3,000–4,000 PYG into town instead of 80,000 for a taxi
Bus line 30-A is the rock-bottom option from Silvio Pettirossi (T1) into central Asunción, with fares typically around 3,000–4,000 PYG paid in cash to the driver. Figure roughly 45–70 minutes to the centro depending on traffic and how many stops it makes. This is a city bus, not an airport shuttle: think basic seating, open windows, and locals commuting rather than tourists with roller bags.
The airport sits a few hundred meters off Ruta Transchaco, so 30-A doesn’t come into the terminal loop at all. You walk 5–10 minutes out of T1 along the access road to the main highway junction, then wait on the roadside for a 30-A heading toward Asunción centro. Travellers report that staff and security in the arrivals hall will point you toward the correct direction if you ask in basic Spanish.
Signs on the front of the bus show “30” plus letters like A or B, often in worn paint, and some variants don’t go all the way where you expect. Riders on forums say they always ask “¿Va al centro?” before boarding and only hand over cash once the driver nods. Keep small notes, ideally under 20,000 PYG, since drivers may not break large bills easily.
How to use Bus line 30-A from ASU, step by step
- 1. After exiting arrivals in T1, change at least 10,000–20,000 PYG into small bills at an airport kiosk or ATM if you don’t already have cash.
- 2. Walk out of the terminal and follow the access road toward Ruta Transchaco for about 5–10 minutes until you reach the main road junction with visible bus traffic.
- 3. Stand on the side heading toward central Asunción and watch for a bus marked “30-A” or “30” with your direction; apps like Google Maps can show the general route but not exact times.
- 4. As the bus approaches, raise your arm clearly; reviews mention drivers sometimes pass by if you don’t signal strongly.
- 5. When the door opens, ask the driver “¿Va al centro?” or name your barrio, then pay around 3,000–4,000 PYG in cash and move quickly down the aisle.
- 6. Stay alert for your stop using offline maps and landmarks, as stop names aren’t always posted; hit the stop button or call “bajo acá” a block early.
What regulars do and what to watch out for
Frequent riders on Paraguay threads say they use 30-A mainly between about 07:00 and 20:00, then switch to taxis or rideshare for late-night or very early flights when headways can stretch to 20–30 minutes or more. They keep backpacks tight to the body and avoid standing near the door with luggage during busy commuter periods around 07:30–09:00 and 17:30–19:30.
Common complaints: buses on this corridor are often old, with no air-con and only open windows, so a July or January afternoon can feel brutal after you step off a cooled cabin. The ride into town can feel almost double the taxi time because 30-A weaves through neighborhoods and makes frequent stops, and it can get jammed enough at peaks that boarding with a full-size suitcase is awkward.
Last tip: if you land tired or with two checked bags after a 10-hour overnight, pay the 70,000–80,000 PYG for a cab once, watch the route into town, and save 30-A for a lighter daytime outing when you know roughly where you’re going.