Montevideo City Guide - Getting Around

Buses in Montevideo are cheap and frequent. Various companies operate in the city, many along very similar routes. That said, routes for each bus are clearly indicated at all bus stops. The main operators are COETC (tel: (02) 508 0136; website: www.coetc.com), COME (tel: (02) 354 3466; website: www.come.com.uy), Cutsca (tel: (02) 204 0000; website: www.cutcsa.com.uy), Raincoop (tel: (02) 481 1617; website: www.raincoop.com) and UCOT (tel: (02) 508 1224; website: www.ucot.net).

All fares are paid in cash, per journey and buses run from around 0500 until 2300. There is no underground rail network in the city.

The city's black-and-yellow taxis can be hailed on the street or reserved over the phone with Adm Radio Taxi (tel: (02) 141), Radio Taxi Punta Gorda (tel: (02) 1771) and many others. Fares are reasonable, but always ensure the meter is working before you take off. For longer journeys, it may be cheaper to reserve a remis taxi (agreeing a fixed fare). Try Urbana Remises (tel: (02) 400 8665). Alternatively, Uruguay Living (website: www.uruguayliving.info) maintains a list of reliable English-speaking drivers.

Hire cars are available from Avis on Uruguay 1417 (tel: (02) 903 0303; website: www.avis.com), Hertz on Guipuzcoa 404 (tel: (02) 712 5000; website: www.hertz.com) and Punta Car on Cerro Largo 1383 (tel: (02) 900 2772; website: www.puntacar.com.uy). Due to the relatively high cost of owning and running a car, Montevideo's roads are not as congested as other South American capitals, but it pays to do some research into Spanish-language road signs before setting off.

Bicycles can be hired from Urubike on Jackson 1361 (tel: (02) 401 5425; website: www.urubike.com). Rates are reasonable and a useful map of city cycle routes is provided with each hire. The friendly staff members, who are cycling enthusiasts themselves, can also arrange guided tours.