EC Ecuador: how to get around

Some of the major long-distance bus companies in Ecuador:

• Cooperativa de Transportes Loja
• Cooperativa de Transportes Occidental
• Cooperativa de Transportes Andina
• Cooperativa de Transportes Internacional Reina del Camino
• Flota Imbabura
• Cooperativa de Transportes Baños
• Cooperativa de Transportes Turismo Oriental
• Cooperativa de Transportes Patria

It is possible to rent a car in the major cities such as Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca, where car rentals are generally located outside the airports. Ecuadorian roads are well maintained throughout in cities but poorly maintained in the countryside.

However, Ecuador’s driving laws are few and rarely (if ever) enforced. However the law is very strict on speeding (30 km/h over the limit) or driving without a license. Both offenses will have the police take you directly to jail where you will spend 3 nights in jail as the standard sentence. Be sure to carry your original license with you (your license from your home country is sufficient as long as you are a visitor. No international license is required unless your native language is not written in Latin characters, such as Chinese or Japanese only.

If you rent a car, it is highly recommended that you get a car with high ground clearance.The speed bumps in each town and village are very tall. In fact, they are not called "topes" (bumps). Ecuadorians call speed bumps "muros" (walls). Therefore, a car with high ground clearance is recommended, or you may be paying for very expensive undercarriage repairs. A 4x4 vehicle is better and necessary to explore the beautiful back areas of the country and to bring you to areas that you won't get to on a bus or in a normal rental car..

You can rent well-equipped, off road capable vehicles complete with hardened suspensions, snorkels, winches and other accessories.

Over the past 10 years, Ecuador has invested heavily in its road infrastructure with roads in fantastic condition and where safety is becoming more of a focus and priority. That said, like anywhere else in the world, there are different driving styles, customs, courtesies and unwritten rules of the road. A good motorcycle or rental agency will cover these in a detailed briefing before you head out on the road so that you understand what to expect.

It is possible to rent daily or weekly motorcycles or scooters. Rates range from $29-$225/day for 150cc-1050cc machines respectively. Note that some travel insurance will not cover injuries or evacuation from 2-wheel vehicle accidents. The same warnings apply as with navigating my car.

Make sure the agency provides insurance, and you know who pays if the bike is damaged or stolen. It is advisable to take a bike in with you at a hostel or hotel rather than leaving it outside.

• Ecuador Freedom Bike Rental, Calle Finlandia N35-06 Y Suecia, ☏ +593 2-600-4459, info@FreedomBikeRental.com. Motorcycle rental agency that caters to tourists Daily from $29. (updated Jun 2018)

Taxis are widely available. Taxis are generally yellow and have the taxi license number prominently displayed. Taxis in Quito have meters (fares under $1 are rounded up to the minimum fare of $1). Agree upon a price before getting in or ask the driver to use the meter (often cheaper than a negotiated rate); short trips generally don't cost more than $1 or $2, and you generally shouldn't end up paying more than $10 per hour, if that, for longer trips. Evening rates are often double. As with any country in Latin America, (or the world for that matter), don't ride an unlicensed taxi. It's a great way to get kidnapped.

Domestic flights between major cities on the mainland cost $50-100 one-way, and there are sometimes roundtrip promotions for about the same price. Flights between the biggest cities are in jets, and some of the smaller cities are served by prop aircraft. The domestic airlines in Ecuador are:

• LATAM Ecuador
• Avianca Ecuador (formerly Aerogal & VIP)

Hitchhiking is possible in Ecuador. A lot of people drive pick-ups which you can easily throw your backpack into if they give you a lift.

On roads not frequently serviced by buses, cargo trucks may take on riders or hitchhikers, either to ride in back or in the cabin. In some cases the driver charges the going bus fare, in others he may simply be taking on a rider for the company and refuse a fare.

All train services were suspended in 2022.