Buses

US$2 gets you from MVD to Montevideo on local buses

From T1 at Carrasco Airport, local city buses run toward Montevideo for a fraction of the AR$ taxi fare, with tickets around US$2–3 depending on route. Journey time runs 45–60 minutes in light traffic, but rush hour can push it closer to an hour because routes wind through suburbs before hitting central areas like Tres Cruces.

Buses don’t always pull into the terminal loop: most reports say you walk a few minutes out to Ruta 101/IB on the access road outside T1 to reach the main stops. You’ll see several 700‑series lines (700, 701, 710, 711) passing, each heading to slightly different parts of Montevideo, often signed for destinations like Tres Cruces or Centro.

Service runs throughout the day with more frequent departures in weekday peaks, when commuters pack the buses standing-room-only. These are standard urban buses with front‑door boarding, a driver selling tickets, and usually no dedicated luggage racks, so a 23 kg checked bag will feel awkward in a full vehicle.

Signage and route info are mostly in Spanish, and at night the route numbers (700/701/710/711) can be hard to read from the roadside stop. That’s why blog reviews keep calling this the cheapest option into town but also slower and less straightforward than a rideshare or the official taxi line outside T1.

Regulars and airport staff often suggest a simple rule: take the first 700‑series bus you see that lists “Tres Cruces,” then use Montevideo’s urban buses or a short taxi from Tres Cruces terminal to your final address. Locals mentioned using apps like Moovit or Google Maps transit with “Carrasco International Airport” as the origin to confirm which 700‑series bus to flag down.

Watch out for: mixed reports about comfort in peak hours, with some riders saying the 45–60 minute ride in a tightly packed bus is rough with backpacks plus a carry‑on. Confusion between 700, 701, 710 and 711 is another recurring complaint, especially after 20:00 when lighting at the roadside stops is weaker.

Practical tip: before leaving the arrivals area of T1, download an offline Montevideo map, check Moovit or Google Maps for the next 700‑series bus to Tres Cruces, and screenshot the bus number and direction so you can confirm it quickly on the roadside sign.