Nuwara Eliya to Ella train
Let’s get to one of the most famous things to do in Sri-Lanka, the train to Ella. We opted to take it from Nuwara Eliya to Ella in order to shorten the ride and explore more the countryside between Kandy and Nuwara Eliya.
What most people do is to take the train from Kandy to Ella which last for 6 to 10h. On top of having a long train journey, you will be missing out on some amazing things to do between Kandy and Nuwara Eliya.
That’s the reason, we recommend Nuwara Eliya to Ella train journey. That’s where you get most of everything.
In this article, we will tell our Nuwara Eliya to Ella Train story. So, if you too are planning a trip to Sri Lanka and to Ella, then let ‘s dive in this Nuwara Eliya to Ella train journey.
Here is our complete video from this trip :
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Nuwara Eliya Train Station
To get Nuwara Eliya to Ella train, you have to take a 15-min or so tuktuk to Nanuoya train station. While entering the station, you will directly spot the ticket office where you could get last-minute unreserved seats for 2nd or 3rd class.
There isn’t many platform but be sure to ask a controller where you shuld be standing in order to get to the right carriage.  Once on the platform we asked an agent there where our carriage will be and then waited there. Cool thing was that we met an older couple from the Netherlands! It was fun chatting with them.
Finally, the Nuwara Eliya to Ella train arrived, remember that it is a bleu train. So, if you take another color, you did something wrong. We hopped on and went to our seat. We were in the 3rd class reserved carriage as we booked ticket last minutes, this was the only options for reserved seat.
Train Class
There are 5 types of carriage on the Nuwara Eliya to Ella train: 1st class reserved, 2nd class reserved, 3rd class reserved, 2nd class unreserved, 3rd class unreserved. What’s good to know is that one carriage is one class, and you cannot move from one to another.
Not a lot of people go to first class on the Nuwara Eliya to Ella train because it is Air conditioned and therefor you cannot open the windows nor the doors. 2ndclass reserved is where most tourists want to go, to get a ticket there you must book weeks in advance, 3rd class reserved is where we were and we loved it, once in Ella, we saw the other class carriage of the Nuwara Eliya to Ella train and we must say that preferred the 3rd class reserved.
The main difference between 2nd and 3rd being the type of seat you get and their configuration 2+2 in 2nd versus 2+3 in 3rd.
The difference between reserved and unreserved on the Nuwara Eliya to Ella train is that in unreserved, you buy your ticket last minute and it is first arrived, first served, meaning you are not guarantee to have a seat and if the train is full, people will be standing. This cannot happen in reserved class.
We met a couple who took unreserved 2nd class seat on the Nuwara Eliya to Ella train and were stranded in the corridor at the door, during the whole time. As they didn’t have backpacks or luggage, it was fine but if you have your stuff with you, It could be complicated to enjoy the ride. In reserved class, you will always have place on the luggage racks as there are less people and nobody standing. It is also much easier to move around, take pictures and so on..
3rd Class & Train Schedule
Our seats weren’t really great and not even together, but luckily, there was a square seats area empty. And it was on the right side, which provides the best views from Nuwara Eliya to Ella.
As mentioned, we took the Nuwara Eliya to Ella train which is about 3h to 4h ride but mostly people take the train from Kandy to Ella which is the same train line which is between 6h and 10h.
Remember that this isn’t a direct train, it will make many stops along the way. And if you wonder why it is that long, the track isn’t straight at all!
There are 2 trains that runs per day from Kandy to Ella, the first one leaves Kandy around 8h30 and the other one around 11am. They respectively arrived in Nanuoya (Nuwara Eliya) around 12h and 14h30 and in Ella at 15h00 and 17h00. But check the right time beforehand as it may change from day to another.
But they are often late, so be flexible!
And of course, you can also do the journey in the other direction from Ella to Nanuoya or Kandy. This way is apparently less crowded, and it is much easier to get reserved seat. We met a couple of travelers who did it that way and they all said the same.
Ticket Reservation
Let’s talk about ticket and reservation. Booking for reserved seats opens 30 days in advance, unfortunately most of them are bought by travel agency that will later resell them at a higher price.
You can always try to ask your host in Kandy in advance to see if he can get you some tickets. We asked our one day in advance and all he could find was 3rd class reserved from Nanuoya to Ella. Or even to pop by the train station the day before but be aware that you may not get a reserved seat.
While discussing with out host, he told us that we can book them on 12GO ASIA. When we checked, we could only buy a ticket for exactly 30-day away, all the rest was already taken.
Regarding the cost, we paid 8000 rupees for 2 tickets and 500 rupees to have them deliver to our accommodation in Nuwara Eliya. Which is consistent with the price on 12GO ASIA.
Our Journey
In the 3rd class reserved compartment, we had all of comfort needed. There were fans on the ceiling to cool us down but taking our head out by the window would also do the trick.
There were one toilet, which wasn’t the cleanest, but well, at least it is there for emergencies.
The seats were quite alright, but we have 4 only for us. And a few people passed selling snacks!
Recommendation
In the end, we would 100% recommend doing what we did as we loved it.
So take a driver from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya to discover some amazing spots on the way like the mountain tower and a tea factory. Then take the afternoon train from Nanuoya to Ella.
This way you get the best of everything. And definitely we would recommend doing 3rd class reserved seat!
And be careful while popping out of the doors and windows on the train as there are signs, boards, mountains, tunnels can quickly arrive.
To end the day and before going to our accommodation, we went for diner in Ella where there were so many options!
Where to Stay
Our favourite accommodation in Ella
- ($):Â Lavendra Paradise
- ($$): CHILL VILLE, VIEW POINT HOTEL
- ($$$): Tea Cabins
It is not the destination where you end up but the mishaps and memories you create along the way
Get our full map
Why pin one by one when you can get them all at once? With this map, you get all our pins, destinations, things to see, where to eat and sleep, and so much more in one time.
