Public Transport Buses

Two dollars gets you from UIO toward Quito, if you’re patient

Public transport buses from Mariscal Sucre (UIO) cost about $2 per person and usually run to major terminals like Río Coca or Quitumbe, not to individual neighborhoods or hostels. World Travel Guide calls them significantly cheaper than the coach service, but you pay in time and hassle instead of money.

Airport buses often take 35–50 minutes just to reach the edge of the city, and Reddit users report the full door-to-door slog running 90–120 minutes once you add transfers and waiting. You’ll likely end up on at least one additional city bus or in a taxi from the terminal to your hotel, especially if you’re staying in La Mariscal or the historic center.

Fares are usually paid in cash coins directly on the bus, with the single public-transport fare of around $2 covering the airport segment into the system before you transfer to Quito’s regular buses or trolley lines. Keep small bills ($1 and coins) in an easy pocket; drivers often shrug at $20 notes and other passengers will not want to wait while you sort change.

Signage at UIO for the public buses skews to Spanish-only, and Redditors complain that it’s not clear which bus goes to Río Coca vs Quitumbe, especially late at night after a long-haul. One traveler flatly called it “cheap but confusing if you don’t speak Spanish,” and ended up at a terminal far from their hostel, paying for another city bus and then a short taxi.

Several posts describe crowded buses at commuter hours, with people standing in the aisle and backpacks on laps for 45 minutes or more. One commenter said that with luggage and jet lag they “regretted not just paying for Aeroservicios or a taxi,” after riding a jammed local bus in from the airport and then still needing a cab from the terminal.

Regulars and transit nerds on r/Quito suggest aiming for a single hop to a big terminal such as Río Coca or Quitumbe, then grabbing a $4–$8 taxi for the last stretch, instead of trying to chain two or three city buses while carrying a 12 kg backpack. That hybrid approach keeps the total under about $10 but cuts down on transfers and confusion.

Step-by-step from arrivals (for those set on saving every dollar):

• 1. In the arrivals area, follow signs for ground transport and ask “¿Bus público a Río Coca o Quitumbe?” at the information desk; confirm the terminal name and approximate departure time.
• 2. Walk to the indicated stop outside the terminal and verify the destination sign on the front of the bus matches Río Coca or Quitumbe before boarding.
• 3. Keep $2 in coins or small bills in hand, pay the driver or conductor as locals do, then move deeper into the bus and keep your main bag between your legs.
• 4. Stay alert for your final terminal stop, which is usually announced or obvious as a large bus hub, then step off and move away from the crowd before opening bags or phones.
• 5. From Río Coca or Quitumbe, pick a licensed taxi inside the terminal area, confirm the fare (often $4–$8 to central areas), and only then pull out your wallet.

Tip: If you land after about 21:00 or feel fuzzy from an overnight flight, skip the public buses and take the coach or a taxi; the extra $8–$20 is often worth more than 2 hours of stressed transfers in the dark.