Getting around by bus and coach Quito

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.

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.

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.