San Salvador transportation
May 6, 2018, 1:49 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: SJC/SFO
Programs: UA lifetime gold; Hilton Gold; Marriott/SPG Plat; Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,954
San Salvador transportation
I just came back from 9 days in San Salvador. You can have a wonderful time in San Salvador and the beach areas if you know where to go and with whom. All in all El Salvador still remains very unsafe (tourists are not especially targeted but can easily be collateral damage).
I stayed at the Barcelo Hotel (which used to Hilton) and you can read my review on tripadvisor. It is an older building and starting to show its age but the excellent service more than makes up for it. San Salvador has some excellent restaurants and though not cheap eating out is reasonably priced (Sal y Pimienta, Hacienda Real, La Pampa Argentina, Margoth - just to name a few)
I used the services of a private driver. I hired him for the entire visit but he can also be hired by the day or by the trip. Great for airport transfers. Not cheap by El Salvador standards (Uber is super cheap but questionable safety and taxis are cheap if you know which one to get and where), but absolutely worth the expense in exchange for the added sense of security and his knowledge
The driver has a small company. His name if Francisco Rivas and he has a 4x4 SUV or a full van. Both cars very well kept, clean and with working a/c. He is attentive, on time, professional, drives very well and discreet. His phone or whattsup # is 503-7703-3278. (If dialing from the US you dial 011 first)
I have absolutely no financial interest and he did not ask me to advertise. I am just a very happy client and would love to see his business thrive.
I stayed at the Barcelo Hotel (which used to Hilton) and you can read my review on tripadvisor. It is an older building and starting to show its age but the excellent service more than makes up for it. San Salvador has some excellent restaurants and though not cheap eating out is reasonably priced (Sal y Pimienta, Hacienda Real, La Pampa Argentina, Margoth - just to name a few)
I used the services of a private driver. I hired him for the entire visit but he can also be hired by the day or by the trip. Great for airport transfers. Not cheap by El Salvador standards (Uber is super cheap but questionable safety and taxis are cheap if you know which one to get and where), but absolutely worth the expense in exchange for the added sense of security and his knowledge
The driver has a small company. His name if Francisco Rivas and he has a 4x4 SUV or a full van. Both cars very well kept, clean and with working a/c. He is attentive, on time, professional, drives very well and discreet. His phone or whattsup # is 503-7703-3278. (If dialing from the US you dial 011 first)
I have absolutely no financial interest and he did not ask me to advertise. I am just a very happy client and would love to see his business thrive.
Nov 11, 2018, 4:45 pm
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: LVAIR
Posts: 4
Uber is the best way to travel in san salvador, unless you rent your own Car from a rental.
Their are public buses transportation for $0.50 up $3.
The taxies wont charge the same fare, but they are willing to reduce the prices.
** The beach is just 40min away from the city & 30 min away from the Airport.
Their are public buses transportation for $0.50 up $3.
The taxies wont charge the same fare, but they are willing to reduce the prices.
** The beach is just 40min away from the city & 30 min away from the Airport.
Nov 15, 2018, 8:24 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: SJC/SFO
Programs: UA lifetime gold; Hilton Gold; Marriott/SPG Plat; Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,954
Taxi is better but I would NOT catch a taxi on the street. I would have the hotel summon a taxi they know/trust
I would NOT use UBER in El Salvador. It is unsafe, drivers not being vetted well enough and several drivers share the same car and same app which means that UBER has no control over who drives.
Car rental is definitely a possibility but traffic is terrible and street signage is lacking.
Don't get me wrong. The country is great; the people I encounter are wonderful, helpful and pleasant; the food is excellent and the service is superb. But it is not a safe country to visit unless you take several precautions.
Last edited by keisari; Dec 11, 2018 at 7:29 pm
May 6, 2019, 9:02 pm
#4
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 80
Uber
I use Uber most of the time in San Salvador. They charge approximately half than official taxis and wait time in places like Zona Rosa is less than five minutes.
Radio-dispatched taxis
Cooperatives like Acacya and Acopacific that operate the radio dispatched taxis and the airport official taxis that are well kept though and drivers are friendly. That comes at a price. A $3 Uber Ride could easily be a $7 Taxi ride.
Prices are based on a pricing table, but you can negotiate down a dollar or two. They have private daily fares and it is possible to book by phone (a private taxi all day for you).
They also offer nicer not branded cars known as "ejecutivo/executive"
Airport taxis
From the airport I would take the official taxis. Their long distance fares are acceptable. And they will even take you into Guatemala or Honduras if your flight was detoured to San Salvador.
San Salvador taxis
A short taxi round trip for 3/4 km could easily cost a day of minimum wage (US$10) - expensive by Central American Standards - perhaps only the Costa Rican SJO Airport taxis are more expensive.
San Salvador also sees a share of cross-international-border taxi traffic from Honduras and Guatemala. Foreign visitors who come by taxi (for medical treatment for example) continue the journey into El Salvador on a foreign plate taxi instead of switching to a local taxi at the border.
Why? Compare a local taxi from San Salvador to Santa Ana could cost US$50 for 60 km one-way trip; with an Honduran taxi from Nueva Ocotepeque Honduras all the way to San Salvador (and round trip) charging US$60 for 100 km.
Also outside the downtown and the hospital area there are few taxis you can stop from the curb. Which means you have to walk to a taxi stand of varying quality and negotiate the price.
I use Uber most of the time in San Salvador. They charge approximately half than official taxis and wait time in places like Zona Rosa is less than five minutes.
Radio-dispatched taxis
Cooperatives like Acacya and Acopacific that operate the radio dispatched taxis and the airport official taxis that are well kept though and drivers are friendly. That comes at a price. A $3 Uber Ride could easily be a $7 Taxi ride.
Prices are based on a pricing table, but you can negotiate down a dollar or two. They have private daily fares and it is possible to book by phone (a private taxi all day for you).
They also offer nicer not branded cars known as "ejecutivo/executive"
Airport taxis
From the airport I would take the official taxis. Their long distance fares are acceptable. And they will even take you into Guatemala or Honduras if your flight was detoured to San Salvador.
San Salvador taxis
A short taxi round trip for 3/4 km could easily cost a day of minimum wage (US$10) - expensive by Central American Standards - perhaps only the Costa Rican SJO Airport taxis are more expensive.
San Salvador also sees a share of cross-international-border taxi traffic from Honduras and Guatemala. Foreign visitors who come by taxi (for medical treatment for example) continue the journey into El Salvador on a foreign plate taxi instead of switching to a local taxi at the border.
Why? Compare a local taxi from San Salvador to Santa Ana could cost US$50 for 60 km one-way trip; with an Honduran taxi from Nueva Ocotepeque Honduras all the way to San Salvador (and round trip) charging US$60 for 100 km.
Also outside the downtown and the hospital area there are few taxis you can stop from the curb. Which means you have to walk to a taxi stand of varying quality and negotiate the price.