Aug 12, 2018, 4:39 AM
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Thanks for your help, Janith G. We had your advice on hand in case we couldn't find our bus.
I can now report back that the 7:30am direct bus/coach from Galle to Negombo DOES exist.
It also goes right past Colombo international airport, too (bypassing Colombo), so no need to change in Colombo if you catch this coach! Tickets cost 650 LKR per person.
It's a very nice, clean, new, air conditioned coach that leaves Galle at 7:30am and goes all the way to Negombo via the express way. I got the impression that stops could be requested anywhere en route but these are the stops that we made and the times they were made:
Kadawatha (first stop) @ 08:55
Mudungoda @ 09:15
Gampaha @ 09:20
Colombo (Bandaranaike) International Airport @ 09:50
Galkanda @ 10:05
Negombo bus station (last stop) @ 10:10
It actually left Galle as soon as it was full, which was a couple of minutes early (so turn up in plenty of time if you want to take this coach). It leaves from the gravel car park (where several coaches were parked) on the opposite side of the road to the Galle bus station.
Supposedly, there's one at 4:30pm, as well, but I'll need someone else to confirm that one. We were the only non-locals on board, so I'm guessing not that many tourists know about it yet.