Travel guides
Asunción bus terminal: where it is and how to get to your hotel or the airport
The terminal sits where Fernando de la Mora and República Argentina avenues cross, about 5 to 6 km from downtown and about 13 km from the airport. Here are the real drive times to the areas where travellers stay, and when it pays to have someone waiting.
The short answer
If you are stepping off an overnight coach from Buenos Aires, Iguazú or São Paulo with luggage and no Spanish, this is what to know before you leave the platform. Distances and times are the ones we work with on our daily runs around Asunción.
| Where it is | At the junction of Avenida Fernando de la Mora and Avenida República Argentina, in the Terminal neighbourhood of Asunción |
| Its official name today | Estación de Buses de Asunción (EBAS) since 15 December 2022, although everyone still calls it la terminal |
| To the historic centre | About 5 to 6 km, 15 to 30 minutes by car depending on traffic |
| To Villa Morra and Carmelitas | About 3 to 4 km, 10 to 20 minutes: the closest hotel district |
| To Silvio Pettirossi airport | About 13 km, 25 to 40 minutes. With us, USD 49 per vehicle for up to 3 passengers |
| Bus timetables and phone numbers | Each company sets its own and they change. We do not publish them: check your ticket or the company’s ticket office |
| When to book a pickup | Arriving at night or before dawn, with luggage or children, or moving on to the airport or another city the same day |
| When you do not need one | Arriving in daylight, travelling light, staying nearby: a ride-hailing app covers it for less |
Where the terminal is and what it is called now
Asunción’s long-distance bus terminal is in a neighbourhood named after it, barrio Terminal, at the junction of two big avenues: Avenida Fernando de la Mora and Avenida República Argentina. It is not in the historic centre. It sits to the south-east, in a residential and commercial area halfway between downtown and the road out towards San Lorenzo and Route PY02, the highway to Ciudad del Este and the Iguazú Falls.
If you search for it on a map you may see a different name. Since 15 December 2022 the Asunción city council, which owns and runs the building, has officially called it the Estación de Buses de Asunción, or EBAS, as reported by the Paraguayan daily La Nación. On tickets, in the street and among drivers it is still la terminal, and that is the word to use with a taxi driver.
The current building opened in April 1984 and handles medium and long-distance coaches from all over Paraguay, plus international services to Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Uruguay and Chile. Wikipedia counts more than 200 bus companies operating there, and their routes and licences are regulated by the national transport authority, the Dirección Nacional de Transporte (Dinatrán), not by the terminal itself.
For a visitor that has a practical consequence. It is a municipal building with platforms, a ticket window for each company and a food area, but it is not a tourist information centre and nobody there coordinates your arrival. The city council has admitted in the press that the building is old, and part of it was rebuilt after a fire in 2017. Do not expect an airport. Expect a big, busy bus station, with taxi offers the moment you walk out of the door, and very little English spoken.
Distances and drive times from the terminal
Door-to-door times by car that we work with on our runs inside Asunción. The upper end applies to the morning and evening rush hours, or to a rainy day.
| To | Approximate distance | Drive time | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Villa Morra and Carmelitas | 3 to 4 km | 10 to 20 min | The hotel, mall and restaurant district closest to the terminal |
| Aviadores del Chaco and Santa Teresa | 5 to 7 km | 15 to 25 min | Business hotels and office towers |
| Historic centre and Costanera | 5 to 6 km | 15 to 30 min | Downtown hotels, the López Palace and the Pantheon |
| Silvio Pettirossi airport, Luque | about 13 km | 25 to 40 min | Anyone flying out, or getting off a coach to catch a flight |
| Exit to Route PY02 | along Fernando de la Mora towards San Lorenzo | depends on destination | Anyone carrying on overland to Ciudad del Este or Foz do Iguaçu |
These are our own times, not a map app’s: we measure them driving these legs. The terminal sits on avenues heavy with city buses, so between 6:30 and 8:30 and between 17:00 and 19:30 plan on the upper end of the range.
What surprises first-time visitors is that the terminal is closer to the newer hotel districts than to the old centre. If your hotel is in Villa Morra or Carmelitas, it is a short hop. If it faces the Costanera, add a little, and if you are heading straight to the airport, think of a long half hour.
When the international coaches arrive
It is the question we get most on WhatsApp, and the honest answer is that each company sets its own timetable, it changes with the season, and we will not publish it here, because an out-of-date third-party timetable ruins trips. Your estimated arrival time is printed on your ticket; if it is not clear, the company’s ticket office at your departure terminal can confirm it.
What we can tell you, because we see it on the pickups we do, is how those arrivals behave. Coaches from Argentina and Brazil are long journeys, and the real arrival time depends on the border. Immigration is done at the border crossing with the whole coach waiting, and a long queue there turns straight into a late arrival in Asunción. A coach due at 7 a.m. can roll in at 8:30 without anyone having done anything wrong.
That is why we do not recommend a tight same-day connection between an international coach and a flight. If your flight leaves from Silvio Pettirossi, leave several hours between the coach’s estimated arrival and your departure, on top of the 25 to 40 minute transfer. How the Argentine crossings work is explained in crossing into Argentina from Paraguay.
One more thing that matters: plenty of long-distance arrivals land at night or before dawn. At that hour the terminal is quieter, the taxis waiting outside set the price, and arriving with luggage in a city you do not know, in a country where Spanish and Guaraní are the everyday languages, is exactly when having someone waiting with your name on a sign changes the experience.
Getting out of the terminal, option by option
There are four ways to leave with your bags. The full comparison of taxis, apps and transfers across the city is in our guide to getting around Asunción; this is what changes at the terminal.
- 1
Rank taxi
Taxis wait at the terminal around the clock. They work, but there is no published fare and many only take cash in guaraníes. Agree the price before your bags go in the boot, and expect the driver to speak Spanish only.
- 2
Ride-hailing app
Uber and Bolt both operate in Asunción. In daylight, travelling light and with mobile data, it is the cheapest option. Pickup points at a large terminal can be confusing, so message the driver which door you are at.
- 3
City bus
Many lines run along Fernando de la Mora and República Argentina. It is the cheapest of all, but it is not built for big suitcases and we would not suggest it for a first night-time arrival.
- 4
Booked pickup
A driver waits at the terminal with a name sign, loads your luggage and takes you to your hotel, the airport or straight on to another city, at a price fixed before you travel. English-speaking drivers on request.
For a more detailed comparison of all four, not just from the terminal, see getting around Asunción: taxi, Uber or transfer. There is no point repeating it here: the logic is the same, except that at the terminal the time of day and your luggage weigh more.
When a booked pickup is worth it, and when it is not
We are a private transfer company and we would like your booking, but you are not always the right customer. Here is the honest version.
Book a pickup if
- Your coach arrives at night or before dawn and you do not want to haggle over a taxi on the kerb with your bags.
- There are several of you with luggage: the price is per vehicle, and a Hyundai H1 minivan carries up to 7 people with their cases.
- You arrive by coach and need to catch a flight: we drive you straight from the terminal to the airport in 25 to 40 minutes.
- You are carrying on overland the same day, to Ciudad del Este, Encarnación or the Iguazú Falls, and do not want another coach.
- You are travelling with children, with an older relative, or without any Spanish.
You do not need one if
- You arrive in daylight with a backpack and your hotel is in Villa Morra or Carmelitas: an app covers the 10 to 20 minutes for less than we charge.
- You are travelling solo, in no hurry and on a tight budget: the city bus stops outside.
- Your hotel or a friend is already collecting you.
- You are staying a few blocks from the terminal: a private transfer there is money thrown away.
- You do not yet know which coach or what time you arrive: book the ticket first, then send us the details.
Moving on from the terminal: what it costs with us
Prices from our August 2026 rate card, per vehicle rather than per person, in a sedan for 1 to 3 passengers. The terminal is inside Asunción, so leaving from there costs the same as leaving from any hotel in the city.
| From the terminal to | Distance and time | One way | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silvio Pettirossi airport | about 13 km, 25 to 40 min | USD 49 | USD 84 |
| Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil | 340 km, 5 to 6 h with the border | USD 417 | USD 707 |
| Puerto Iguazú, Argentina | 350 km, 5 h 30 min to 6 h 30 min with two borders | USD 447 | USD 763 |
| Ciudad del Este | 327 km, 4 h 30 min to 5 h | USD 347 | USD 539 |
| Encarnación | 370 km, 5 to 5 h 30 min | USD 417 | USD 707 |
| Formosa, Argentina (sedan only) | 190 km, 2 h 30 min to 3 h with the border | USD 147 | USD 252 |
The sedan carries 1 to 3 passengers, the Hyundai H1 minivan up to 7 and the Mercedes Sprinter 8 to 14; for groups, the minivan to Puerto Iguazú is USD 527 and the Sprinter USD 918. Airport transfers include one suitcase per passenger and each extra case is USD 5. Long-distance figures are measured from Asunción.
Everything about the airport run, including the area covered and how to pay, is on airport transfers in Asunción. The long routes, the vehicles and the booking terms are on private transfers in Asunción.
For short hops inside the city, from the terminal to a hotel, we do not publish a separate fixed price: we quote by address and time. In daylight and to a nearby hotel, as we said, an app will cost you less.
How we arrange a pickup at the terminal
A terminal pickup does not work like an airport one. At the airport we track the flight number and know when you land; a coach has no public number that can be tracked the same way. So when you book we ask for three things: the bus company, the departure city and the estimated arrival time printed on your ticket.
On the day, what works best is simple: when the coach clears the border, or passes the last big stop before Asunción, send us a WhatsApp message. The driver adjusts the time and waits for you at the terminal with a sign bearing your name. If the coach loses signal on the road, the driver still turns up at the estimated time and stays in touch.
Long-distance private transfers are booked with a 30% deposit and the balance the day before, no card needed, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the service. Airport transfers are paid in full in advance by link, with card, bank transfer, digital wallet or crypto. We quote in US dollars. In every case the price is fixed and does not change with traffic or time of day.
What we do not do: we do not sell coach tickets, we have no ticket window at the terminal and we do not give out the companies’ timetables. For that, each company’s ticket office at the terminal is the right source.
Frequently asked questions
What people actually ask us on WhatsApp before arriving in Asunción by coach.
Where is the Asunción bus terminal?
In the Terminal neighbourhood of Asunción, at the junction of Avenida Fernando de la Mora and Avenida República Argentina. It lies south-east of the historic centre, about 5 to 6 km away, and about 3 to 4 km from Villa Morra.
Has the Asunción bus terminal changed its name?
Yes. Since 15 December 2022 the city council has called it the Estación de Buses de Asunción (EBAS), according to the newspaper La Nación. Tickets and locals still say la terminal, and it is the same building.
How long does it take from the terminal to the airport?
About 13 km, 25 to 40 minutes by car depending on traffic. With us the transfer costs USD 49 per vehicle for up to 3 passengers, or USD 84 return.
How long does it take from the terminal to downtown?
To the historic centre and the Costanera, about 5 to 6 km, 15 to 30 minutes. To Villa Morra and Carmelitas, where many hotels are, 10 to 20 minutes.
Can you give me the bus companies’ timetables and phone numbers?
No. Each company sets its own timetable, it changes by season, and Dinatrán regulates the services. Your estimated arrival is on your ticket, and the company’s ticket office can confirm departures and arrivals.
What time do coaches from Buenos Aires or Iguazú arrive?
It depends on the company and the service. What we see on our pickups is that the real arrival time shifts with the immigration queue at the border, which the whole coach goes through. Allow a margin on top of the time on your ticket.
Will you wait if my coach is late?
Yes. When you book, give us the company, departure city and estimated arrival, and on the day message us on WhatsApp when the coach clears the border or nears Asunción. The driver adjusts the time and waits with a sign.
Can I go straight from the terminal to a flight on the same day?
You can, but we do not recommend it with a tight margin. An international coach can be held up at the border. Leave several hours between the coach’s estimated arrival and your flight, plus 25 to 40 minutes to Silvio Pettirossi.
Is it safe to take a taxi at the terminal?
The rank taxis work, but there is no published fare and many take cash only, in guaraníes. Agree the price before loading your bags. At night, if you do not know the city, an app or a booked pickup saves you the negotiation.
Do Uber and Bolt work at the terminal?
Yes, Uber and Bolt operate in Asunción and you can order one from the terminal. In daylight and with little luggage it is the cheapest option. Message the driver which door you are at, as the building has several entrances.
Can you take me from the terminal straight to the Iguazú Falls?
Yes. We leave from the terminal as from any Asunción address: Foz do Iguaçu on the Brazilian side is 340 km, 5 to 6 h with the border, from USD 417 in a sedan; Puerto Iguazú on the Argentine side is 350 km, 5 h 30 min to 6 h 30 min, from USD 447.
How many people and bags fit?
The sedan takes 1 to 3 passengers, the Hyundai H1 minivan up to 7 and the Mercedes Sprinter 8 to 14. Airport transfers include one suitcase per passenger and each extra case is USD 5.
Do your drivers speak English?
Bilingual drivers are available on request. Mention it when you book so we assign one; at the terminal itself, expect little English from taxi drivers or ticket offices.
How do I pay?
We quote in US dollars. Airport transfers are paid in full in advance by link, with card, bank transfer, digital wallet or crypto. Long-distance transfers are booked with a 30% deposit and the balance the day before, with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Getting off the coach is the easy part
Asunción’s bus terminal is close to the hotel districts and a long half hour from the airport. If you arrive in daylight and travel light, an app will do. If you arrive before dawn, with luggage, with children, or with a flight or a long road ahead, send us the company, the estimated arrival and where you are going, and we will be waiting at a fixed price.
The terminal’s official name comes from the Paraguayan newspaper La Nación; its location, opening year and number of companies from the Wikipedia entry on the Terminal de Ómnibus de Asunción; the state of the building from Última Hora. Checked on 21 October 2026. Drive times inside Asunción are our own, measured by car. Our prices are per vehicle, in US dollars, from the August 2026 rate card. We do not publish bus timetables, phone numbers or fares: check them with each company.