Tools
Driving in Ecuador
The rules of the road as our desk recorded them, native unit first.
Right
50 / 90 / 100 km/h · 31 / 56 / 62 mph
urban / rural / motorway
Recommended · Vienna 1968
EU licences valid for tourist stays; carry the IDP for police controls and rentals - checks are frequent on intercity routes.
0.03% (0.3 g/L) for private drivers · near-zero (0.1 g/L) for professionals; jail above 0.08%
Modest cash tolls ($0.50–2) on main highways - keep coins and small bills in the console.
Low beams at night, in rain and in the fog that owns the Andean passes - mornings on the Quilotoa road can drop visibility to metres.
Child restraints required for young children and under-12s belong in the back; enforcement is patchy - bring your own seat.
Mountain roads are dramatic, landslide-prone in the rainy season and shared with fearless bus drivers - average 50 km/h in planning. The Quito–Baños and Cuenca–Guayaquil (Cajas) drives are spectacular; leave night driving to people who know the potholes personally.