Ecuador Travel Forum

Hello,

I am leaving to Ecuador & Galapagos in mid-november. I was wondering about 2 things:

1) Car rental: Localiza gave me the cheapest rental for an economy car, 150 km daily, $19.95/day. Is this too good to be true?

2) On my final days in Ecuador, i was planning on travelling from Quito to Banos for a couple of days, then work my way up and stay in Hacienda La Cienega for another couple of days. The problem is, i would like to stay there until my departure date, which is a Saturday. Suppose I don't rent a car, can i rely on the bus system to get me to the airport on time?

Any other tips about a foreigner renting and driving a car in Ecuador, would be very much appreciated!

Thanks!

judy

Waouh ! You're gonna rent a car in Ecuador ??? Good luck !! Not that it is expensive or so (to be honnest, I don't know the prices), but driving in the Andes is not that easy, over all, because of the way some ecuadorian drivers behave. They really drive like crazy people (each day or so, there are car accidents with wounded and dead people) and the roads don't help... You sometimes wonder how they do to go on driving, when the altitude gets you to sleep, or when you don't see anything else than clouds everywhere (rainforest clouds when you leave the Andes or moutain clouds when you drive on the Andes)... One word : courage !!!

As for the buses, the system is pretty reliable, as soon as you take it early enough... But generally, from Banos to Quito, you have an average 15 buses per day. It should be OK (3 hours of transport). Cheers

Judy,

The price of the car might be right on target, but in Ecuador, its the insurance that gets you. Expect it to run between $60 - $80 per day, for a $1000 deductable in case of an accident, which are pretty common - even fender benders. Also, a $20 car from a rental place here might be a 1979 Lada with three and a half tires. I'm not kidding. Now, that being said, I have rented a car here before (I was given a 5 or 6 year-old toyota with a lot of dents and a tiny engine from Budget, which set me back $100 per day, including the insurance and taxes) and it turned out fine. Friends of mine rented a car and got into a very minor fender bender that set them back about $700 - remember the $1000 deducable....

Driving isn't so bad if you have driven in places like NYC or any other major city. You under no circumstances want to drive outside of the cities after dark - only partly because of banditry - many cars here have no lights, or don't use them, and there are no street lights on roads with 1000 meter drops to either side - you get the picture.

The buses here are effective - cost between $1 and $2 per hour of travel - and save you the hassle of renting a car. You can also hire a car and driver from Metropolitan Touring for between $70 and $80 a day - the same as a rental, without the risk to your wallet.

Take the most expensive bus line you can find - it'll pay off in the end I'm sure, and will still be cheaper than you imagine. Also, you could try calling the Hacienda and asking for a suggestion on a good way to get there with public transportation - they will have the answer for sure.

I would be somewhat careful about leaving your trip to Quito for the last day unless you have a late day flight. Road closures do occur without notice, often due to protests, and this could throw your plans off suddenly. However, if you are close enough to Quito (I don't know that hacienda), you might have no problem.

In Ecuador, flexibility is a great, often vital, trait to have.

Good luck!
Damon

If you don't know the way, it could be very dangerous... but its a ridiculous accidents all days.
You can optimize your time in your own car... and you can visit another locations in the route Quito-Banos, more if you travel at public transportation.

If your need a virtual visit: http://www.EcuadorVirtual.com

The bus it is! Many thanks for all your tips, I greatly appreciate it! I like to be worry-free, especially during my vacation!

Thanks once again,

judy =)