First Time Visitor to Ecuador has Questions about Customs

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We received this inquiry from one of our readers about a first time visit to Ecuador.

Dear Pro-Ecuador Staff:

We are considering a visit to Ecuador and wondered about any difficulty getting through customs/immigration. Do they open and check the items in your suitcases? We have never traveled out of the U.S. so we are pretty non-knowledgeable of customs, etc.

We are a family of 4, 2 adults and a 5-year-old boy and 11-year-old boy. I have read about the friendly people of Ecuador so I would hope it applies to the customs folks as well when it comes to tourists.

Lastly, is it advisable to rent a car at the airport, or take a bus to Cotacachi (which is our main place of interest at present). Would it be better to line up something with a tour company versus driving (or trying to drive) ourselves around the country?

Thanks for your help.

My Reply:

Hi Mac,

Thank you for your inquiry. Glad you are jumping into the excitement and fun of international travel. It will be especially great for your children. I took my twin daughters to Mexico when they were four years old. Now they are 29 and they still remember the trip as one of the highlights of their growing up years.

Ecuadorian customs are very easy. Most of the time, people just walk straight through. Occasionally, you get selected for a random bag check, but even if you do, they just open the bag, have a quick look, and send you on your way.

There are rental cars available and that certainly is an option if you don't mind driving in a strange country without knowing the roads. If you decide to do that, make sure you purchase a good map in the U.S. (see Jason's blog post below about which map to buy). However, public transportation here is very inexpensive, readily available, and a good option. Even at that, I would still recommend purchasing the map, as it is nice to see where you are.

Most international flights from the U.S. arrive in Quito in the evening, so you will need to reserve a hotel in Quito. We can help you reserve a good one, or you can select your own at www.in-quito.com. We would recommend that you spend at least a day or two in Old Town Quito. It has wonderful architectural heritage, some nice colonial hotels, and good restaurants.

Let us know where you will be staying and we can send a taxi in the morning from Cotacachi to pick you up. Depending on where you stay in Quito, the taxi will cost will be around $50 - $55. That would be better than taking a bus on your first time out, especially with all your bags.

We will have a page posted about Cotacachi hotels in a few days, so watch for it. There are several good choices in a variety of price ranges.

We have a good friend with a tour company in Quito. He specializes in one, two and three day tours for small groups, as few as two people, to various locations. They are very reliable and would be a better choice, I think, than renting a car. Less costly, and certainly less troublesome than trying to find your way around. Let us know what you decide, and when, and we can connect you up with him.

I am excited that you are taking this step with your family. I know you will be thrilled with Ecuador. For the value of the dollar, there is not a better place in the world to travel to right now. Make sure you sign up for our newsletter at www.pro-ecuador.com, to keep up-to-date on all of our latest mailings about interesting things about Ecuador.

Best regards,
Gary