Medellin is a huge city with a transport system that is unique in Colombia. A thoughtful approach to mobility has led to an urban transformation of the city and a successful interconnection between the different means of transport: Metro, Bus, Tram, Cable car.
Here’s our post with tips on getting around Medellin.
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Disclaimer: we apologize in advance for any grammatical or syntactic errors, as our native language is not English (we're a Colombian-French couple), so we hope you'll forgive us and still enjoy the information we share with you! Please note that all the information on our blog is based on our own experience, and is checked and updated regularly.
Medellin Airport transfer
Getting around Medellin
Every city has its own particularities, and if you’re flying into Medellin, you’re going to want to know where the airport is and, above all, how to get to the city in the easiest, most practical way.
Medellin airport is actually located in the town of Rio Negro, quite a distance from the city center. Here are the different options for airport transfers in Medellin.
General information Medellin airport
- José María Córdova de Medellin International Airport (MDE)
- Website: aeropuertorionegro.co
- Address: Rio Negro
- Tel: 57 (574) 402 5110
- Email: contact form
Cab transfer – Medellin International Airport
The quickest and easiest way to get to downtown Medellin from the airport is clearly by cab.
Cab from airport to city center
Meet at the airport exit. Official airport cabs are white and are the only ones authorized to park at the airport.
- Journey time: approx. 30 minutes
- Fare: $98.000 COP including toll for new tunnel
- Authorized companies: Flota Córdova Rionegro, Combuses, Rápido Medellin Rionegro, Transportes Unidos La Ceja, Aerotaxi, Transportes Chachafruto, TUR y Copetaxi
Cab from downtown to the airport
To get to the airport, it’s best to order a white or yellow cab by telephone (ask at your accommodation), calculating the journey time according to your flight time.
TIP
Always use the official cabs (white or yellow) for your airport transfer in Medellin. The fares we give you are fixed rates, and the driver should not ask you to pay extra for the toll in the new tunnel.
Bus transfer – Medellin International Airport
Using the bus for your airport transfer in Medellin will suit those who are looking for the cheapest option, who are not in a hurry and who don’t mind having to take different means of transport to get to and from their hotel.
In either case, the meeting point in Medellin is the Centro Comercial San Diego in Candelaria.
Bus from airport to city center
- Journey time: approx. 1 hour, depending on traffic conditions
- Fare: approx. $10.000 COP
- Timetable: 24/24h to Centro Comercial San Diego
- Company: Combuses
Bus from downtown to airport
- Duration: approx. 1h depending on traffic
- Fare: approx. $2.500 COP
- Times: 3:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. from Centro Comercial San Diego
- Company: TUR
CENTRO COMERCIAL SAN DIEGO
Centro Comercial San Diego is the unofficial bus station for airport transfers. Located in Medellin’s Candelaria district, it’s easy to reach by metro or cab.
Address: Calle 33 #42B-06 – Medellin
Metro: Line A – Exposiciones station
During the day, there’s always a queue of cabs at the entrance to the shopping center. If your flight arrives late, we’d advise you to take a cab direct from the airport. But if you still decide to take the bus to Medellin, then once you’ve arrived at the mall, try to find an official cab quickly (yellow cabs) or head straight for the Exposiciones metro station.
Medellin regional airport transfer
Medellin’s Olaya Herrera regional airport (EOH) is located right in the city center. Close to the Poblado district, it’s a quick cab ride away. Wherever you’re staying in Medellin, just order an official cab and you’ll be on your way to the regional airport in no time.
- Website: aeropuertoolayaherrera.gov.co
- Address: Carrera 65 A #13-157 Tercer piso
- Tel: 57 (4) 403 6780
- Email: info@aeropuertoolayaherrera.gov.co
Getting around Medellin
How to find your way around Medellin
As elsewhere in Colombia, Medellin is divided into “Calles” and “Carreras”, quickly translated as “Streets” and “Roads”. Ultimately, as the city is built in the American style on a checkerboard system, this system is above all a means of differentiating between streets that run north-south, and those that run east-west.
So! To find your way around Medellin, the “carreras” run from south to north, parallel to the river that crosses Medellin, and the “calles” run from east to west, perpendicular to the river. All these streets have no name, just a number.
Addresses are often given as such: Calle 8 # 57. This means Street 8 (the street name) and number 57 (the house number). Sometimes an address is given at a crossroads, and the address will then be something like: Calle 8 & Carrera 7.
Help getting around Medellin
To help you get around in Medellin, as elsewhere in Colombia, we recommend using GPS route planners such as Moovit or Googlemaps.
They’ll help you plan your itinerary easily and, above all, they’ll give you the various public transport options available to you. They’ll make getting around Medellin a whole lot easier.
Getting around Medellin by public transport
Metro, Bus, Taxi
Medellin’s reputation has been built on the development of transport systems that have transformed the city. At the forefront of this revival are the metro and the metrocable, a revolution that has changed the lives of Medellin’s inhabitants in general, and the poorer neighborhoods of Medellin’s hills in particular.
The Medellin metro is a jewel of which the people of Medellin are particularly proud. It is by far the most practical means of getting around Medellin. Far from the clichés of the dirty, smelly and gloomy Parisian metro, Medellin’s metro makes an impact with its modernity, cleanliness and maintenance. It’s as if the people of Medellin themselves were keen to keep this treasure in pristine condition.
The Metro and much more
The metro is in fact just one part of a global transport system that interconnects different means of transport across the city.
Medellin’s “integrated metro system” consists of :
- 2 metro lines (Lines A and B)
- 3 metro lines (Lines H J, K, L, M)
- 1 streetcar line (Line T-A)
- 2 bus lines with reserved lanes (Line 1 and 2)
- 1 electric bus line (Line O)
Fares
Civica card
The Civica card is the rechargeable card for using Medellin’s “integrated transport system”. It allows you to avoid queuing at the ticket office, get a slightly reduced fare on journeys and travel on the entire network (metro, streetcar, bus, metrocable, etc.).
There are two types of Civica card, which you’ll need to load once to use on public transport:
- Eventual Civica: $5.000 COP
This is a standard Civica card that can be purchased at all metro station ticket offices, but does not entitle you to discounted fares. - Personal Civica: free
This card, with your name on it, entitles you to reduced fares, and can only be purchased at certain stations: Itagüí, Niquía, San Antonio and San Javier. All you need to do is present your identity document (passport for foreigners).
If you’re staying in Medellin for several days, it’s well worth taking a Personal Civica, as it’s free and saves you money.
Bicycle bonus
The Civica card also gives you easier access to self-service bicycles in Medellin. Medellin is a relatively hilly city, but cycling can still be a fun way to get around.
TIPS
Rush hour
Avoid rush hour on the metro between 5pm and 7pm, as it’s very crowded. As with the Transmilenio in Bogotá, it’s sometimes difficult to get into a train, and you may have to wait for several trains to pass before you can get in.
Safety
The metro is perfectly safe, and you’ll feel right at home. But as elsewhere in major cities during rush hour, be careful with your belongings, as pickpockets are always at work.
Cabs in Medellin
This is the other most practical option for getting around Medellin outside rush hour to avoid traffic jams. Official cabs are yellow and have a number plate. White cabs are used for journeys outside Medellin (e.g. to the international airport at Rio Negro). New electric cabs are now available in green. They are a little more expensive than the yellow ones.
Fares
- Starting price: $3.600 COP
- Minimum fare : $5.600 COP
- Airport transfer price: $80.000 COP
- Price per hour (contract): $25.200 COP
Calculate your Medellin cab fare
The fare is calculated according to distance:
1unit = $110 COP = 72 m (or $200 COP per 60 seconds in traffic jams – speed under 15 km/h)
Price per kilometer: $1530 COP (without traffic jams)
TIPS FOR TAKING A CAB IN Medellin
Taximeter
Cabs must have the taximeter on when you enter the vehicle. If it’s not on, you must ask for it to be turned on before accepting the fare. If the driver refuses, get out of the vehicle.
Waze
Waze is a mobile application that helps you find your way around town by car. It’s a great way to avoid cab scams. If you’re in any doubt about the route the cab is taking, launch the app and show the driver that he’s extending the route. Similarly, if you’re stuck in traffic, suggest an alternative route to avoid getting stuck.
Payment
Airport fares are fixed, so don’t be fooled by unscrupulous drivers. Also, try to carry small-denomination bills with you to top up when you pay.
Safety
Today in Medellin, it’s perfectly possible to take an official cab on the street by raising your arm. During the day, we regularly do this without any problems. At night, it’s always best to order a cab by telephone (ask your hotel or the restaurant/bar where you’re staying). You can also use an app like Cabify.
Uber in Medellin
Uber became a legal and official option for getting around Medellin again in February 2020. So it’s once again legal to use Uber in Colombia. As elsewhere in the world, Uber makes it possible to hire a private VTC via a downloadable mobile app.
Medellin bus terminal
Transfer between the terminal and the city center
There are two bus terminals in Medellin, Terminal del Sur and Terminal del Norte. Each serves different destinations.
General information Medellin bus terminal
- Website: terminalesmedellin.com
- Address: Terminal Norte: Carrera 64C #78 – 580, Local 265N
- Terminal Sur: Carrera 65 No. 8B – 91
- Telephone: T. Norte: 57 (4) 444 8020, Ext. 150 / T. Sur : 57 (4) 444 8020, Ext. 151
- Mail: informacion@terminalesmedellin.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/TerminalesMedellin
Transport to/from Medellin’s Terminal del Sur
Terminal del Sur is located near the Poblado district.
Nearest metro station
- Poblado station on line A (then 15 min walk)
From the Poblado district
- Cab: about 10 minutes from Poblado
From Rio Negro International Airport
- Cab: about 30 minutes from the airport
- Bus Taxi: Bus from the airport to the San Diego shopping center, then take metro line A from Exposiciones station to Poblado station.
Transport to/from Medellin’s Terminal del Norte
Terminal del Norte is located in the very north of the city, near Parc Explora.
Nearest metro station
- Caribe station on line A
From the Poblado district
- Cab: about 30 minutes from Poblado
- By metro: take line A from Poblado station to Caribe station
From Rio Negro International Airport
- Cab: about 30 minutes from the airport
- Bus Metro: Bus from the airport to the San Diego shopping center, then take metro line A from Exposiciones station to Caribe station.
Rent a car in Medellin
Getting around Medellin
To discover the area around Medellin, it’s a good idea to rent a car for the day or a few days. Before taking the plunge, we recommend you read the following posts:
There are plenty of things to see around Medellin that are easily accessible by car, and if you feel like it, it would be a pity to deprive yourself of this means of transport, which offers a welcome freedom if you respect a few safety rules, which we discuss in our posts.
Rent a car In Colombia
To rent a car, we advise you to use the Rental Cars comparator, which gives you a complete overview of the different rental companies in Colombia.
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