All nationals entering as tourists need a passport that is valid for at least six months after arrival. You are legally required to have your passport on you at all times. Many people carry only a copy when they’re hanging around a town, though this is not an officially acceptable form of ID. Never take buses, boats, drives or otherwise travel without your passport. Additionally, you may also be required to show proof of return or onward travel.

As with travel to any destination, most crimes and accidents can be avoided by using common sense. Ecuador is a safe and wonderful country for travel. However, there are a few things to take note of so that you can best protect yourself and your belongings while at the event:

• Keep an eye on your belongings, especially in crowded areas where you are vulnerable to pick-pocket theft. Always watch your back in busy bus stations, on crowded city buses and in bustling markets.

• Be wary of people posing as false police. Plain clothes "policemen" may produce official-looking documents, but always treat these people with suspicion, or simply walk away with a smile and a shrug. On the other hand, a uniformed official who asks to see your passport in broad daylight in the middle of a busy street is probably just doing their job.

EO strongly recommends the purchase of travel insurance whenever signing up for an EO event. To obtain travel insurance, please contact your travel agent or visit www.insuremytrip.com and click on "quotes." You should get quotes from up to eight travel insurance products. Please note that EO does not endorse any travel insurance products.

Dietary Restrictions

EO wishes to accommodate your dietary needs while you're with us. If you have any special needs or requirements, please fill out and fax the dietary restriction form to +1.703.519.1864, or e-mail it to events@eonetwork.org. If you suffer from severe food allergies, we encourage you to visit this Web site and consider purchasing food and travel-translation cards to effectively communicate your needs while traveling.

 Weather/Dress

Weather

From April to December is considered the "cool" (and dry) season. During this time of year, you may encounter "garua" (misty rain) early in the morning and in the highlands of Santa Cruz and San Cristobal. Average high and low temperatures and average precipitation in the month of June are listed below:  

Special Discount on Airfare

Continental Airlines is offering exclusive discounts of up to 18 percent on the lowest published fares for all members traveling to EO events anywhere in the world. For more information about this EO-event discount, click here.

If you would like assistance booking flights, you are welcome to contact Debbie Kutnyak at Beatty Group Itn'l.

 Ground Transportation

Ground transfers are included in the registration fee:

• Upon arrival in Guayaquil, from Jose Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport (GYE) to the Hilton Colon Guayaquil
• At the time of departure from Quito, from the Hilton Colon Quito to Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO)

To arrange your ground transportation, please forward your flight details to Debbie Kutnyak at Beatty Group Int'l.

Few people rent cars in Ecuador, mainly because public transport makes getting around so easy. To get to really out-of-the-way places, however, a rental car can come in handy. Most of the international car rental companies, including Avis, Budget, Hertz and Localiza, have outlets in Ecuador, but it is difficult to find any agency outside of Guayaquil, Quito and Cuenca.

To rent a car, you must be 25 years old and have a credit card, a valid driver’s license and a passport. Occasionally, a company will rent to someone between 21 and 25 years old, though it may require a higher deposit. Typical rates start at around US$40 per day for a compact car, but can go to more than US$100 for a 4WD vehicle (high clearance can be a lifesaver during ventures off the beaten track). It’s well worth shopping around for the best price. As you do, be sure to ask if the quoted rate includes seguro (insurance), kilometraje libre (unlimited kilometres) and IVA (tax); most likely it won’t.

Taxis

Ecuadorian taxis come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but they are all yellow. Most taxis have a lit "taxi" sign on top or a "taxi" sticker in the windshield. Taxis often belong to cooperatives; the name and telephone number of the cooperative is usually printed on the door.

Always ask the fare beforehand, or you’ll be overcharged more often than not. Meters are rarely seen, except in Quito, where they are obligatory. A long ride in a large city, such as Quito or Guayaquil, shouldn’t cost more than US$4. The minimum fare nearly everywhere is US$1, and you will be required to pay US$1 in Quito even if the meter only says US$0.80. Fares from international airports (Quito and Guayaquil) can be exorbitantly high if you’re not careful. On weekends and at night, fares are always about 25 to 50 percent higher. Taxis can be hard to flag down during rush hours.

You can hire a taxi for a day for about US$40 to US$60. Hiring a taxi for a few days is comparable to renting a car, except that you don’t have to drive. However, you will have to pay for the driver’s food and room. Some tour companies in Quito rent 4WD vehicles with experienced drivers.

 About Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands

Country: Ecuador
Population: 13,927,650
Area: 283,560 km² (109,483 square miles)
Time Zone: 
   UTC/GMT -5 hours (mainland Ecuador)
   UTC/GMT -6 hours (Galapagos Islands)
Language: Spanish
Currency: US Dollar
Weights/Measures: Metric 

Overview

Telephones

The international access code for Ecuador is +593. The outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country code. The city code for Quito is (0)2. Calls made from hotel rooms can be very expensive, but public telephones can be found in most public buildings in the main cities. The most cost-effective way to telephone internationally is from call centers, which are located in most towns and cities. They also offer fax services and sometimes Internet connections, but Internet cafes are available in the main towns. The local GSM cell phone network does not have roaming agreements with international operators; European, Australian and other phones from non-GSM cell phone networks will not work, but cell phones can be rented at the international airports or at cellular phone shops.