Means of transport Ecuador

Trans Esmeraldas Internacional (TEISA) began its operations in 1970, covering the routes between the provinces of Pichincha, Guayas and Esmeraldas. From 1977, it was incorporated as a joint stock company with several co-owners, which also led to the construction of its own terminals.

This passenger transport company has grown over time and covers the 10 provinces of El Oro, Orellana, Esmeraldas, Azuay, Guayas, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Sucumbíos, Manabí, Pichincha and Santa Elena.

Founded in 1950 by a handful of Imbabura entrepreneurs, Flota Imbabura is a local transport company offering quality service. It serves Cuenca, Guayaquil, Manta, Ibarra and Tulcán from Quito. The coaches are in excellent condition and very well maintained. Departures to each of these destinations are approximately every hour. It is advisable to buy your ticket in advance via the website or by visiting one of the many Flota Imbabura agencies to guarantee your trip.

The Trolebus crosses the city on a north-south axis following Maldonado and Avenida 10 de Agosto, linking the Carcelén terminal to the north and Terminal Quitumbe to the south. It passes through the historic center, skirting Guayaquil to the south and Flores and Montúfar to the north. It is now complemented by a metro system, due to come into service in 2023, providing a much faster link between the city center and the new town. Thanks to its dedicated lanes, the Trolebus is often a faster and cheaper option than the cab.

Arturo will pick you up to take you to Secret Garden Cotopaxi. Count US $ 15 for one go (for the car).

The Ecovía, a service provided by the metropolis and complementary to the Trolebus, serves the eastern part of Quito along Avenida 6 de Diciembre, between the Quitumbe Terminal in the south and Río Coca in the north. This is a bus line that will allow you to avoid the big traffic jams at the beginning or end of the day in Quito and at the same time will allow you to discover a part of the city that is not usually frequented by visitors. The price of the ticket includes the connection with the conventional transport system, so you can get to all of Quito for less.

For the record, the first railroad in Ecuador dates back to 1873, and the presidency of Gabriel García Moreno; the first line covered 41 km between Yaguachi and Milagro, on the coast. In 1895, with the triumph of the Revolución Liberal led by Eloy Alfaro Delgado, work resumed. In 1897, the Guayaquil and Quito Railway Company was created to build the Ferrocarril del Sur (Southern Railway), and in 1902, the famous Nariz del Diablo line was built on the hill known as Cóndor Puñuna ("Condor's Nest").

Incredible green airport with the highest rating for sustainable construction. An award presented in 2014 by the American organization U.S. Green Building Council makes this airport the only one in the world to have initiated such a process. Everything here is designed with an environmental perspective in mind: from the materials used, to lighting, water consumption and natural ventilation.

Tame, Latam and Avianca are the companies that serve the airport. Another company can reach Isabela Island in less than 30 minutes.

Entrance fee to Galapagos National Park. The wait is often long. You will have to pay an entrance fee here on the territory of the national park (US$100 payable in cash only).

From the airport to Puerto Ayora (Isla Santa Cruz). From the airport, you must take a shuttle bus (free) to reach the Itabaca Canal and take a boat (US$1) that will take you to Santa Cruz. Once on the island, it takes 45 minutes (by bus or taxi) to reach Puerto Ayora

A Quito-based cab and chauffeur-driven vehicle company that offers, in addition to cab services, customized transportation throughout the country in comfortable vehicles. 32 vehicles available and attractive prices compared with conventional transport agencies. The company is a kind of cooperative, with most of its vehicles based at the old airport in the center of Quito. The staff are very professional and friendly. WhatsApp recommended for reservations. Invoices are sent by email on request.

This small local airline operates a fleet of twin-engine Islanders, known for their reliability. It takes 35 minutes to fly from Baltra to Isabela and Baltra to San Cristóbal, and 45 minutes to fly from San Cristóbal to Isabela. This is a good option especially if you need to go from Isabela to San Cristobal (or vice versa), as you avoid two boat trips and a lost day. If you are lucky, the clouds will let you discover the colors of the Galapagos archipelago from the sky, an unforgettable sight.

1 daily flight to San Cristóbal from Quito and from Guayaquil to Baltra. At the beginning of Quito, the plane makes a 45 min stopover in Guayaquil.

Several daily departures for the main cities of the country or to Peru. Count 15h of bus for Quito, 9h for Guayaquil and 5-6h for Cuenca, 6h for Machala, 1h30 for Zamora and 6-7h for Macará at the Peruvian border. For Vilcabamba, departures every 15 minutes, either by bus, minibus, or by taking one of the collective taxis that leave from the south of Iberoamérica Avenue (Mercadillo y Manuel Carrion, about US$ 1.50 for a 40-minute ride) and from Vilcabambaturis (land terminal ✆ +593 7 257 7376).

Cooperativa de Transporte en Taxis is a cab service located in Guayaquil. Whether you need a cab to get to the airport, the train station or to get around town, Cooperativa de Transporte en Taxis is there to help. Their drivers are reliable and professional, and their rates are competitive.

To get to the Southern Sierra, the coast or the Oriente region, you need to take a bus from the Quitumbe bus station, a huge, modern and well-organized land terminal south of the capital, which opened in 2009 to ease traffic inside Quito itself. At the station, you'll find vending machines, food stores, pharmacies, luggage storage and even an information desk.

This terminal serves the cities north and northwest of Quito (Guayllabamba, Nanegalito), the cantons of Tabacundo, San Miguel de los Bancos and Cayambe, and the north of the Sierra (province of Imbabura, for Otavalo and Carchi, for example). This is also where the buses to Mindo leave from. To get from the northern terminal of Carcelén to the southern terminal of Quitumbe or to the city centre, the taxi (or its modern substitutes) is the most convenient and fastest means of transport.

The terminal is located at the entrance to the city centre. Well arranged, it gathers the offices of the different bus cooperatives. Daily and frequent departures to Quito (more than 20 buses/day, 3h). This is the same bus that you will have to take to go to Latacunga. The stop will be on the side of the Pan-American Highway. Every 10 minutes for Ambato (1h); about ten buses for Riobamba (2h). Towards the Amazon, about ten buses per day towards Puyo (2h) and Tena (about 4 or 5h). There are also buses to Guayaquil and Salinas on the coast (9 hours).

Many airlines serve this airport: KLM and Iberia, among others. The journey to the city takes about 1 hour, depending on the traffic density and the area of destination. The road to the centre is in perfect condition. To go from the airport to the center of Quito by taxi, count 25 US$ for 1 to 3 people. You can opt for the public bus or the private bus line Aeroservicios which offer this trip for 2 to 8 US$ per person.

A great international passenger airline within South America. Connecting Caracas to Lima, Panamericana offers stops all along the Andean chain, providing another way to discover the Andes, from north to south. The coaches are comfortable and the road is beautiful. If you're lucky, you'll catch several volcanoes on camera along the way. The vehicles stop about every 3 hours, so watch out for the departure, as the drivers are often impatient and not very good at counting the number of passengers on board.

Specializing in passenger transport from Quito to Guayaquil, this transport cooperative offers very high quality coaches where it is easy to take a nap during the journey, which often lasts about ten hours. The line offers more than 15 departures per day, mainly from the Quitumbe terminal, but also 3 daily departures from the Carcelen terminal, north of the city. It is recommended to buy your ticket in advance, either online or at the cooperative's agencies, often located in the bus station terminals.

The French airline was offering a direct flight from Paris to Quito in 2019, but the flight has not yet resumed service since the Covid-19 pandemic. For the time being, Air France/KLM is offering to fly via Amsterdam to Quito or Guayaquil, at very attractive prices. The return flight, especially if you're flying from Quito, is rather long, however, as it includes a stopover in Guayaquil. The ideal solution is probably to arrive in Quito and depart from Guayaquil.

Continental Airlines is an airline based in Quito. It offers air transport and travel services.