Getting There By Air:Carrasco International Airport (MVD)
Tel: (02) 600 2261
or 906 463.
Website:
www.aic.com.uyMontevideo’s main airport is 19km (11 miles) east of the city center. The chrome and glass terminal is well maintained and clean, and progress through the airport is usually smooth and fast.
Airport facilities: You’ll find a bank, bureau de change, ATM, bar, post office, chemist and left luggage facilities in the airport alongside good
duty-free shopping and a basic restaurant. For car hire,
Autorent, Avis, Hertz and
Punta Car (a Uruguayan firm) have desks at arrivals (see
Getting Around).
Transport to the city: A taxi or
remis (private taxi that can be reserved by telephone with a fare agreed in advance) takes around 30 minutes. There are also three bus companies running regular services into the city center.
Getting There By Road:Pluma (tel: +55 (41) 3212 2689; website:
www.pluma.com.br) runs a variety of coach services from cities in Brazil. These buses and those from other parts of Uruguay arrive at the city’s Tres Cruces
bus station (website:
www.trescruces.com.uy). A full list of operators and timetables is available online.
From Argentina, there are road crossings at Fray Bentos and further north, but it is simpler to take a boat across the River Plate’s estuary from Buenos Aires with
Buquebus (tel: +54 (11) 4316 6500; website:
www.buquebus.com). There is a direct crossing to Montevideo and a shorter crossing to Colonia del Sacramento with bus connections on to the capital.
For independent drivers, Uruguay has an extensive system of paved highways, and the roads into Montevideo are generally in good condition. Driving is on the right and seatbelts are compulsory. The
ruta interbalnearia (inter-beach route) runs from Chuy on the Brazilian border all the way to Montevideo and is a pretty coastal drive, popular with tourists.
Emergency breakdown services:
The Automobile Club of Uruguay (tel: 1707).
Car Up (tel: (02) 628 1555
or 0800 1501).
Automobile Center of Uruguay (tel: (02) 408 6131/2091).
Getting There By Rail:Uruguay is devoid of long-distance rail services with only a few commuter services operating around Montevideo.
Getting Around:Public TransportBuses in Montevideo are cheap and frequent. Various companies operate in the city, many along very similar routes. That said, routes for each bus are clearly indicated at all bus stops. The main operators are
COETC (tel: (02) 508 0136; website:
www.coetc.com),
COME (tel: (02) 354 3466; website:
www.come.com.uy),
Cutsca (tel: (02) 204 0000; website:
www.cutcsa.com.uy),
Raincoop (tel: (02) 481 1617; website:
www.raincoop.com) and
UCOT (tel: (02) 508 1224; website:
www.ucot.net).
All fares are paid in cash, per journey and buses run from around 0500 until 2300. There is no underground rail network in the city.
TaxisThe city’s black-and-yellow taxis can be hailed on the street or reserved over the phone with
Adm Radio Taxi (tel: (02) 141),
Radio Taxi Punta Gorda (tel: (02) 1771) and many others. Fares are reasonable, but always ensure the meter is working before you take off. For longer journeys, it may be cheaper to reserve a
remis taxi (agreeing a fixed fare). Try
Urbana Remises (tel: (02) 400 8665). Alternatively,
Uruguay Living (website:
www.uruguayliving.info) maintains a list of reliable English-speaking drivers.
Car HireHire cars are available from
Avis on Uruguay 1417 (tel: (02) 903 0303; website:
www.avis.com),
Hertz on Guipuzcoa 404 (tel: (02) 712 5000; website:
www.hertz.com) and
Punta Car on Cerro Largo 1383 (tel: (02) 900 2772; website:
www.puntacar.com.uy). Due to the relatively high cost of owning and running a car, Montevideo’s roads are not as congested as other South American capitals, but it pays to do some research into Spanish-language road signs before setting off.
Bicycle HireBicycles can be hired from
Urubike on Jackson 1361 (tel: (02) 401 5425; website:
www.urubike.com). Rates are reasonable and a useful map of city cycle routes is provided with each hire. The friendly staff members, who are cycling enthusiasts themselves, can also arrange guided tours.
The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
Related Montevideo Content
Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
Related Uruguay Content
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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