Getting around Medellín

The metro: the city's pride

Two train lines, several cable-car lines and a tram, all integrated on a single fare that costs a few thousand pesos. It is clean, punctual and safe, and people look after it in a way that stands out: nobody eats inside and nobody litters. It works very well along the north-south axis; east to west, less so.

Taxis and apps

Taxis are plentiful and metered. Ride apps work and give you the reassurance of a recorded trip and an estimated price, though at rush hour and in the rain prices climb and waits stretch. For a short hop within El Poblado or Laureles, either is fine.

When private transport pays for itself

In three specific cases: the airport (45 to 60 minutes out to Rionegro, at night or before dawn), days with several stops where the vehicle waits, and trips out of the city like Guatapé or Hacienda Nápoles, where there is no comfortable way back. With three or four travellers, the per-person price lands close to public transport on somebody else's timetable.

What to know about the traffic

"Pico y placa" restricts some vehicles at certain hours depending on the last digit of the plate; we account for it when scheduling. The evening peak, five to seven, stretches any journey, and on Sunday afternoons the road into the city from the east slows right down.

Frequently asked questions