Me and a friend are wondering a few questions about bus travel in SA. We are flying into Buenos Aires, travelling to Rio, then flying from Rio to Quito Ecuador, then travelling overland to Cartagena if possible? Then Cartagena through Panama and into Costa Rica. I have had trouble finding much info on the bus lines running through the different countries. If anyone knows about bus routes especially from Quito to Cartagena and Cartagena to Panama City, any info would be greatly appreciated as I am a novice traveller. Also do you have to purchase bus tickets before I leave Canada? We are not sure of our dates so would like to purchase tickets while down south. Thanks and hope someone out there can help.
Reply to this There's no bus from Cartagena to Panama City as there's no road! You can fly from Cartagena (look at Aires, Avianca or Copa airlines) or go by boat, an increasingly popular option. Casa Viena in Cartagena is a good place for organising the boat trip.
You can certainly get from Quito to Cartagena overland (though not in one journey as it would take about 3 days!). Most of the bus companies don't have websites or online schedules, but you can organise it all when you're here. And in most cases you can buy bus tickets on the day of travel. For longer or overnight trips, maybe book a few days in advance.
Reply to this Thanks alot for the info, it has really helped me out already in the early stages. I think we will be looking into the boat method of travelling for sure. Thanks again.
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