Getting There By Air:Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) Tel: (02) 2944900.
Website:
www.quiport.com Located just 5km (3 miles) from the center of town, the airport is served by numerous
US and European airlines. Most European and Australian flights require a change at Los Angeles, Newark, Miami, Houston or Lima.
KLM flies from many European cities including London via the Caribbean.
Iberia flies direct from Madrid.
Lufthansa flies from Frankfurt
and
Air France from Paris, both via Bogota. The national carrier is
Tame (tel: (02) 2509375; website:
www.tame.com.ec).
The airport has 24-hour ATMs, a tourist information center with free Internet use, post office, shops, restaurants, bars and car hire. There are currently no facilities for business travelers, although they will be available in the new, much expanded airport, due to open in 2008.
There are
buses for the short journey into town, but they tend to be overcrowded and unreliable –
taxis are recommended.
Car hire is available in the arrivals hall.
Getting There By Road:Traveling to Ecuador by road can be hazardous, particularly from Colombia in the north where guerrillas and drug smugglers can make this a rather dangerous route. There are several border crossings with Peru, Ecuador's only other immediate neighbor. These include Huaquillas-Aguas Verdes, Macara-La Tina-Sullana and Zumba-San Ignacio. Within Ecuador, many of the roads, particularly on the main tourist routes, are generally good but landslides, earthquakes and heavy rains often cause disruption. Always make sure you have a good map and directions as sign-posting is unreliable and other drivers can be unpredictable, too. Driving is on the right hand side and there are only two grades of petrol sold – Extra (82 octane) and Super (92 octane). Both are unleaded. Diesel fuel is available, but is often of poor quality. Traveling by bus through Ecuador is not recommended, particularly at night when the roads can be dangerous. Buses are often uncomfortable and ill equipped (no toilets) though some companies are introducing new buses with better facilities, including air conditioning. The Peruvian
Internacional Ormeño (Lima, tel: (+51) 01 472 1710; website:
www.grupo-ormeno.com) operate routes from Argentina to Venezuela, which travel through Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Columbia.
Getting There By Rail:There are no railway services to Quito.
Getting Around:Public Transport There are
buses in Quito but the service is often unreliable and erratic. The most efficient way of getting around on public transport is the
trolley bus that runs 0600-2400 in a north-south direction through the city (tel: (02) 2665015).
Taxis Taxis are cheap and safe, but radio taxis are recommended at night. Though it is illegal, many taxis do not use the meter at night and generally charge at least 50% more than during the day. If the driver says the meter is not working, negotiate a fee in advance. There are several companies including
Taxi Amigo (tel: (02) 2222222),
City Taxi (tel: (02) 2633333) and
Central de Radio Taxis (tel: (02) 2500600).
Car Hire To hire a car in Ecuador drivers must be over 21 years old and there may be a surcharge to under-25s. Although smaller rental companies may be cheaper, it is safer to use one of the larger, international car hire companies, as smaller ones often do not have good insurance cover – or in some cases reliable cars. Payment is generally by credit card though there may be discounts for cash. Check the insurance policy carefully – there is often an excess to be paid in the case of an accident. Always check the car’s condition, too, and keep it garaged overnight if possible. Most of the roads around Quito are good but always exercise caution when driving in Ecuador as the locals have a tendency to be reckless. Major providers at the airport include:
Avis (tel: (02) 2440270; website:
www.avis.com),
Budget (tel: (02) 2459052; website:
www.budget.com) and
Hertz (tel: (02) 2254257; website:
www.hertz.com). In town, providers include
Sixt (tel: (02) 2549345; website:
www.e-sixt.com).
Bicycle & Scooter Hire Sobre Ruedas (tel: (02) 2416781) hires bicycles. The
Biking Dutchman (tel: (02) 2542806) offer cycling tours as well as renting bicycles.
The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
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The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
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