1

There is no bus company which covers the whole country, mostly people choose the bus they will take by which company has the most suitable time of departure and/or arrival for their plans. Look up times etc on the website viajerocontento.com it is the most complete information you can find in one place.

2

Thx for the info

3

The great news is that most of the buses are pretty comfy...even without a ton of leg room, the seats recline and they're usually showing an especially horrible movie like Death Race 5 or other Vin Diesel movies, haha. Seriously though, most buses are just fine. If you are taking a longer journey (such as Quito to Guayaquil), there are often luxury bus companies that exclusively run longer routes and would be a great option. If this is the case, let us all know which route you're interested in....from which town will you be heading to the border? Or will you be making your way slowly south, stopping for sightseeing along the way?

For safety, some things to keep in mind no matter which bus company you're riding with are:
1. Keep carry on items in your lap instead of under the seat or the overhead ledge (especially any valuables)
2. Don't leave your most important valuables in a bag that's going in the undercarriage compartment outside the bus, carry them on with you
3. use common sense and make sure you're aware of your belongings while you're waiting for the bus

Have a great time, James!
Best,
Nicole

4

HI Nicole

I need to travel Loja to Quito next weekend - will be coming from northern Peru (I understand I can get a bus Piura to Loja) and want to go as directly, and comfortably, as possible to Quito.

Any suggestions?

5

Hey Sojurner,
Sounds like you have a looooong day of travel in front of you! When you arrive in Loja, the buses you'll look for are headed to Quito (obviously) or Cuenca (more common...from Cuenca, there will be direct routes to Quito without switching). Depending on your budget, I'd consider flying from Loja to Quito. An hour flight vs another 12 hours by bus sounds rather nice! Prices tend to range from $50-100 one way on Tame.com.ec. If you can't find a flight from Loja on Tame that meets your schedule requirements, there are several companies that fly from Cuenca and will still shave about 10 hours off of your bus ride. Also, have you considered flights from Peru direct to Quito?

Unfortunately, I don't know of a luxury bus (autobus de lujo) that runs from Loja to Quito as I have not taken that journey myself. Anyone else have an experience to chime in with here? There will surely be one from Cuenca if not Loja and you can ask in the bus terminal for recommendations as you shouldn't have to leave the terminal to catch one. Typically, they have offices outside of the terminal but they all make a stop at the major terminals on their routes. No matter what, try to sit closer to the front for a smoother ride and get a window seat :)

Best of luck to you! Hope that helps
Nicole