Ecuador — Transport & Getting Around

Quito's Metro (opened December 2023, US$0.45 flat fare) plus the Trole and Ecovía bus corridors (US$0.35) cover the city's north-south spine; Guayaquil runs the Metrovía BRT. City buses are cheap but pickpocket-prone. Uber, Cabify and InDrive all operate in Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca in a tolerated grey zone and are safer than hailing street cabs at night — if you must use a taxi, take a registered yellow cab and insist on the meter.

Quito's Mariscal Sucre airport (UIO) sits at Tababela, roughly 40 km east of the city: 45-75 minutes by taxi (about US 5-30) or airport shuttle bus. Guayaquil's airport (GYE) is 10-15 minutes from the main hotel districts — take an authorised taxi from the rank, not the curb. LATAM and Avianca Ecuador fly Quito-Guayaquil-Cuenca frequently; fares often US$40-80 one way booked ahead.