Ecuador Transportation Tips for Budget Travelers

By Christopher Minster

What trains are to Europe, buses are to Ecuador – the cheapest way to get around. There are trains, and they're not very expensive, but they're slow and inconvenient. The Ecuadorian train system is a relic from the early days of the republic, and has not seen much maintenance since. Today, they mostly take sightseers on day trips through particularly scenic regions: see our trains section for more information.

If you want to get around Ecuador on the cheap, take a bus. They're fairly comfortable and many have DVD players for longer trips, which can be a blessing or a curse depending on what the bus attendant decides to pop in (they showed "Leprechaun 3" on a recent trip, which was painfully bad).

Within cities, try to master the public transportation system. Quito in particular has a pretty good one, largely based upon the Trole and the Ecovia, two parallel transportation lines that run north-south on either side of the city. Taxis are inexpensive and safe. If you're lost, lugging a lot of stuff or returning from a night out, don't hesitate to flag one down. See our taxis in Ecuador section for tips on how to deal with Ecuador's clever cabbies.