Getting Around Montevideo: An Overview
Montevideo sits on the north bank of the Río de la Plata, and its compact, hilly centre makes it a manageable city to explore. The city is built on a slight hill whose spine extends into the river to form the point that was the original settlement, Ciudad Vieja. From Plaza Independencia, the main street runs out through the modern city. For visitors, the practical picture is simple: buses do the heavy lifting of public transit, taxis and ride-hailing fill the gaps, and much of the centre is pleasant to cover on foot.
Rail, Metro and Trams
Montevideo has no metro, tram or urban rail network for visitors to use. Buses are the only form of mass public transit available in town, so it is likely you will use them at some point during your stay.
Buses and Public Transport
Buses are the backbone of getting around Montevideo. Fares are paid in cash to the driver or to a collector seated to the right, and you enter through the front door. There are many fare types, and you are expected to name the one you want; if you are unsure, say una-hora. Take the receipt and keep it for the duration of your trip, because control officers may board and ask to see it. On many buses the "please stop" button is above the doors.
The STM transit card is the key to saving money and connecting between buses. Cards are free, give discounts on the many fare types, and allow bus integration: a reduced fare for two buses within one hour, or a flat fare for any number of buses within two hours, compared with the higher normal cash fare. You can get a card at the Abitab shop on the ground floor of Tres Cruces Terminal, or at other agreed posts. The minimum top-up at Abitab is U$100.
Be prepared for imperfect signage: there are no route maps at bus stops, the lines serving a stop may not be indicated, and a stop may have no mark at all. To work out routes, use a routing app. Moovit is a traveller favourite because it works in many cities worldwide and has an intuitive interface in several languages, including English, Portuguese and Spanish. Cómo ir is the official app launched by the Montevideo administration, and MontevideoBus and Bondi are other options.
One useful quirk: line CA1, which connects Tres Cruces Terminal to Ciudad Vieja, is exceptionally included in the cheaper "boleto céntrico" fare, so it costs less than other lines on the same route.
If you arrive at Tres Cruces Terminal and plan to use public transit, take the opportunity to make your free STM card at the Abitab shop on the terminal floor, as this will save you money on bus fares.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are a straightforward option, and the source material notes that a cab ride from the Ciudad Vieja ferry terminal to a hotel in El Centro or Pocitos is much shorter and cheaper than from the airport. Airport taxi service is also available from a private company, though at a notably high price. Ride-hailing apps are not described in the source material, so it is best to rely on taxis and the bus network as your documented options.
Walking
Montevideo is a relatively safe city, and getting around on foot gives you time to see its beautiful architecture. The city is built on a slight hill, with the spine running down into the Río de la Plata to create the point that was the original city, Ciudad Vieja. From Plaza Independencia, the main street extends outward through the modern city, making the centre quite walkable for a visitor.
Getting from the Airport into the City
Carrasco International Airport (MVD) lies east of the city centre. There are flights to the airport from major South American cities as well as Panama City, Miami and Madrid. From the airport you have two kinds of bus into central Montevideo.
- Public transit buses run from the airport to the Rio Branco Terminal (Terminal Baltasar Brum), a few blocks north of Plaza Independencia. The bus stop is right outside the airport to the left, where a large bus sign is visible. Take any bus showing "Montevideo" — all go into the centre. They run frequently, take roughly an hour to an hour and a half, and tickets cost U$107. You can get off at any stop before the station if your accommodation is somewhere between Pocitos and Cordón.
- Intercity coaches travel eastbound to places like Punta del Este, or westbound into the city. The westbound buses take you to Tres Cruces bus station, east of the city centre. A one-way ticket into the city on the COT line costs U$134. As you exit the terminal, walk to the right, buy a ticket in the COT office (or on board the bus), and walk a further 20 m forward to the stop. Since both eastbound and westbound intercity buses stop at the airport, check that you are getting on a bus going in the right direction.
A private company also offers airport taxi service at a high price, and ostensibly a shuttle service that runs when enough passengers buy tickets — though in practice the shuttle is reportedly never available, since the taxi service is more profitable for the same company.
One practical warning: exchanging money at the airport is notoriously expensive, with rates well off the official interbank rate. It is better to use a "cambio" in the city centre, where rates are much closer to the official rate.
Arriving by Ferry or Long-Distance Bus
If you are coming from Buenos Aires, the high-speed ferry operated by Buquebus is an option. It arrives in the Ciudad Vieja district, very close to downtown, so a cab ride to a hotel in El Centro or Pocitos is much shorter and cheaper than from the airport. Ferry service from Buenos Aires is also available via Colonia, and the ticket can include the bus to Montevideo from Colonia; this route is cheaper and somewhat longer than the direct crossing. The crossing from Buenos Aires to Colonia by fast ferry takes about an hour, and the bus ride from Colonia to Montevideo's main bus terminal takes two to three hours.
For overland travel, Tres Cruces Terminal is the city's central bus station, named after the district it is in. It is a full-fledged mall with companies running well-equipped buses to destinations throughout Uruguay and into neighbouring countries, and it has an excellent tourist office. The station is connected to the old town by normal bus lines 180 and 188, and the cheaper line CA1, among others. Like the rest of Latin America, overland transportation is in practice synonymous with taking the bus, with frequent services to and from all main cities in Uruguay and from destinations in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Paraguay.