How to Read a Sri Lanka Driver Quote (and What to Ask Before You Pay)

Imagine you have two quotes for the same 10 days. Same route. Same car. One is hundreds of dollars cheaper.

Easy choice, right?

Not so fast. Then fuel turns up as an extra. Then the driver’s meals. Then the expressway tolls. Suddenly the cheap quote is not cheap, and you are having an awkward conversation in a car park in the middle of your holiday.

Here is how to read a quote properly, so that never happens to you.

What a good quote should spell out

• Vehicle: car, van or minibus, and whether it has air conditioning
• Fuel: included or extra
• Driver’s accommodation and meals: included or extra (in Sri Lanka the driver usually sleeps near you, so someone has to pay for it)
• Highway and expressway tolls
• Parking fees
• Airport pickup and drop-off: and what happens if your flight is delayed
• Distance limit: is there a daily or total km cap, and what does each extra km cost?
• Waiting time: what happens if you want to stay longer at a place?
• Changes of plan: can you change the route on the road without a fee?
• Driver: does he speak English, and is he licensed for tourist transport?

What is usually not included

These are not hidden costs, but they surprise people, so check:

• Entrance fees (Sigiriya and some national parks are not cheap)
• Safari jeeps
• Your own meals
• Hotels, unless it is a full package
• Tips
• Travel insurance

Questions worth asking

1. Is this price final, or will anything be added on the road?
2. What exactly is the driver paid for, and what do I pay for directly?
3. Can I see the itinerary the quote is based on?
4. What is your policy if I want to change the plan halfway?
5. How much is the deposit, and when is the balance due?

Red flags

• A price with no questions asked about your trip
• A quote far below everyone else’s with no explanation
• Vague wording like “all inclusive” with no list
• Pressure to pay in full upfront
• Unwillingness to put things in writing

A good operator will happily answer every one of these. If they get annoyed by questions, that tells you something.

How we do it at Kohomada

We work with locals who want to make a difference in their service and their vehicle rental, fuel, driver allowance, driver accommodation, driver meals, toll fees and parking fess is what the cost is made up of. Our quote included our costs which is exactly what is costs use to provide you the service and a 20% transparent margin on top of the cost.