Getting There By Road
Travelling to Ecuador by road can be hazardous, particularly from Colombia in the north where guerrillas and drug smugglers can make this a rather dangerous route. There are several border crossings with Peru, Ecuador's only other immediate neighbour. These include Huaquillas-Aguas Verdes, Macara-La Tina-Sullana and Zumba-San Ignacio. Within Ecuador, many of the roads, particularly on the main tourist routes, are generally good but landslides, earthquakes and heavy rains often cause disruption. Always make sure you have a good map and directions as sign-posting is unreliable and other drivers can be unpredictable, too. Driving is on the right hand side and there are only two grades of petrol sold – Extra (82 octane) and Super (92 octane). Both are unleaded. Diesel fuel is available, but is often of poor quality. Travelling by bus through Ecuador is not recommended, particularly at night when the roads can be dangerous. Buses are often uncomfortable and ill equipped (no toilets) though some companies are introducing new buses with better facilities, including air conditioning. The Peruvian Internacional Ormeņo (Lima, tel: (+51) 01 472 1710; website: www.grupo-ormeno.com) operate routes from Argentina to Venezuela, which travel through Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Columbia.
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