 22:00 from Rameshwaram. The Rameshwaram Tirupati Meenakshi Express Train No. 16780 is a good option as it has a short running time of 2 hours and 55 minutes. Along with that, it doesn't face as much delays unlike the other trains. For the reserved trains, the fares are between Rs. 80 to Rs. 95 for the General Seating class. From the Madurai Junction Railway Station, the Madurai International Airport is about 13 kilometres away. Since there are no direct trains from the railway station to the airport, you can just ride a taxi to reach the latter. 2. By Bus - There are some buses that ply between Rameshwaram and Madurai. You have the option of either a government-operated bus or a privately-operated bus. Their timings, especially for the government-operated ones, are not fixed. You can board any of these buses from the Rameshwaram Bus Stand near Pamban. The bus would then drop you off at the Mattuthavani Bus Terminus near Melur in Madurai. Buses from Rameshwaram Bus Stand to Mattuthavani Bus Terminus Bus TypeCompanyDeparture TimeArrival TimeFareLeylandTNSTC14:0018:05Rs. 250VolvoSri Renugambal Travels18:1521:45Rs. 350These are the government-operated and privately-operated buses that run between Rameshwaram and Madurai. Take note that these aren't all the timings, as I've mentioned above, the buses don't have fixed schedules. If you want a basic bus, the Leyland bus by the TNSTC is a good option, though it is prone to delays due to numerous stopovers along the way. On the other hand, if you want a more comfortable journey, you can opt for the Volvo bus by the Sri Renugambal Travels. From the Mattuthavani Bus Terminus, the Madurai International Airport is about 18 kilometres away. It's best to just ride a taxi to cover the remaining distance as there are no direct buses from the bus terminus to the airport. 3. By Taxi - Alternatively, you can opt for taxi journey as well, which would come out to be the most convenient but also the most expensive. Taxi fares from Rameshwaram to Madurai ranges around Rs. 3,100 to Rs. 4,500 for a one-way trip. You would reach Madurai in about three to four hours from Rameshwaram. Flight Proper Once you have covered the distance between Rameshwaram and Madurai, you can venture into the airport to find flights for Colombo. There are usually daily flights from Madurai to Colombo, operated by various airlines. However, to save some money, it's recommended that you book flight tickets at least a month in advance prior to your preferred schedule of departure. For example, here are some affordable flights from Madurai to Colombo, on a date exactly a month from today. Flights from Madurai to Colombo Flight NameAirlineDeparture TimeArrival TimeFareSG 3Spice Jet12:4513:50Rs. 4,831UL 140Sri Lankan Airlines15:4016:35Rs. 7,132Total Journey Duration - 4 Hours (Land Journey) and 1 Hour (Air Journey) By Air via Tiruchirappalli International Airport - Your next option is to reach the Tiruchirappalli International Airport, which is about 224 kilometres away from Rameshwaram. It takes around four to five hours to reach the airport from Rameshwaram. Aside from international flights to Colombo, the airport also has flights to cities like Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Sharjah and Singapore. Below, you can read the guide on how you can reach the Tiruchirappalli International Airport from Rameshwaram. 1. By Train - Several trains run between the Rameshwaram Railway Station and Tiruchirappalli Junction Railway Station. Trains are mostly express trains but there's one passenger train as well. Journey duration can be as long as seven hours for some trains though. Trains from Rameshwaram Railway Station to Tiruchirappalli Junction Railway Station Train Name and NumberDeparture TimeArrival TimeScheduleJourney DurationRameshwaram Bhubaneswar Weekly Express Train No. 184958:0013:25Sundays5 Hours and 25 MinutesRameshwaram Tiruchirappalli Passenger Train No. 5683014:1020:50Daily6 Hours and 40 MinutesRameshwaram Tirupati Meenakshi Express Train No. 1678016:0022:00Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays6 HoursBoat Mail Train No. 1610217:0022:25Daily5 Hours and 25 MinutesRameshwaram Coimbatore Express Train No. 1661719:001:00Wednesdays6 HoursSethu SF Express Train No. 2266220:151:00Daily4 Hours and 45 MinutesRameshwaram Manduadih Weekly Express Train No. 1511923:004:10Wednesdays5 Hours and 10 MinutesThese are all the trains running between Rameshwaram and Tiruchirappalli. The earliest train departs at around 8:00 and the latest train departs at around 23:00 from Rameshwaram. The Sethu SF Express Train No. 22662 is a good option because its running time is just 4 hours and 45 minutes. Even if it faces a delay of 20 minutes, your journey duration would still be within 5 hours. Fares are at Rs. 125 for General Seating, Rs. 185 for Sleeper, Rs. 490 for Third AC, Rs. 695 for Second AC and Rs. 1,160 for First AC. From the Tiruchirappalli Junction Railway Station, the Tiruchirappalli International Airport is just six kilometres away. You can cover the remaining distance with a taxi. 2. By Bus - There are a few private bus operators with buses running between Rameshwaram and Tiruchirappalli. Again, these buses depart from the Rameshwaram Bus Stand near Pamban and arrive at the Trichy Central Bus Stand in Tiruchirappalli. You might also be able to board government buses from the bus stand but their timings are not fixed. Buses from Rameshwaram Bus Stand to Trichy Central Bus Stand Bus TypeCompany NameDeparture TimeArrival TimeFareAC Semi-SleeperSri Renugambal Travels17:4523:15Rs. 400Non AC Seater/Semi-SleeperSRS Travels18:1523:45Rs. 450These are the companies operating buses from Rameshwaram to Tiruchirappalli. Again, these are just the buses that can be booked online, you might be able to find other government and private buses in the bus stand proper. For a comfortable journey, the AC Semi-Sleeper bus by Sri Renugambal Travels is a good option. The Non AC Seater/Semi-Sleeper bus of SRS Travels is more expensive though the journey might not be as comfortable. From the Trichy Central Bus Stand, the Tiruchirappalli International Airport is just about seven kilometres away. You can just ride an auto rickshaw or taxi to cover the remaining distance. 3. By Taxi - Your last option is to hire a taxi from Rameshwaram to Tiruchirappalli International Airport. Fare rates vary depending on the type of taxi you hire, the smaller, the more affordable. Average fare rates would be around Rs. 5,500 to Rs. 7,500 for a one-way trip. Flight Proper Generally, flights from Tiruchirappalli to Colombo are priced higher as compared to the previous option. Even if you book a ticket at least a month in advance, you'd have to pay around Rs. 7,000 to Rs. 8,000 for the lower priced tickets. Here are some flights from Tiruchirappalli to Colombo, a month away from today. Flights from Tiruchirappalli to Colombo Flight NumberAirlineDeparture TimeArrival TimeFareUL 132Sri Lankan Airlines9:4010:40Rs. 7,588UL 134Sri Lankan Airlines15:3016:30Rs. 7,588Total Journey Duration - 6 Hours (Land Journey) and 1 Hour (Air Journey) There are other alternatives like reaching the Trivandrum International Airport or even the Cochin International Airport. However, they are further away from Rameshwaram so your land journey would be longer. The upside is that they would have more flight options from India to Sri Lanka. But if you want to cut your land journey short, the airports above are your best options, as they are the nearest ones to Rameshwaram. Conclusion The distance between Rameshwaram and Sri Lanka (Talaimannar) is merely 55 kilometres, which can be covered within an hour or two by land or sea. However, both options are not yet available for travellers who want to reach Talaimannar from Rameshwaram. Thus, your only option is to go by air, the nearest ones to Rameshwaram are the Madurai International Airport and the Tiruchirappalli International Airport. Both have direct flights to Colombo in Sri Lanka too. I hope this helps you!
