Arriving in Asuncion
Aeropuerto Internacional Silvio Pettirossi
All international flights arrive in the Aeropuerto Internacional Silvio Pettirossi, located fifteen miles from the center of Asuncion in the satellite city of Luque. This small airport has ATM machines
(Itau, BBVA), a Cambios Chaco money exchange office, post and DHL office, small convenience stores, basic coffee shops, and a COPACO office for making local and international calls. The Il Capo cafe to the far right of the airline counters is open 24 hours and has Wi-Fi.
Quick (Helping) Hands
Bag porters at the baggage carousel are quick to act, often hoisting your bags onto carts before you have time to react. Your bags are not in any danger of disappearing though. Be sure to bring small bills for tipping – tips are expected regardless of whether you requested this service.
The airport taxi stand is located just before exiting the airport and fixed rates to a variety of Asuncion locations and hotels are posted (generally between Gs.70,000 to Gs.120,000). Credit cards are accepted with a 15 percent surcharge. Fixed prices (between Gs.70,000 to Gs.90,000) are generally quoted for taxi rides to the airport from Asuncion.
The Linea 30 A (Aeropuerto) city bus passes by the airport about once an hour from 5am to 9pm and runs to the center of town (along Aviadores del Chaco, Espana past the Sheraton and Shopping del Sol), and downtown along Presidente Franco until Calle Colon. The bus picks up passengers in front of the airport so there is no need to walk to the main road. Be aware, this bus is extremely full early in the morning and late at night. Tel: 021 645 600/5, Av. Aviadores del Chaco 1690
Terminal de Omnibus
All international and most regional buses arrive at the bus terminal located about seven kilometers away from the city center. However, very few city buses pass by the bus terminal. Phone listings for all bus companies operating out of the terminal are located on the terminal’s website and listed by destination. The terminal has ATMs (BBVA), several snack shops, fast food restaurants, a cyber cafe, and convenience stores with basic amenities as well as souvenirs. Bathrooms are basic and cost Gs. 1,000. Ticket offices are located on the top floor, services and regional and international departures on the ground floor, and local bus departures on the bottom floor.
Metered taxis can be caught exiting the terminal on the ground floor. Cab fare to go downtown is between Gs. 30,000 and 45,000. The Linea 31 city bus picks up passengers on Avenida Republica Argentina, directly in front of the terminal, and continues on Mariscal Lopez towards the center of town along Presidente Franco. Fares are Gs. 2,300 and the bus passes approximately every twenty minutes from 5am to 9:30pm. Tel: 595 21 551740/1, corner of Avenida Fernando de la Mora and Avenida Republica Argentina, www.mca.gov.py/toa.htm Bus Shortcuts
For arriving passengers heading to the center of town it can be more convenient to get off the bus at one of the several standard stops before the terminal. Getting off at a major crossroads and continuing on in a city bus from there can save time, although it is not recommended at night. Although drivers will usually announce upcoming stops, it is best to tell them where you want to get off ahead of time. Common stops are as follows:
Route 1 and Route 2 buses: desvio a Luque in San Lorenzo. From here buses 12, 26, and 56 head downtown.
Route 3 and Trans Chaco buses: Corner of Avenida Argentina and Mariscal Lopez. From here a number of city buses head downtown along Mariscal Lopez (see the following Popular Bus Routes). Other popular stops for these buses are Shopping del Sol and the intersection of Avenida Argentina and Avenida Espana where buses head downtown along Avenida Aviadores del Chaco (in front of Shopping del Sol) and Avenida Espana.
