
This publication is intended for visitors entering El Salvador through Monseñor Romero Airport (formerly called Comalapa Airport) and for Salvadorans who want to save on transportation costs to San Salvador as soon as they arrive at the airport.
First, it is necessary to put into context why we are talking about buses and public transportation from El Salvador’s international airport to San Salvador (from Monseñor Romero Airport).
When you purchase a plane ticket to San Salvador, the international airport that serves the Salvadoran capital is Monseñor Romero Airport, which is about 35.6 kilometers away from San Salvador.
That is to say, despite the fact that when you search for the airport on flight booking sites, you do so as “San Salvador Airport” in reality, the airport is located on the outskirts of San Salvador but serves San Salvador.
In the San Salvador department, there is another international airport (Ilopango International Airport), but it is quite small and also serves as a military base; therefore, this airport is only used for small flights and charter flights.
For this reason, the current San Salvador International Airport was built to replace Ilopango International Airport as the main airport of San Salvador.
Therefore, Monseñor Romero Airport is about 35.6 kilometers from San Salvador, making it necessary to travel using one of the following methods:
- By public transportation (coasters and/or buses)
- By Uber or similar services
- By taxi
- Having a known person pick you up at the airport
When choosing Uber (or similar services) or a taxi, given that it is a trip from the airport with a distance of more than 35 kilometers, the fare can be somewhat high, especially by taxi.
With Uber, the price varies depending on demand and the number of drivers, but prices around $35 or more are not uncommon.
Therefore, for those who want to save money, it is possible to travel to San Salvador by public transportation, in this case by bus or coaster.
It is written as “coaster” or “coasters” in plural, but in El Salvador, it is pronounced as “coster” or “costers”.
Which route to take?
Upon leaving the airport, you can ask someone where the coaster or bus that goes to San Salvador stops.
The coaster that goes to San Salvador is Route 138, and the fare costs $0.60 or $0.75 per person. Always ask the fare to confirm.
In this case, public transportation does not accept bitcoin or credit/debit cards. It is necessary to pay in cash.
If the cash you have is larger than a $5 bill and you want to take public transportation, you can get some change by buying something at the food outlets in the airport, such as Pizza Hut or ice cream stands.
If you’ve already left the arrivals area, there are also food outlets available for visitors where you can make a purchase and break your bill to get change for public transportation. If you’re paying the fare for two people, a $10 bill is acceptable but not ideal—it’s better to have a $5 bill since drivers don’t always carry enough change.
However, if you’re traveling with four or more people, using a $10 bill to pay the fare is more acceptable.
If the cash you have is larger than a $5 bill and you want to take public transportation, you can get some change by buying something at the food outlets in the airport, such as Pizza Hut or ice cream stands. If you’ve already left the arrivals area, there are also food outlets available for visitors where you can make a purchase and break your bill to get change for public transportation.
We mention this because in public transportation in El Salvador, it is always advisable to pay with the exact coins if possible, or if not, it is possible to pay with $1 coins.
In cases where the bus fare is $0.50, $0.60, or more, then it is possible to pay with larger bills (e.g., $5).
This is to avoid the inconvenience that the driver or fare collector (if there is a fare collector, as usually the driver collects the fare) may not have change and asks you to wait for the change. In El Salvador, change is referred to as “vuelto”.
Before boarding the bus or coaster, ask the driver: “¿va para el centro de San Salvador?” (Are you going to downtown San Salvador?). If the driver says “sí” (yes), it means that the bus or coaster is indeed going to downtown San Salvador.
If the driver asks, “¿Cuántos paga?” (meaning how many fares you are paying for or how many people are with you), you should respond with the number. If the driver is looking at you, you can also show the number with your fingers to indicate how many fares you’re paying for.
Keep in mind that if your luggage is very large and needs to take up a seat, it’s reasonable to pay for two seats. However, this only applies if you are placing your luggage on the seat next to you. If you plan to keep your luggage on your lap, you only need to pay for your own fare.
When you arrive in downtown San Salvador, you will need to find another transportation method to take you to your hotel. The place where you will have to get off in the “center” is not a convenient location for getting off and dragging suitcases around.
Therefore, if you are carrying a lot of luggage, it is best to use an app-based service.
How far into downtown San Salvador does Route 138 go?
You need to go all the way to the bus terminal. “El punto” refers to the place where the “costers” or buses of a specific route park. The terminal for Route 138 (coster) is about 350 meters from the National Palace, meaning it’s quite close.
Here you can see the location of the bus terminal and the direction you need to take to reach the National Palace. Once you’re at the National Palace, you’ll practically be in the city center, making it easier to find your way around.
Travel duration
In this case, since it is public transportation, there will be stops along the way, which increases the travel time compared to traveling by private transport or an Uber that goes directly.
Therefore, the journey from the airport to San Salvador will take approximately 1 hour.
The bus or coaster will take you to San Salvador, specifically to the downtown area of San Salvador. Therefore, if you are carrying a lot of luggage, traveling by public transportation may not be a comfortable option but it will be a cheap one.
Each person should evaluate whether traveling this way from the airport to San Salvador suits their needs or preferences.
Another thing to keep in mind is that since this trip will bring you to downtown San Salvador, from “the center” you will need to either take another bus to get closer to your hotel or destination, or you will need to take an Uber or similar service.
Below we include a video of some people who landed at Monseñor Romero Airport (the airport serving San Salvador) and decided to travel to San Salvador using public transportation. The relevant part starts at minute 9:50.
Also this other video, you can see it from minute 5:00.
Months after we published this article, someone uploaded another video to YouTube discussing the same topic. To further enhance the experience of traveling from the airport to San Salvador, we have decided to include this video as well. You can turn on the English subtitles.
Is it safe to travel this way?
Normally, tourists do not use this method to travel from the airport to San Salvador, although it is common for low-cost tourists or backpackers to do so.
If you are wondering whether it is safe to travel by bus from the airport to San Salvador, the answer is that, since 2022, security in El Salvador has changed significantly. Therefore, as things currently stand in El Salvador (June 2024), in our opinion, yes, it is safe to travel from the airport to San Salvador by public transportation.
It is not the ideal option (for reasons of comfort), but it can be done, as long as you are willing to do so.
If you have any doubts, you can ask people at the airport whether they consider it safe to travel by bus or coaster from the airport. This way, if you have any questions, you can clarify them in person.