Getting to and Around Uruguay

A trip to Uruguay usually begins at Montevideo’s Carrasco International Airport (MVD) or across the water in Buenos Aires, so how to get to Uruguay comes down to choosing between the two. Montevideo, the capital, faces Argentina across the Río de la Plata. Once you are here, the country is small enough to travel by road.

Certainly you can fly straight in. Several of our suggested itineraries, though, arrive by boat from Buenos Aires and leave by air from Montevideo.

Flying to Uruguay: Montevideo’s Carrasco Airport

Carrasco International Airport is Uruguay’s main airport, about 30 minutes by coach from Montevideo’s Tres Cruces bus terminal.

From North America, there is no non-stop in October 2026. American Airlines’ seasonal Miami non-stop (about 9 h 15 m) returns for the 2026–27 season, daily from December 3 to March 2, 2027, then three times a week until March 28. Otherwise connect in Panama City (three Copa flights a day, about 7 h 15 m), São Paulo, Lima or Bogotá.

From Europe, Madrid is the only city with non-stop flights: Iberia daily and Air Europa about three times a week, roughly 12 h 45 m southbound. Elsewhere in Europe you connect; Paris, for example, routes through Madrid, São Paulo or Panama City.

Within South America, Montevideo has non-stops from Santiago de Chile (about 2 h 15 m), Rio de Janeiro (about 3 h 15 m), São Paulo (GOL and LATAM), Lima, Bogotá and Buenos Aires.

The airport tax has been included in your ticket since December 2010.

Buenos Aires to Montevideo: Ferry or Flight

If you are already in Buenos Aires, you have three good ways across:

• The direct ferry. Buquebus sails from its Puerto Madero terminal to Montevideo’s port in about 2¼ to 2½ hours. As of September 2026 it is the only operator; Colonia Express holds a permit to compete but is blocked by a dispute over the port’s car ramp.
• The ferry to Colonia, then the coach. Buquebus and Colonia Express both sail to Colonia del Sacramento, about 1 h 15 m with Colonia Express. Connecting coaches carry on to Montevideo, about 3 h 30 m in all to the Tres Cruces terminal, or about 6 hours to Punta del Este.
• The short flight. Aerolíneas Argentinas flies from Aeroparque, the airport inside Buenos Aires, to Montevideo three times a day, about 50 minutes. Long-haul flights land at Ezeiza International Airport, which has no scheduled Montevideo flights, so flying on means an hour or more by road to Aeroparque first.

Our itineraries use the ferry, and the Colonia route turns the crossing into a stop of its own. Colonia’s historic quarter, founded by the Portuguese in 1680, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and our Colonia del Sacramento tours give it a night or two.

Punta del Este and Its Airport

Punta del Este has its own international airport at Laguna del Sauce (PDP), about 12 mi (20 km) from the peninsula. In October 2026 it had about three flights a week from Buenos Aires Aeroparque (about 55 minutes) and two from São Paulo. Summer adds seasonal routes from Argentina and Brazil, including a new Porto Alegre route for 2026–27.

Two of our itineraries fly home from there: Montevideo & Punta del Este Uruguay, and the Colonia & Montevideo Uruguay Trip Package, which starts at Colonia’s ferry port. For summer crowds, see the best time to visit Uruguay and Uruguay’s weather.

Getting Around Uruguay by Road

Getting around Uruguay means coaches and cars, not planes. Domestic flying is thin: the only local routes, to Salto and Rivera in the north, belong to a single airline, and in August 2026 Uruguay’s travel-agent association reported repeated cancellations on them. None of our Uruguay itineraries flies inside the country.

Coaches leave from Montevideo’s Tres Cruces terminal, the country’s main bus station. Times from October 2026 timetables:

The Colonia, Montevideo & Punta del Este Uruguay Tour is the short version: Colonia’s port, the coach to Montevideo, a day on the coast, out of Carrasco. Horseback Riding in Uruguay drives east from Carrasco to Rocha and the Brazilian border.

How We Route a Uruguay Trip

The easiest shape is a line, not a loop: in by ferry, out by air. The Rhythm of Buenos Aires & Uruguay does exactly that: four nights in Buenos Aires, the Buquebus ferry to Colonia, the coach to Montevideo, a day at Punta del Este, then home. Southern Highlights: Uruguay, Buenos Aires & Brazil goes the other way, from Montevideo through Colonia and Buenos Aires to Iguazú Falls and Rio.

Our co-founder Juergen Keller’s routing rule for Argentina travels well across the river: “Think international!” Tango, Candombe, & Samba takes the ferry to Montevideo, spends a night in Colonia, sails back to Buenos Aires, then flies to Iguazú and Rio, where you fly home. For the Argentine legs, see our Argentina getting-there page.

Juergen’s advice for the whole continent: “Some routes are flown only 3 times a week and easily canceled due to bad weather and bad airport infrastructure. Leave slack in your trip!” Here that means the seasonal Punta del Este flights and the few-a-week Bogotá route; treat the ferry day as a travel day.

How Flights Fit Your Trip

Our suggested itineraries are priced without flights; every tour page says “Flights quoted separately.” Your Destination Consultant can quote international and regional flights, such as Buenos Aires to Iguazú, with your trip. The ferry and coach legs are in the day-by-day itinerary, and every itinerary can be custom designed, with extra nights in Punta del Este or an onward leg to Rio. Begin with a custom Uruguay trip, and check Uruguay’s entry requirements before you book.

Getting to Uruguay: Questions We Get

Which airport do I fly into for Uruguay?

Montevideo’s Carrasco International Airport (MVD) for almost every international flight. Punta del Este (PDP) has a handful of regional routes, most of them in summer.

Are there direct flights to Uruguay from the US?

Only in the southern summer: American Airlines flies Miami to Montevideo non-stop from December 3, 2026 to March 28, 2027. Otherwise, connect in Panama City, São Paulo, Lima or Bogotá.

How long is the flight to Uruguay?

About 9 h 15 m non-stop from Miami in season and 12 h 45 m from Madrid; Panama City to Montevideo is about 7 h 15 m.

Should I take the ferry or fly from Buenos Aires to Montevideo?

The flight from Aeroparque takes about 50 minutes, the direct ferry 2¼ to 2½ hours. Our itineraries use the ferry.

Are there direct flights from Montevideo to Córdoba or other Argentine cities?

Not as of October 2026. Aeroparque in Buenos Aires is the only Argentine airport with non-stop flights to Montevideo.