Public transportation in Guayaquil

Hi Armand,

There are busses, taxis, and metrovia. For a foreigner is better not to use public transportation but renting a car is a better option.
When I was living there there was also private transport called "taxi amigo", safer and cheaper.

bye

Hi Marazul, and thanks for your contribution.

Harmonie.

Public buses in Guayaquil are absolutely terrible. No comparison to Quito. If you plan to live in Guayaquil, you'll need a car or around $300 per month on taxies.

Hello mango7.

Thank you for this information.

Aurélie

Hi Mango7, Could you explain why they're terrible?  I use the buses in Quito all the time, and I would like to go to Guayaquil in the future.  What's different about the buses there?

jm141302 wrote:

Hi Mango7, Could you explain why they're terrible?  I use the buses in Quito all the time, and I would like to go to Guayaquil in the future.  What's different about the buses there?

Sure, here we go...
First, the buses are of the older type, sometimes with only one front door. If you ever been in Panama, it is something similar...
Second, the buses are in worse cosmetical and physical condition.
Third, it seems to me that in Guayaquil, the economic class of bus commuters is lower than in Quito. That makes me, personally, a bit uncomfortable.
You should go and see for yourself.

I am going to disagree with most of the post here.
I lived in Guayaquil for six months.  I used public transportation all the time I was there.
The MetroVia is very crowded but once you learn where the stops are and where the transfers are, it is a great way to get around.  The cost is .25 per person. 
The buses are old but unless you are looking for luxury, I had no problem with the buses.  They are also .25 per person.  We usually asked someone which bus number would take us from where we were to where we wanted to get to.
As for renting a car, I recommend that you do not rent a car unless you are going to the beach for a day.  Parking is almost impossible anywhere downtown Guayaquil.  Taxi's are a much better alternative.  I used to catch a taxi on the corner where I lived.  You could find  lots of cabs.  We would negotiate a price in advance. Never get in unless you know what you are going to pay or you will pay way too much when you get there.  The cab will drop you right in front of where you want to be.  No hassle looking for parking.  When you want to return to your place that you are living, there is always a cab blowing his horn at you and you repeat the process of negotiating the price. I never feared for my safety.  I never had a problem with a cab or a bus but you have to not look like a target.  If you use public transportation, you will not even come close to paying $300+ per week and you will not have the hassle of trying to find your way around a complex city that you don't know.  We only rented a car when we wanted to travel to the coast and see all the towns along the Costa Del Sol.
We also used public buses to get from city to city.  We took the MetroVia to the central bus terminal in Guayaquil, bought tickets and boarded very nice buses.  They were clean, comfortable, and got you to the next city where we would get a cab to a hotel.  This mode of transportation is also very inexpensive.  So, in summary, don't rent a car.  Learn to use public transportation and save a lot of money and hassle.

Hi guys. Give me advise please. How I can get safely from airport Guayaquil ( arrival 10-11 pm) to Salinas.