Galapagos Amazon Andes Coast

Travel Tips
GETTING TO ECUADOR
Although not every country has a direct flight to
Ecuador, getting to Ecuador from International
destinations such as United States, Canada, Europe
or America; is very simple.
There are direct flights to Quito or Guayaquil from
cities like Miami (LAN, American Airlines - 4 hours
flight), Houston (Continental, United – 5 hours flight),
Atlanta (Delta – 7 hours flight), New York (LAN,
Continental – 6 hours flight).
There are also direct flights connecting Europe to
Ecuador. These flights depart from Madrid (LAN.
Iberia – 11 hours flight) or from Amsterdam (KLM – 12
hours flight).
There are also other airlines offering direct flights
from different cities in Europe to cities in Latin
America such as Bogota, Lima and Caracas.
From any of these Latin American cities
you can take a flight that will finally take
you to Quito or Guayaquil. Non direct
flights between Europe and Ecuador
last 18 to 25 hours approximately,
depending on the starting point and
the number of stops.
Several airlines offer direct flights from
different cities in South and Central
America (Lima, Bogota, Caracas, San
Jose, Panama, Santiago, Buenos Aires,
Sao Paulo) to Quito and Guayaquil. The airlines
operating these routes are LAN, COPA Airlines,
TACA, AVIANCA among other local Ecuadorian
Airlines like TAME and AEROGAL.
From other destinations in South America, you
can take a connecting flight to any of the cities
mentioned above in order to board a direct flight
to Quito or Guayaquil.
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
Your first step in preparing for your trip is to make sure
you have all your travel documents in order. You
will be required to present a valid passport when
entering Ecuador. If you don’t have a passport,
please apply for one immediately as it can take
some time to obtain one. If you already have a
valid passport, be sure to check that your passport
is valid for at least 6 months from the date you plan
to enter Ecuador, as you will not be allowed to enter
the country if this is not the case.
Citizens of most countries including USA, Canada
and in Europe can stay a maximum of 90 days
without needing a visa. The countries whose
citizens require a visa to enter Ecuador are: China,
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya,
Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan and Somalia.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
We strongly recommend you to purchase travel
insurance, including trip cancellation and
interruption coverage, medical coverage including
coverage for emergency evacuation, as well as
baggage loss protection.
ALTITUDE
Quitois located 9200 feet above sea level, for
this reason some passengers traveling from lower
elevations may experience symptoms of altitude
sickness. This typically results in shortness of breath,
nausea and headaches. In most cases the
symptoms will gradually lessen and pass as
one’s body adjusts to the altitude, during
the first days of your stay take it easy and
drink lots of water. Staying hydrated by
drinking plenty of water or tea seems
to lessen symptoms. If you have high
blood pressure, heart trouble or had
issues with altitude sickness in the past
please consult your physician before
traveling to Quito.
IMMUNIZATIONS
No inoculations are required for entry into Ecuador,
except a yellow fever certificate is mandatory if
you are going to the Provinces of Orellana and
Sucumbíos (The Amazon Basin). Although no cases
of yellow fever have been reported in Ecuador in
the last 20 years, the Ministry of Health has issued a
yellow fever vaccination requirement to all travellers
visiting Orellana and Sucumbíos Provinces, starting
March 1st, 2008 in order to avoid any possible
contaminations.
All tourists visiting mentioned zones must have the
“Yellow fever” vaccination 10 days before entering
into the Amazon Region and posses the certificate
of vaccination.
This vaccination provides protection for 10 years
after which it is required a reinforcement dose.
IMPORTANT: passengers who visit Ecuador and
then go to Brazil, Panama or Costa Rica must
have a yellow fever Vaccination certificate or will
not be allowed to board the international flight
(International regulations).
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