Paraguayan Transportation City Buses
City buses are the most common method of transportation in Asuncion with over fifty privately operated bus lines (lineas) streaming into the city from surrounding areas throughout the day. Most companies schedule their first bus to arrive in Asuncion around 4am and their last bus to leave the city around 10pm with buses every twenty and forty minutes, or every hour depending on the company. Service is less frequent on Sundays. As of July 2012, the standard fee for city buses is Gs. 2,300 and drivers are generally willing to break bills as big as Gs. 10,000 (although you may have to wait while they deal with other passengers first). Avoid peak hours – 6am to 8am and 5pm to 7pm if possible.
The ride is anything but smooth with drivers multitasking between picking up passengers, collecting bus fares, and swerving around traffic and potholes, all the while drinking terere. The quality of buses varies greatly between companies – some buses have wooden floors and squishy bench seats while others have plastic bucket seats and a more modern feel. All bus lines are painted different colors – this can prove helpful when trying to determine whether to hail a fast moving bus. Buses stop every two blocks. In order to request a stop, pull the rope running along the ceiling or ring the bell over the back door. Caution should be taken when exiting the bus – Asuncion’s sidewalks are in bad condition and some drivers are reticent to come to a full stop. If you need more time to exit yell Momento! (one moment).
Sidebar: Linea 11: Taking Linea 11 (pronounced linea once) is slang for walking – the joke being that the two 1’s are a pair of legs.
Popular Bus Routes
Between Villa Morra Area & Downtown (along Ave. Mariscal Lopez)
Lineas 12, 26, 56, 30, 41, 44: Entering town, these buses run down Mariscal Lopez, Peru,
Eligio Ayala, and Presidente Franco before turning on Calle Colon. Leaving downtown they run along Olivia/Cerro Cora (note buses 12, 26, and 56 tend to be packed with university students heading to San Lorenzo from 5pm to 10pm).
Lineas 15-1, 15-2, 28: Entering town, these run down Mariscal Lopez, Peru, Azara, and
General Diaz. Leaving downtown they run along Olivia/Cerro Cora.
Lineas 15-3 (Nemby): This follows the same route as 15-1 and 15-2 when entering downtown but heads towards the bus terminal on the way back (see below).
Linea 31: (see below)
Between Shopping del Sol/Carmelitas & Downtown
Linea 30 A: Runs from the airport along Aviadores del Chaco (past Shopping del Sol) and then along Avenida Espana to Eligio Ayala, Presidente Franco, and Calle Colon.
Linea 55 TTL El Inter: Runs along Avenida Espana then Avenida Sacramento and then heads downtown along Mariscal Lopez.
Between Downtown & the Bus Terminal
Linea 31: Entering town, these run from Avenida Republica Argentina past the bus terminal to Mariscal Lopez (through Villa Morra), Peru, Eligio Ayala, and Presidente Franco before turning on Calle Colon. Leaving downtown they run along Olivia/Cerro Cora.
Lineas 15-3 (Nemby): These do not pass by the terminal on their way into downtown. Leaving downtown they run along Olivia/Cerro Cora to Avenida Fernando de la Mora past the bus terminal.
