Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
a bus number on your ticket; check with the driver to make sure you're boarding the right
bus, or you may find yourself in the 'right' seat on the wrong bus!
Most towns with central bus terminals have a fee-based left-luggage facility.
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
Visitors to Uruguay who are staying less than 90 days need only bring a valid driver's li-
cense from their home country. Uruguayan drivers are extremely considerate, and even
bustling Montevideo is quite sedate compared with Buenos Aires.
Uruguay imports all its oil. Due to government regulation, all service stations charge
the same price for fuel. Unleaded gasoline cost UR$40.60 a liter at the time of research.
The
Automóvil Club del Uruguay
(
1707;
www.acu.com.uy
;
Colonia 1251, Montevideo)
has good maps and information.
Car Hire
Economy cars rent locally for upwards of UR$1000 a day in the high season, with tax
and insurance included. Advance online bookings are often cheaper than in-country rent-
als. Most credit-card companies' automatic LDW (loss-damage-waiver) insurance covers
rentals in Uruguay.
Road Rules & Hazards
Drivers are required to turn on their headlights during the daytime on all highways. Most
towns have alternating one-way streets, with an arrow marking the allowed direction of
travel.
Outside Montevideo, most intersections have neither a stop sign nor a traffic light;
right of way is determined by who reaches the corner first. This can be nerve-wracking
for the uninitiated!
Outside the capital and coastal tourist areas, traffic is minimal and poses few prob-
lems. Roads are generally in reasonable shape, but some interior roads can be rough.
Keep an eye out for livestock and wildlife. Even in Montevideo's busy downtown, horse-
drawn carts still operate, hauling trash or freight.
Speed limits are clearly posted but rarely enforced. Arbitrary police stops are rare.
HITCHHIKING
It's not uncommon to see locals hitchhiking in rural areas, as gas is expensive and relat-
ively few people own cars. Safety is not as serious a concern as in most other countries.
LOCAL TRANSPORTATION
