Which bus goes from Carrasco Airport to Montevideo?
The airport's bus page lists four companies that serve the terminal: COPSA, COT, CUTCSA and Turismar. It gives no line numbers, fares or times, and says the services are run by companies independent of the airport.
For the ride into the city, COPSA is the company to look up. Its suburban timetable page lists line 703 and line 704, both named "Montevideo / Aeropuerto", plus line P768, "Pinar / Aeropuerto", which heads east along the coast instead. The timetable is loaded interactively by line and day type (weekdays, Saturdays, Sundays), and we could not read the departure times from it, so open it on your phone and pick your line and day before you land.
COT and Turismar are long-distance coach companies. They matter if you are heading on to the coast rather than into Montevideo; see the FAQ.
How much does the bus cost, and how do you pay?
Metropolitan fares in the Montevideo area are distance-based. CUTCSA's fare page shows the metropolitan table in force from 1 June 2026:
| Distance band | Fare |
|---|---|
| 8 km by road | UYU 59 |
| 16 km by road | UYU 70 |
| 24 km by road | UYU 84 |
| Within Montevideo's urban limits | UYU 86 |
| 32 km (Ring 1) | UYU 107 |
| 40 km (Ring 2) | UYU 127 |
Neither COPSA nor the airport states which band applies from the terminal to downtown Montevideo, so tell the driver your destination and pay the fare quoted. Have Uruguayan pesos in small notes for this first ride; we could not confirm from COPSA's pages whether bank cards are accepted on board.
Once in the city, Montevideo's own buses use a flat fare. The Intendencia de Montevideo's fare page, in force since 5 January 2026, lists a one-hour ticket at UYU 52 with the STM card or UYU 64 in cash, and a two-hour ticket at UYU 78 with STM or UYU 97 in cash.
The STM card is the city's transport card. The Intendencia's getting-around guide says you can get one free by showing your ID or passport at an STM service point, and that it gives cheaper fares and transfers within one or two hours. The Ministry of Transport adds that combining a metropolitan bus with a Montevideo city bus requires an enabled STM card, with the connecting leg free at designated stops. You will not have an STM card on arrival, so on the first day expect to pay cash on each bus.
Taxis, apps and shuttles
The airport's how-to-get-here page points to three options: taxis, buses and shuttles. The linked airport taxi service has its office in the arrivals area, works 24 hours, and accepts cash and Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Cabal cards. It does not publish a fare table; instead it offers a fare calculator and quotes by WhatsApp on +598 96 300 196.
Aeroshop's shuttle page lists one-way and round-trip shuttles, a service connecting with domestic flights, and a private transfer for up to 6 passengers. Prices are not shown on the page, so ask for a quote before you commit.
Uber and Cabify are named by the Intendencia as alternatives to taxis in Montevideo. Neither the airport nor the city publishes an airport pick-up point for them.
Which option should you choose?
This table combines the fares and payment rules above with arrival time and group size. Journey times are not published by the bus companies or the airport, so none is given here.
| Option | Cost for one | Pay with | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| COPSA 703 or 704 | Metropolitan fare, UYU 59 to 127 band | Pesos in cash, or STM card | Solo, light luggage, daytime |
| Bus plus city bus | Metropolitan fare plus UYU 64 cash | Cash; STM transfer needs a card | Your stop is off the airport line |
| Airport taxi | By quote | Cash or card | Late arrival, 3 to 4 people, heavy bags |
| Shuttle or private transfer | By quote | Ask when booking | Up to 6 people, prebooked pick-up |
| COT or COPSA coach | Coach ticket | Online or at counter | Going straight to the coast |
Worked example: one traveller
You land mid-afternoon with a backpack and are staying in central Montevideo. Take COPSA 703 or 704 and pay the fare the driver quotes. If it is charged at the highest band on CUTCSA's table, UYU 127, and you then need one Montevideo city bus paid in cash at UYU 64, your total is at most UYU 191. That is the upper bound; a shorter band brings it down.
Worked example: a group of four with luggage
Four people with suitcases pay four separate bus fares. At the top band that is 4 × UYU 127 = UYU 508, before any cash city-bus leg (4 × UYU 64 = UYU 256 more), and you all have to carry bags on and off two buses. Ask the taxi office for a quote to your address. If the quote is close to the UYU 508 to 764 you would spend on buses, the taxi wins on comfort and door-to-door time; if it is much higher, the bus still does the job for travellers with manageable bags.
Before you leave arrivals
Check three things while you still have airport wi-fi. Open the COPSA timetable for line 703 or 704 on the correct day type; get a taxi quote if you are more than two people; and make sure you have Uruguayan pesos in cash for the first bus.
If you plan to pay for meals and car hire with a foreign card, read our guide to paying by card and the tourist VAT reduction in Uruguay. If you are picking up a hire car at the airport, see renting a car and paying tolls in Uruguay.