Thinking of the best most convenient way to travel from Montevideo to Porto Alegre in Brazil? Maybe you’re budget is running low and your trying to research the cheapest way to Porto Alegre, look no further as we have you covered!
We will give you the low down from how to book your tickets, to selecting the best seats and even giving you some top tips to make your journey as comfortable as possible, let’s jump in!
How to get from Montevideo to Porto Alegre
There’s a couple of options of travelling from Montevideo to Porto Alegre, the route we took was a night bus. It depends on how much time you have and your budget.
We prefer to travel overnight as it saves us money on accommodation and also time saving is the biggest factor, it’s convenient to travel through the night and arrive at your destination in the morning.
Buses in South America are renowned for their comfort and are some of the most comfortable buses we have ever experienced.
The Fastest Route: Flying from Montevideo to Porto Alegre
There are flights from Montevideo to Porto Alegre, but you won’t find a direct flight. You’ll have to change at São Palo, and this make’s the journey take longer. The shortest journey with the layover would be around 6 hours.
Montevideo’s airport, Carrasco International Airport is located 12km from downtown. You can either get a taxi/Uber or a local bus, line C1 and DM1 take you from the city centre to the airport.
The airlines that operate this route are LATMAM or GOL Airlines, you can check directly on their websites or use comparative sites such as Skyscanner or google flights. Prices for these flights are quite expensive, it could cost you over $200 USD.
The Cheapest Route: Bus from Montevideo to Porto Alegre
There are overnight buses that operate from Montevideo to Porto Alegre, this is the cheapest option of travelling into Brazil from Uruguay. You can get a bus in the evening and arrive in the morning, saving yourself a nights accommodation.
How Long Does it Take
The journey takes around 12 hours and honestly you’ll be sleeping through the night so it feels super quick, especially for us after doing the 23 Bariloche journey, 12 hours felt a breeze. You can read our article on getting from Bariloche to Buenos Aries here.
The driver doesn’t stop during the route, there is a toilet on board, on this bus there were actually two toilets one on the upper and lower deck, this was a first for us.
Different Bus Companies
There are a couple of companies that do the route from Montevideo to Porto Algere, EGA and TTL, you can compare prices directly on their websites or by checking on Busbud.
We opted for TTL, the options for seats are either Semi Leito (semibed) or Leito (bed), as we booked last minute we didn’t have the option for Leito which we were gutted about, but upon boarding we discovered the Leito beds were just the usual comfy seats, they were not lay down beds which we excepted.
We felt relieved, but our Semi Leito seats were a downgrade compared to what we were used to for a night bus. They weren’t as big and comfy, we didn’t sleep as well as we would have liked. I would suggest paying that extra for the “Leito”, you’ll have a better nights sleep.
How Much Does it Cost
Montevideo is one of the most expensive cities in the world, we knew getting the bus wouldn’t be as cheap as we would have liked, Mexico still wins for the most expensive buses so far.
The ticket cost around $100 USD each, quite pricey but still cheaper than getting a flight. The bus itself claimed to have completely flat lay down seats which were significantly more expensive, so we opted for the Semi Leito option, it was interesting to find out they weren’t lay down beds just comfier seats. False advertisement much!
Overall, the journey took around 12 and half hours and it was very smooth and punctual. Be sure to be at the terminal around 1 and half hours before to check in and receive your tickets.
Don’t be alarmed when they ask you to hand over your passports prior to departure, this is to insure a smooth immigration process into Brazil, so smooth that you don’t even need to wake up or leave the bus, everything is taken care of during the night by the bus company, that’s a first for us!
Tips for Journey
After travelling South America for 9 months and taking over ten buses, it’s safe to say we have the comfort level down to a T!
Snack, snack, snack! Be sure to have enough food on your journey as there’s nothing worse than a grumbling belly on your trip, plus food on the road is 3x more expensive and we’re all about saving the pennies.
Make sure you have enough water, although some bus companies do provide snacks and drinks, so be sure to check when you book.
Noise cancelling headphones are an absolute game changer and we wouldn’t travel without them, check out Bose noise cancelling headphones as they’re so comfortable and great if you’re sensitive to external sounds and simple earplugs are also effective, no one wants to hear a snorer!
Download some podcasts or Netflix series to keep your mind occupied, Bose headphones have a great feature where you can both pair to the same device, making movie time even more enjoyable together.
Extra clothing is a no brainer, jumpers can be rolled up as a makeshift pillow which you will not regret!