Transportation in Montevideo

Montevideo moves on three tiers: the bright yellow buses that blanket every barrio for pocket-change fares, the commuter trains that fan out to beach suburbs, and taxis that are a splurge but still cheaper than most capitals. First-timers should grab an STM card at any RedPagos shop or the airport kiosk, one tap works on buses and the few commuter trains, sparing you the coin-counting dance. The buses run all night on key lines. But route numbers change after midnight. Keep the Moovit app handy to avoid standing at the wrong parada. From Carrasco Airport, the cheapest ride is the DM1 bus that drops you at Tres Cruces terminal in about 45 minutes. It runs every 30 minutes until late evening. If you land after the last DM1, the official taxi rank is the only game, skip the curbside hustlers and insist the meter starts at zero. Uber exists but can be scarce at the terminal. If you must, walk upstairs to departures where drivers pick up faster.