Treehouse Ecolodges – La Barra eco-hotel
Your treehouse perched in a pine-forest 2 minutes from the beach. The most unique La Barra hotel experience ever.
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Everyone uses buses in Uruguay. A ticket costs little more than a dollar and services are frequent. Taxis are also reasonably priced and safe to flag down in the street.
In the capital, buses cost apx 52 pesos per ride, that’s about 1,3 US dollars You pay cash to the driver or bus conductor. Ask for a “común” – the standard ticket. Coins and smaller notes are accepted. You must flag down the bus or it won’t stop. There is a bus “céntrico” which constantly goes up and down the principal downtown avenue 18 de Julio from the main bus station (Tres Cruces) to the Plaza de Independencia. This bus is a little cheaper.
Feel comfortable flagging a taxi in the street or calling by phone. They are reasonably cheap and safe. A 10-15 minute trip will cost you about 6 USD. Read my post about how to call a taxi without having to speak Spanish. You’ll know if a taxi is free because it has a red light in the front windscreen.
If you are going a short distance, avoid paying with bills over 200 pesos. If you only have a 1000 peso bill, ask the driver if s/he has change BEFORE you get into the cab (“Solo tengo mil pesos. ¿Tenés cambio?”).
Usually taxi drivers are very civilised. The worst a driver could do, noticing you are from out of town, is “pasear” ie take the long way round. If you want to avoid this, BEFORE you get in the cab hand over the address you are going to on paper and asking how much it will cost (“¿Cuánto puede salir?”). Drivers can contact their HQ to check the price. If the driver is not prepared to do this, just say “Muchas gracias” and walk away.
Note: Any luggage is usually stored on the front seat next to the driver. Only if the luggage is really bulky will the driver descend and open the trunk for you. Don’t expect him to load the luggage for you either!
Tipping – Uruguayans do not tip taxi drivers. Even for longer drives, eg to the airport, a tip is optional. So if you do tip you will be greatly appreciated! Perhaps the tipping situation explains the note above, right?
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Treehouse Ecolodges – La Barra eco-hotel
Your treehouse perched in a pine-forest 2 minutes from the beach. The most unique La Barra hotel experience ever.
Cabo Polonio – Lost island in a sea of dunes
Deserted beaches, rocky islands heaving with baying seals & tiny colourful shacks. Cabo Polonio, Uruguay is unforgettable.
Pisano Wines Uruguay – Kings of Tannat
Pisano Wines, an award-winning Uruguay winery, exports to 48 countries but they don’t do tours. They’re too busy ‘cooking’ wine.
Posada del Minero – Explore north Uruguay & the gold rush
Unique things to do in Uruguay: hike ‘flat top hills’, taste very rare wines and pan for gold in north Uruguay.
Fly Uruguay – Plane tours & flights
Treat yourself to a scenic flight or helicopter over the Uruguay coast or fly inland to a winery or estancia. Private flights between Uruguay & Argentina.
Tax free Uruguay: Benefits for non-residents
Automatic tax reductions on car hire, restaurants and hotels when you use your international credit card in Uruguay. Big savings.
Wine Explorers – Private Uruguay wine tours
Private Uruguay wine tours & tastings. The unique wineries will be the highlight of your travels. Plus monthly group excursions for expats.
Bizarre Uruguay celebrations: Nostalgia Night
Could Uruguay be the only country in the world with a state-sanctioned celebration of “golden oldies”? Bring on the Bee Gees!
Living in Uruguay – Moving to Carrasco, Montevideo
Hallie moved from the US to Carrasco, Montevideo’s high-end neighbourhood. She works full time and has just had a baby. What are the costs?
What is the best way to travel from Buenos Aires to Montevideo?
Guru’Guay looks at the fastest, cheapest & most relaxing ways of going Uruguay to Argentina and back by ferry, plane and bus.
The Montevideo international airport is 15 miles from the city centre. You can take a taxi, shuttle or bus. The most common way is private transfer.
It’s easy to travel around Uruguay by bus, even if you don’t speak Spanish. A centralised website collects timetables, travel durations and ticket prices.
And not like a tourist. This interactive map loads really fast. Use it to travel by bus or on foot and get around Montevideo like a local.
How to call for a cab in Montevideo—it’s easy, even when you don’t speak Spanish—, how much they cost, when it may be difficult to get hold of one.
It’s really, really easy to get online in Uruguay. In fact, Uruguay is the only country in the world to completely implement One Laptop Per Child.
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4 Responses
Es ist immer wieder interessant zu erfahren, wie Taxi fahren im Ausland funktioniert. Mir war beispielsweise nicht bewusst, dass man zum Teil dort kein Trinkgeld gibt. Ich werde auf meiner nächsten Reise aber auch schauen, dass ich öfters einmal den Bus nehmen werde.
It is always interesting to learn how taxi driving works abroad. I wasn’t aware, for example, that some people don’t give tips there. On my next trip, however, I will make sure to take the bus more often. — Thanks for sharing, Marie! The bus is great here.
Ich fahre bald nach Uruguay in den Urlaub. Gut zu wissen, dass Taxis sind ziemlich billig und sicher sind. Ich wollte nämlich einen Taxiservice für den Transport von und zum Flughafen nutzen.
Paul, I’m very happy you found it helpful. Just note that the airport cabs are not cheap but in the city they are. Best wishes, Karen