Getting Here & Around

Getting Here & Around

By Air

American Airlines and LanEcuador have twice-daily flights between Miami and Quito. Continental flies nonstop from Houston. Delta connects Atlanta with Quito once daily. U.K. visitors can connect in Miami or Atlanta, or in Amsterdam with KLM, or in Madrid with Iberia or with discount airline Air Comet. From Australia or New Zealand, connect in Los Angeles to itineraries on American, Continental, or Delta.

Tame, Ícaro, and AeroGal are Ecuador's domestic carriers; all offer flights several times daily to Guayaquil and Cuenca. Tame also flies between Quito and San Cristóbal and Baltra in the Galápagos Islands and to the mainland towns of Coca, Esmeraldas, Lago Agrio, Loja, Macas, Machala, Manta, Portoviejo, and Tulcán. AeroGal also flies between Quito and Manta, and Baltra and San Cristóbal, as well as Bogotá and Medellín, Colombia. Within South America, LanEcuador connects Quito with Lima and Santiago; TACA Peru connects it with Lima; Avianca with Bogotá; and Santa Bárbara Airlines with Caracas.

Quito's small, aging Aeropuerto Internacional Mariscal Sucre (UIO) is 8 km (5 mi) north of the city center. Stop at the Cooperativa de Taxis Aeropuerto booth beyond the customs barrier to arrange taxi transport. Prices are a fixed $6 for a ride to the New City. The new Aeropuerto Internacional de Quito is under construction near Puembo, about an hour east of the capital, at this writing. The $75 million facility is scheduled to open in 2010.

By Bus

Buses for most mainland destinations leave from Quito's sprawling Terminal Terrestre Cumandá, south of the Old City. Quito's buses are inexpensive (15) and run frequently during the day. Heavy crowds during the morning and afternoon rushes, however, make them less appealing options. Clearly marked ejecutivo buses cost 20 and guarantee you a seat, making them a more comfortable option. Much faster is the Trole (pronounced tro-lay), an electric trolley-bus system running through the center of town along Avenida 10 de Agosto in the New City and Calle Guayaquil in the Old City. A similar nonelectric system, the Ecovía, generally plies Avenida 6 de Diciembre between the New and Old cities. Fares for both are 25.

At this writing, a 30-km (18-mi) light-rail line called the TRAQ (Tren Rápido de Quito) is on the drawing board to replace the saturated Trole system. The 80-kph (48 mph) train will provide the fastest, easiest connection between Old and New Cities and beyond in each direction. Completion is scheduled for 2010.

By Car

The Pan-American Highway runs right through Quito, which makes driving to most places in the country fairly easy. Short trips are possible to some of the nearby tourist areas but should be carefully planned because road conditions are not always good once you leave the main highway. Do not drive into the Amazon or anywhere near the Colombian border. A better idea is to rent a car and driver. Three of the major international rental agencies—Avis, Budget, and Hertz—have offices in downtown Quito and at Aeropuerto Mariscal Sucre. You can also rent a car from Localiza, an Ecuadoran company, at the airport.

Lofty Heights

The minute you step off the plane onto the jetway at Quito's airport, a sign advises you that you are now at 2,800 meters (9,200 feet) above sea level, and to take it easy your first couple of days here. Good advice.

By Taxi

Taxis are inexpensive and an ideal way to get around. A ride between the New and Old cities runs about $2. Most drivers use their meters, which begin tallying the fare at 35. Agree on a price beforehand if the driver says the meter isn't working. The fare to most destinations in the city should be $5 or less. Expect a $2 surcharge after dark. Tele Taxi and City-Taxi are reliable companies that will send a driver to pick you up. They will also arrange city tours for $10 per hour.