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Getting around Montevideo

Public transport: 

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 7871; www.coetc.com), COME (tel: (02) 354 3466; www.come.com.uy), Cutsca (tel: (02) 204 0000; www.cutcsa.com.uy), Raincoop (tel: (02) 481 1617; www.raincoop.com) and UCOT (tel: (02) 508 0003; 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.

Taxis: 

The city's black-and-yellow taxis can be hailed on the street or reserved over the phone with Celeritas (tel: 1919), Radio Taxi Punta Gorda (tel: 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 (private) taxi (agreeing a fixed fare). Try Remises Victoria (tel: (02) 308 2113).

Car hire: 

Hire cars are available from Avis (tel: (02) 903 0303; www.avis.com), Hertz (tel: (02) 712 5000; www.hertz.com) and Europcar (tel: (02) 401 0575; www.europcar.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.

Bicycle hire: 

Bicycles can be hired from El Viajero Hostel on Ituzaingó 1436 (tel: (02) 915 6192; www.elviajeromontevideo.com). Contact Urubike (www.urubike.com) for a useful map of city cycle routes. The friendly staff members, who are cycling enthusiasts themselves, can also arrange guided tours. One of the best places to go riding is along the riverfront Rambla that runs along the city's southern shoreline, and the Parque Rodó, to the east of Montevideo.

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