Ecuador buses

The interciy bus system in Ecuador is made up of hundreds of bus cooperatives and companies, each with its base and hub in a particular city or town. Main routes between big cities and along the Panamerican highway are served by many different cooperatives and companies, with buses passing every few minutes or less. Smaller towns and villages father afield may be served by just one, with one or two buses per day. See www.ecuadorbuses.com for maps, schedules and phone numbers for all the intercity and suburban buses.
Where to Catch Inter-City Buses
Although the buses generally leave from stations or major bus stops, they pick up passengers virtually anywhere along their route. In large part, this is because generally each bus is individually owned and operated. Each passenger that boards means more money for the bus driver (who sometimes is the owner himself) and the helper (who charges passengers and collects tickets from those who have them). This is why the buses compete against eachother on the road, and why buses will often pack the aisles if they can. Buses that are part of a large bus company, rather than a bus cooperative, generally will not pick up passengers on the road or pack ém in so much, since the driver and helper are just on salary, and the company owns all the buses.
In the very big cities, inter-city buses have been restricted by the police in picking up passengers within the urban zone after leaving the bus terminal, so buses often can't pick up passengers until they have reached the highway, with the possible exception of a couple key intersections.
Many cities recently have renovated or replaced their old bus stations with remarkably modern ones, or are currently do so.
Within the past year, Quito replaced its one central bus station, with a combination of two: a big new one in the far south of the city, called Terminal Quitumbe, and a smaller one in the far north, called Terminal Carcelén. Most of the intercity buses, the ones leaving on routes to the south, to the coast, and to the Amazon region, leave from Quitumbe. The much smaller number of buses that leave the city going north (to Otavalo, Ibarra and Tulcan for example), and northwest (toward Los Bancos), generally leave from Carcelén (although some start in the south at Quitumbe, then stop at Carcelén). There is a another small terminal in the north, called Ofelia, the last stop of the Metrovía, which is used by the main bus company to Mindo, called Coop. Flor del Valle. For more info on Quito terminals, click here.
So, although the new Quito bus terminals are nicer than the old ones, you have to know from which terminal your bus leaves from. You can ask around, check the www.EcuadorBuses.com, or call the particular bus co. (you can get numbers from that website). Also, if you are staying in the touristy Mariscal area, or "New Town," the taxi ride to the bus station that used to cost $2-$3, now costs $6-$10, and depending on traffic, can take 30-60 minutes to get there. There are a few (and growing number) of bus coops and companies who have their own little terminals near the Mariscal area, which makes traveling out of Quito a lot easier, but they are limited and the buses often stop at the main terminal as well. Included in these companies are Panamericana, Trans Esmeraldas, Transportes Ecuador, Occidentales, Flota Imbabura, TAC, and Coactur.
In Guayaquil, there is still one main bus station (www.terminalguayaquil.com), in the same place as the old one (next to the airport). And the new building is basically a shopping mall, with stores, banks and restaurants. And it is just as clean.
Tickets & Costs
Currently, to buy inter-city bus tickets, you have to go to the main bus terminal or, for those companies that have them, their small private terminals -- or you can just get on the bus (either on the road or in the smaller-city terminales that don't make you buy a ticket before boarding). At this point, there is no way to pay over the phone with a credit card; it's just first-come, first-served at the ticket window.
Inter-city buses generally cost about $1 per hour of travel time. The fares are pretty much the same whether you have to stand in the aisle in a junker bus, or if you get a luxury "seat-bed" in a brand new bus.
Safety
Generally, intercity buses are safe -- on a particular trip, chances are, you will not be robbed or injured in any way. However, especially if you don't keep tabs on your belongings, once in awhile you may find a carry-on stolen, or objects stolen from bags. This largely can be avoided by not putting anything on the overhead racks or under your seat. If you keep small bags and daypacks on your lap, or in an empty seat next to you, with your arm on top, holding a strap, you're not likely to lose them. Large bags and backpacks are generally safe under the bus, but you might try to sit on the same side of the bus to keep an eye out whenever the compartment is opened during the trip.
Getting physically robbed or assaulted is very rare on inter-city buses, but most cases happen on night buses in the coastal region. So, night and evening buses to, from, or within this region should be avoided. Also, especially for women traveling alone, you may want to try to avoid sitting in the very back seats, on general principle. Also, it is very important not to accept food or drinks from other passengers. Although they are most likely just being polite and friendly, there have been many cases in which even seemingly sealed containers have been drugged, and the victim wakes up later to find all his/her possessions taken, or worse.
Traffic accidents involving inter-city buses aren´t common, but do happen. Again, avoiding night buses may help you avoid accidents. And, not sitting in the very front, next to the bus driver, will help you avoid injury in case of an accident.
Conclusion
Ecuador's inter-city buses are an extremely cheap, generally safe, more-or-less convenient, and sometimes comfortable means of travel. Although the bus system may seem chaotic compared to those of the US and Europe, Ecuador's terminals, buses and roads have improved incredibly over the past 5 or 10 years. By taking a few common-sense precautions, travelers can travel very safely and take many enjoyable, memorable trips to all parts of the country.

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