Transportation · Quito
Quito Airport Transfers: Getting from the Airport to the City
How to get from Quito's airports into the city: train, taxi flat fares, transfers and typical costs, plus arrival and entry notes.
Updated 2026-07-01
Airports serving Quito
Mariscal Sucre (Tababela) (UIO) — 40 km from the centre
45 min via new expressway — Aeroservicios shuttle US$8; taxi + Uber + Cabify US$25–35.
Arriving by train
Historic Tren Ecuador tourist line runs limited scenic routes (Devil's Nose) but not commuter rail.
Entry and arrival formalities
Ecuador uses US dollars — no currency exchange needed on arrival for USD holders.
Visa-free 90 days per calendar year for US/UK/EU/Canada/Australia/most Latin America (extendable to 180). Yellow-fever certificate required if arriving from a risk country.
Getting into the city
Historic centre is walkable + steep — pace yourself the first 48h at altitude. Trole + Ecovía electric-bus trunk lines US$0.35 run Colón ↔ Old Town ↔ south. Metro Line 1 (opened 2023) US$0.45 runs Quitumbe ↔ El Labrador (15 stations) — game-changer. Taxis + Uber + Cabify + InDriver all cheap (US$2–6 in centre). Airport (UIO — Mariscal Sucre in Tababela) 40 km east — Aeroservicios shuttle US$8 / 45 min; taxi US$25–35 / 45 min; new expressway.
Metro Line 1
Opened 2023 — 15 stations Quitumbe ↔ El Labrador — game-changer for north-south travel; US$0.45.
Trole + Ecovía BRT
Electric-bus trunk lines running Colón ↔ Old Town ↔ south; US$0.35.
Taxi / Uber / Cabify / InDriver
US$2–6 city trips — always safer than street taxis, especially after dark.
Walking
Old Town compact but steep + high-altitude — pace yourself first 48h.
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