Transportation in Medellín
Metro, Taxi, Apps
Metro
Medellín’s modern metro system is the pride of the city. Travel by metro is reliable, fast, cheap and safe. And this system does not consist only of the subway. In addition to two metro lines, there are a streetcar line, 5 Metrocable lines (cable cars) two Metroplús bus lines, an electric bus line and small vans that connect to the metro stations. Especially if you want to go to the city center, the metro is more convenient than a cab. Because of the heavy traffic, it takes a long time to get to the center and traffic is often jammed there.
Metro lines:
Line A: from north to south, this is the main line for travelers, with 21 stations, including Poblado, San Antonio, Parque Berrío (centro) and Universidad (metro station for tourist attractions in the north, such as Parque Explora and the botanical garden). Line A also takes you to Acevedo station, for the cable car to Santo Domingo/ Parque Arví
Line B: from downtown to west, with 6 stations, including Estadio (Laureles/Estadio)
Line L: cable car from Santo Domingo Savio to Parque Arví
Check out here for the map showing routes and subway stations.
To avoid lines at the ticket office, you can buy a rechargeable Civica card at any of the metro stations, the Tarjeta Eventual. Purchasing the card (without credit) costs COP5000 and you can use the card with multiple people. The card can be recharged at the metro stations and many other points in the city. Standard fare per ride with Cívica card is COP 2880/€0.72. (rate 2023). Standard fare per ride without Cívica card is COP 3280/€0.82 (2023).
*Mouth caps are mandatory on public transportation (June 2022 update)
Cab
Traveling by cab is efficient and inexpensive. If you travel by cab in the evening, have your hotel call a cab for you instead of stopping one on the street or order a cab through one of the cab apps.
Prices
(standard rates 2022)
- Metered cab ride (Banderazo): starts at COP3800/€1.00
- Starting fare regular ride: COP 5800/ €1.60
- Rate per hour is COP 25,500
- Ride to/from airport COP90,000/€22.50
Apps
In addition to the Uber app, there are other cab apps in Colombia, such as InDriver, Didi and Easy Tappsi These apps work like Uber, where you can track the driver. This makes it a safe, alternative way of ordering a cab.
Uber is known among locals as the more expensive app. We ourselves have had good experiences with InDriver. The app is easy to use and both during the day and at night, we never had to wait longer than 5 minutes for a cab.
How does InDriver work?
Unlike the other apps, you, the customer, offer a price for the ride. The drivers can accept your price or make a counter-offer. There are often more than one driver willing to do a ride, so you can make your choice and even view reviews about the driver if you want.
The minimum fare is COP10000/€2.50 for a ride and that is what we paid for most short rides in the city. We started with an offer of COP10000 and this was almost always accepted. For the longer rides, you pay around COP15,000/€3.75. If you go to one of the suburbs like Sabaneta then you pay around COP20,000/€5.(prices 2022)
Traveling by subway
Medellín has a metrocultura
That is, there is an unwritten rule, not to make phone calls in the metro and not to eat and drink there. As a result, it stays remarkably clean in the metro and it is pleasant to travel.
Tip from a local for traveling during rush hour
Can you avoid the subway during 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.? Perfect! During rush hour, the metro is packed and travelers are crammed close together. If you do have to travel during rush hour, don’t give pickpockets a chance. Phones are especially popular. While boarding and alighting, thieves can get in and out of the subway unseen. If you stand resolutely to the left against the wall when boarding, you won’t give pickpockets a chance.
Bus transportation for trips in the area
There are two bus stations in Medellín:
1) Bus Terminal del Norte.
Buses to/from north and east including:
- Bogotá
- Cartagena
- Guatapé
- Rio Claro
- Santa Fe de Antioquia
You get to Bus terminal del Norte with a 20-minute cab ride from el Poblado or 3-minute walk from Caribe subway station (line A)
2) Bus terminal del Sur
Buses to/from the south include:
- Manizales
- Pereira
- Cali
- Jardin
- Jericó
- Abejorral
Bus Terminal del Sur is located at 3 min walk from Olaya Herrera Airport and 15 min walk from el Poblado metro station (Line A). A cab from el Poblado gets you there in about 10 min.
