Airport Transfer
On requestWe offer airport pickup arrangements. Just let us know your flight details and we’ll have a driver waiting for you. Air-conditioned vehicles with English-speaking drivers available.
Find us in Sri Lanka
Location
Villa Verner stands on Beach Road in Matara, at the southern tip of Sri Lanka — fifty metres from the ocean, fifty minutes from Galle Fort.
How to Get Here
By Train
Colombo Fort – Matara lineSri Lanka’s scenic coastal railway is one of the most beautiful train rides in the world. Take the train from Colombo Fort to Galle or Matara and enjoy breathtaking views of the Indian Ocean along the way.
Before you travel
Visa and passport
We recommend arranging your visa online through the official ETA service before you leave home, and checking that your passport is valid for at least six months. A visa can also be issued at the airport on arrival, but it takes time.
Apply for your ETA- Visa
- Apply before you travel
- Passport
- Valid for at least 6 months
- On arrival
- Possible at the airport, but slower
- Official site
- eta.gov.lk
Getting around
Scooter, tuk-tuk and the driving licence
The local beaches and eateries are within easy reach by scooter or tuk-tuk. On request, the villa's partner arranges tuk-tuk rides and scooter rentals at an agreed preferential rate for our guests. Tell us at the house when you would like a vehicle and we will set it up.
Scooter and motorbike
The easiest way to move along the coast: 110–125 cc scooters. A helmet is compulsory for rider and passenger alike. To ride, your home licence must carry a motorcycle category and you need a Sri Lankan temporary driving licence — how to get one at the airport is explained alongside.
Tuk-tuk
To drive a tuk-tuk (three-wheeler) the airport's temporary licence is not enough: you also need an International Driving Permit (IDP) and an endorsement from the Automobile Association of Ceylon (AAC). We recommend hiring a tuk-tuk with a driver, or having the rental company arrange the permit before you arrive.
On arrival
Temporary driving licence at the airport
A foreign driving licence on its own is not valid in Sri Lanka. The simplest route is to obtain a Sri Lankan temporary driving licence as soon as you land: in the arrivals area of Colombo (Bandaranaike) airport, at the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) counter next to the SPAR shop, usually in under half an hour.
Be sure to bring your valid home driving licence — without it, no Sri Lankan licence can be issued.
Without a valid licence the rental company's insurance does not apply. Details are as of 2026 — check the official page before you travel.
Official information: airport.lk- Bring
- Passport, visa/ETA and your valid home driving licence
- Home licence
- Full licence, valid for at least one more year
- Age
- 18 or over
- Covers
- Scooters and motorbikes, cars — not tuk-tuks
- Fee
- Paid on the spot; current amount on the official page
- Valid for
- Up to 5 months
- From Estonia
- Also bring the Transport Administration's International Driving Permit (Geneva 1949)
Weather & Best Time to Visit
Sri Lanka's southern coast enjoys warm tropical weather year-round with temperatures between 25°C and 32°C. The best time to visit is from November to May, during the dry season. The southwest monsoon brings rain from June to September, though showers are usually brief. The ocean stays warm at 27–29°C throughout the year.
- High season
- Dec – May
- Dry and sunny, 28–32°C
- Shoulder season
- Oct – Nov
- Mixed weather, fewer tourists
- Low season
- Jun – Sep
- Monsoon, 25–29°C, great rates
Villa Verner
113/2 Beach Rd
Matara 81000
Sri Lanka
5°56′12″ N, 80°31′24″ E
The villa sits fifty metres from the beach on Matara's Beach Road. From Colombo it is under two hours by the Southern Expressway, or a three-to-four-hour drive along the old coast road with the ocean beside you the whole way.
Your room by the Indian Ocean is waiting.
Pick your dates.
Send us an inquiry or message us on WhatsApp — we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.