Arrival Ecuador
Airplane: According to eningbo, TAME is Ecuador’s main airline, but apart from short flights between Tulcan and Cali, Colombia, it does not offer international flights.
There are few direct flights from Europe. Most connections include a stop in Miami, Houston or a South American capital.
The airline LAN connects Frankfurt with Madrid, from here Iberia, Air Europa, Air Madrid and LAN fly non-stop to Quito or Guayaquil in Ecuador.
Lufthansa offers feeder flights to the LAN Ecuador flights from all German and Austrian cities. From Switzerland, Swiss is the main feeder, and Ibera also flies from Germany, Switzerland and Austria to Madrid, where you can fly on to Ecuador with the LAN.
Other airlines that offer flights to Ecuador include: Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela, Air Europa, Air France, Air Madrid, Copa, American Airlines, Avianca, KLM, Continental Airlines, Grupo TACA, Santa Barbara Airlines.
From Quito and Guayaquil there are numerous connections to South American countries, including Argentina (Buenos Aires), Colombia (Bogota, Cartagena, Cali), Brazil (Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo), Bolivia (La Paz), Venezuela (Caracas), Peru (Lima) and Chile (Santiago). There are also direct flights to Panama City, Mexico City and Havana in Cuba.
There are also direct flights to Quito or Guayaquil from New York, Miami and Houston. American Airlines and Continental offer most of the flights to Ecuador from the United States.
Airpasses
The Oneworld Visit South America Pass is offered by the airlines British Airways, American Airlines, Finnair, Cathay Pacific, LAN, Iberia and Qantas. He is in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Peru, Paraguay, Venezuela and UruguayValid on all routes operated by participating airlines. The pass is only sold to people living outside of South America and is valid for a maximum of 6 months after arrival in South America. The minimum number of flight coupons for this Airpass is three, there is no maximum number. Infants younger than 2 years travel free of charge, but they are not entitled to a seat. The entire route must be determined before purchasing the Airpass. Change of route or flight date changes are chargeable. Cancellations before the start of the trip are subject to a fee, after the start of the trip there is no refund of the price.
Airports: Quito International Airport (UIO) (Mariscal Sucre) is located approximately 8 km north of the city center. Buses and taxis run from the airport to the city.
Guayaquil Airport (GYE) (Simon Bolivar) is 5 km from the city. Here, too, both airport buses and taxis drive into the city.
Ship: the most important cargo and passenger port of Ecuador is Guayaquil, other important ports are Manta, Puerto Bolivar and Esmeraldas.
Very few cruise ships (and even fewer passenger ships) anchor in Guayaquil on their way along the South American coast. Some cargo ships also carry passengers, but this usually costs more than a flight.
There are regular passenger connections from Europe that also call at Chile. The European ports are usually Rotterdam (Netherlands), Hamburg (Germany), Le Havre (France) or La Rochelle (France), the crossing takes between 20 and 22 days.
Since Ecuador signed a peace treaty with Peru in 1998, it has been possible to travel from Ecuador to Peru on the Rio Napo and Amazonas. However, there aren’t many boats that make this trip. It is theoretically possible to travel to Colombia and Peru on the Putumayo River, but the region is dangerous due to drug smuggling and terrorism.
Car: Ecuador can be reached by bus from several Central American countries. If you are traveling with your own vehicle from North or Central America, you should bear in mind that the Panamericana is interrupted from Panama and only begins again in Colombia. A 200 km stretch is practically roadless rainforest known as Darien Gap. The Darien Gap is currently becoming more and more dangerous, especially in Colombia, due to bandits and drug smugglers. A traverse cannot be recommended at the moment. Most travelers fly over the Darien Gap.
From South America it is relatively easy to get to Ecuador by bus or your own vehicle.
Border crossings
Peru and Colombia are the only two states that have borders with Ecuador. If your travel documents are in order, crossing the border to and from Ecuador is usually quite quick.
Peru
There are three important border crossing points between Ecuador and Peru. The Huaquilla crossing, south of Machala, handles almost all of the border traffic between the two countries. A second crossing at Macara has been used more and more recently, as it is less hectic here, and the approach through the southern highlands is also nicer. Direct buses run from Loja via Macara to Piura in Peru. It’s easy. It’s easy. The least used border crossing is La Balsa near Zumba, south of Vilcabamba. This transition is quite remote.
Colombia
The most important border crossing into Colombia is Tulcan in the northern highlands. It is currently the only safe land route to Colombia. The border crossing north of Lago Agrio in the Oriente is not safe due to smuggling and conflicts in Colombia.
Buses from Panamericana Internacional drive directly between Quito and Caracas (Venezuela), terminal connections in Peru, Colombia, Argentina and Chile are also offered. Rutas de America offers direct connections to Colombia, Peru and Venezuela, as well as connections to Chile, Bolivia, Brazil and Argentina.
Ecuador: Entry and Visa Requirements
Passport:
is a general requirement for traveling to Ecuador. The passport (or the temporary passport) must be valid for at least 6 months upon entry. The passport or certified copies of the passport must always be carried with you in Ecuador.
Visa :
Citizens of EU countries, Switzerland and Turkey do not need a visa for tourist trips with a maximum stay of 90 days per year in Ecuador. The entry stamp is issued directly at the airport or at the border. If the stay in Ecuador is to be extended, a new visa (Visa 12-IX) must be applied for on site.
A return ticket and an immigration form are required for the Galapagos Islands. The form can be downloaded from the INGALA website or filled out on arrival at the airport. The actual entry card can be obtained in the Galapagos Islands.
Transit:
Visitors who require a visa, who do not leave the transit area, who have the necessary onward travel documents and who are flying on within 12 hours, do not need a visa.
Entry with children :
For accompanying children, the same visa requirements apply as for their parents. This means that the children’s travel documents must also be valid for at least 6 months when they enter Ecuador.
Children traveling alone or with only one parent must have a written travel permit from the other parent or both parents / guardians in Ecuador.
Germany: The German child ID card is only recognized in Ecuador upon entry. There have been difficulties in leaving Ecuador in the past, so child identification is not recommended in Ecuador. The German children’s passport is recognized.
Austria: children need their own passport.
Switzerland: Children need their own passport.
Adequate funds:
Foreign visitors must have sufficient funds for their trip.
Reporting obligation:
Travelers who have received a visa for Ecuador that entitles them to a stay of more than 90 days must register this with the General Directorate for Foreign Affairs in the Ministry of the Interior within the first 30 days after entry. Among other things, you can benefit from lower entry prices for various national parks and protected areas in Ecuador.
Vaccinations:
You can find detailed information on recommended and required vaccinations for traveling to Barbados in the chapter Ecuador – Health and Diseases.
