Ecuador Travel Tips

Ecuador is a beautiful and wonderful country, with a vast array of attractions and sights ranging from back-country jungle hikes to beautiful coastal beaches to bustling city nightlife. In order to make your trip as successful as possible, we’ve collected these travel tips that we thought might prove useful to the Ecuador traveler:

1) Ecuador uses the US dollar. Though things are typically cheaper here than in the US. Local busses and the metro costs $.25 a ride. Busses between cities typically cost about $1/hr (i.e. a 2.5 hour bus ride will cost about $2.50). Expect to pay ~$1.50 for a local lunch (soup, rice, potatoes, meat, juice), ~$4-6 for a lunch at a “westernized” restaurant.

2) If you can, sit in front of the plane. All international flights arrive into Quito at the same time. Sitting in front of your arrival plane will help you get through customs first, which you want, because customs quickly backs up and can take over an hour and a half to get through if you’re in the back of the line.

3) Travel prices vary depending on the time of year. High tourist season is May-August, and December. Hostels may be busier (consider making reservations) and some hostel fares may increase.

4) Be prepared for all weather. Bring a rainjacket! Consider bringing a windbreaker, and perhaps an extra pair of shoes in case one gets soaked. The rainy season is typically December-May, though it’s quite common to have sunny, beautiful day during the rainy season. In the Andes, temperature can range between 5ºC/42ºF-28ºC/88ºF, on the coast 24ºC/80ºF-30ºC/92ºF, in the Amazon 20ºC/72ºF-28ºC/88ºF.

5) Be wary of all possessions. Travelers always need to be cautious, and Ecuador is no exception. Keep cameras out of sight when not in use, and use the wrist strap. Carry your money in a couple different places on your person, and try not to show off how much money you have on you. More information about the safety in Quito.

6) Bring sunscreen! It’s expensive and necessary down here. Bring bugspray if you plan on going to the Amazon.

7) Take time to adjust to the altitude change. Remember that Quito is at 2,850m (9,350ft). Even if you come from a high elevation homeland, the elevation changes in the travel alone can be rough on the body. Take it slow the first few days, and be sure to drink lots of water!

Mike Harlow.

Hi there. I’m Mike Harlow. You may recognize me from such popular attractions as looking good in suits, posing, being awesome, and, of course, traveling. If I could contribute one “traveler tip” to this section, it would be this: stay at Community Hostel. It was one of the best decisions I made while traveling, second only to buying this amazing suit. Community Hostel; you can’t go wrong, you won’t regret it.

We will continue to add travel tips, so check back often to look for updates. If you have any suggestions for our list or questions about traveling in Ecuador, please feel free to email us at communityhostel@gmail.com