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How to get to Cuenca - Public transportation in Ecuador
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Cuenca, Ecuador
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| How to get to Cuenca | Getting around Cuenca | Practical Information | Visit Ecuador | Visit Cuenca | Back to main page |
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How to get to Cuenca, Ecuador - Public transports in Cuenca, Ecuador - Take a bus or a train to go to Cuenca - Tourist Information - StudyGlobal
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How to get to Cuenca
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| Cuenca, the city that is home to our Spanish language school partner in Ecuador, does not have an international airport. Therefore, to reach Cuenca from abroad you must fly into Quito or Guayaquil. Many airlines fly from Europe and the US to Quito or Guayaquil at reasonable prices. The best day for arrival in Quito or Guayaquil is Saturday since it is not always possible to connect with a Cuenca flight on the same day. | Arriving at Quito (497 km from Cuenca) When you get off the plane you should head for the immigration counters with your passport and landing card already filled out (you will be given your landing card on the plane before landing). Then proceed to pick up your luggage at the indicated baggage claim. You can if necessary spend the night in a hotel in Quito and take a plane for Cuenca on the following day (there are daily flights from Quito to Cuenca). The flight to Cuenca takes about 40 minutes. Cuenca’s airport is called Mariscal Lamar Airport and is situated east of the bus station (5 minutes walk). 03 airlines serve Cuenca: TAME, AeroGal and LAN. Arriving at Guayaquil (243 km from Cuenca) If your flight is scheduled to arrive to Guayaquil instead of Quito, procedure will be similar. There are daily flights from Guayaquil to Cuenca as well. The flight to Cuenca takes about 20 minutes. |  | |
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Getting around Cuenca
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You can choose to discover Cuenca walking or to move around by bus. You will find bus stops on the streets but most of the time you can also flag down the bus. The city bus cost about 0.25 USD per ride (exact change needed). Besides, if you want to travel around Ecuador by bus, you will find the bus station on Avenida España, in the northeast of the city, about 20 minutes walking from the historic centre. It has platforms for each transport company serving Cuenca. Bus lines serving Cuenca operate services to Quito (10 hours), Guayaquil (04 hours), Loja, Riobamba and Machala. Also, taxis are an easy way to get around quickly at a cheap rate (about 02 USD per trip). Be careful, there is no invoicing system. The fare should be negotiated before entering the taxi. |  | |
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Practical Information
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| Money | | Students are recommended to bring US dollars, the standard currency in Ecuador. You can also use a major credit card such as Visa, Mastercard or American Express. | | Climate | | Ecuador is a country that is located on the equator (hence, its name) but it is crossed by the Andes mountains reaching heights of over 6,000 metres and its climate is influenced by warm and cold ocean currents. | Actually, Ecuador is a combination of tropical rain forests, cold snowy mountains, sheltered valleys and any other climate you can imagine. Cuenca is located at 2,500 metres above sea-level and enjoys a relatively stable climate year round. Morning temperatures are around 6ºC (42ºF) or 7ºC (44ºF); midday temperatures range from 18ºC (62ºF) to 24ºC (75ºF) and evening temperatures are between 12ºC (53ºF) or 13ºC (55ºF), but you must not forget that the humidity characteristic of this tropical zone affects body temperature. We recommend, however, that you do away with the mistaken notion that you will be going to a country that is consistently warm and humid. Instead, imagine spring-time weather with occasional showers and midday sun -this is Cuenca's climate. Bring clothing for different types of weather, a rain jacket, comfortable walking shoes and sun protection.
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