Whilst most people who travel
to Ecuador prefer to fly to one of its two international
airports - in Quito and Guayaquil - it is also possible
to get their via boat and by road. However, with the costs
associated with traveling via sea and land almost the
same as traveling via air, it is rare for visitors to
select either of these methods (unless your traveling
back from the Galapagos Islands, when boat is usually
the preferred mode of transport). Having said that, budget
travelers may want to consider a flight to Lima, Peru,
which is traditionally cheaper than a flight to Ecuador,
and then continuing your journey overland by bus. Keep
in mind, however, that the bus journey from Lima is normally
24-hours long!
Nearly all international flights to Ecuador get routed
through Houston, Los Angeles, Miami or New York; regardless
of whether the flight has originated in Europe or Asia.
Once you are inside Ecuador, the small size of the country
usually means that selecting one of the two main airlines
in Ecuador is a good and cheap method of transport. These
two main domestic Ecuador airlines are TAME and SAN. Aside
from TAME and SAN, however, airlines in Ecuador include
a number of special charter flights, which can be hired
fairly inexpensively and are a good means of seeing the
spectacular beauty of the surrounding snowcapped mountain
ranges. Even with domestic flights, which tend to be fairly
inexpensive, nearly all flights will be routed through
either Quito or Guayaquil.
If flying on one of the airlines in Ecuador is not for
you, Ecuador buses - Busetas - provide a good alternative.
Ordinarily, Ecuador buses are fairly small in size (compared
to western buses, at least) with 22 seats. They are also
expected to travel fairly long distances, remembering
that this is actually a small country, and so can go at
some fairly high speeds. An alternative form of Ecuador
bus to the Busetas is the Autobuses. Autobuses tend to
go slower than Busetas, but are also a more social and
enjoyable way to travel the country if time is not of
the essence. A word of warning: if you do decide to travel
on one of Ecuador's buses, try to avoid using an Ecuador
bus during the night time, especially in Guayas Province,
as gangs of highwaymen have been known to ply their trade.
Although Ecuador has a train system, the Ecuador train
system is antiquated and tourists are expected to pay
more for the privilege of traveling on an Ecuador train
than locals. Having said this, some of the scenery in
Ecuador can be best seen from a train, and in certain
cases passengers are allowed to travel on
the roof of the train to maximize their viewing pleasure
- something the locals often find humorous. Also, with
spectacular train runs such as that between Alausi and
Guayaquil, a trip on an Ecuador train is often the highlight
of any train enthusiasts life!
Finally, cars can be hired in Ecuador, but unless you
know the system well it is not recommended. Also, with
local taxis available for long drive hire, if traveling
around the country in a car is what you want to do, it
is recommended that you select to hire a taxi rather than
a rental car.
