Public transportation services, licensed taxis and rideshare, private transfer companies and car rental services in Medellin international airport (MDE)
Medellín airport provides different transport alternatives, according to the budget or demand level of each passenger. From inexpensive alternatives such as minibuses ("buseta") or "colectivos" (shared taxis) to more comfortable options such as exclusive taxis or private transfers.
Booking must be made at least 24 hours in advance. At the airport, the driver will be waiting for you with a sign with your name on it as soon as you leave the baggage recollection hall and enter the public Arrivals Hall. If you are staying at a hotel or apartment, the driver will be waiting outside the building. If he or she has the possibility to park the vehicle, they can sometimes wait for you at the reception desk.
Other companies providing this service are: Medellin Airport Transfer – Colombia4u.
To keep in mind
Shared white airport taxis will normally be waiting for passengers at the Texaco gas station parking lot, next to the San Diego Mall. Keep in mind that if you have a lot of luggage, it can be a bit uncomfortable. So if you get there first, be sure to claim the front passenger seat. Otherwise, you will be crammed into the back seat with two other people. Vehicles generally wait until they have four passengers to leave.
Journey time between San Diego and the airport, like with a regular taxi, is between 25 and 30 minutes.
The company Combuses (Tel +57 604 448 4408 / 317 656 3291 / 316 236 1095) operates the public bus service (called busetas) from the airport to Medellín and vice versa, with three different routes: Autopista – Palmas; Autopista – Medellín-Bogotá; Vía Santa Elena. It is the cheapest option, although the least comfortable and safe.
Meeting points in the city and the airport
Stop at Nutibara-Centro
For passengers living or staying in the center or north of the city, the stop is near the Hotel Nutibara, next to Plaza Botero, in the heart of Medellín.
Address: Carrera 50 A # 53-13.
San Diego stop
For people living or staying in the southern part of the city, the stop is at the San Diego Mall.
Address: Calle 36 # 45-14.
Stop at the airport
First floor, door 2.
Fares
The cost of a single ticket is about USD 3.5 and you can buy it directly from the driver.
Schedules
From Medellín Airport: every day, every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day.
From the San Diego shopping center towards the airport: between 3:30 am and 10:00 pm, every 15 minutes.
From Nutibara-Centro towards the airport: from 4:00 am to 10:00 pm, every 15 minutes.
Journey time
Total travel time is around one hour, depending on traffic.
Caution
Buses tend to fill up fast, keep that in mind if you’re carrying a lot of luggage. They only have 19 seats. They can also be an attractive place for opportunists and pickpockets. And at night it can be a bit unsafe, especially when you get off and have to walk with your luggage and money to the place where you are staying.
The difference is that white taxis are licensed to operate at the airport, while yellow taxis can only take passengers to the airport, but are not allowed to enter to pick people up.
White Taxis
It is one of the options most often used by foreign tourists. They have established stops. There are several companies operating from the terminal building: Flota Córdova Rionegro, Combuses, Rápido Medellín Rionegro, Transportes Unidos La Ceja, Aerotaxi, Transportes Chachafruto, TUR and Copetaxi.
Rate
The estimated fee is $COP80,000 (about USD23.00). The fare is fixed and regulated by law (usually shown at the airport), so you are sure of the final price you will pay.
However, just in case the taxi driver tries to be smart, it is worth knowing that there is no special overnight rate, and you should not pay for the tunnel toll, as it is included in the fixed rate.
Frequency and route
The service is available 24 hours a day and the trip to downtown Medellín varies between 25 and 30 minutes.
Yellow Taxis
As mentioned above, yellow taxis only operate towards the airport. That is, they can take passengers from Medellín or other locations to the airport, but they cannot pick up passengers at the airport to the city. Even so, some of the drivers will try to pick up passengers at the airport.
As they are the most plentiful in the city, you are likely to find a yellow taxi to go from Medellín to the airport more easily.
Rates
The estimated fee is $COD80,000 (around USD23.00).
Latest updates: October 12, 2022