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How to get to and from the Medellin international airport (MDE) by taxi cab, shuttle van or bus

8/1/2019

41 Comments

 
By:  Joseph Le

There are 2 airports in Medellin, the Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport, airport code EOH, and the José María Córdova International Airport, airport code MDE.  
EOH is mainly used for regional and domestic flights and is really easy to get to.  Located right next to the South Terminal bus station, it's about 10 minutes from El Poblado.   Just hop in any taxi and it should cost you around $10,000 COP to or from Poblado.

The MDE international airport is a lot further away from the city center and more expensive to get to, so that is the focus of this post.  Most travelers arriving or departing on international flights will be utilizing this airport.  The MDE airport is also referred to as the Rio Negro airport due to it being in the municipality of Rio Negro.  

​All methods of getting to the airport listed below can simply be done in reverse if you are arriving and trying to get into Medellin. 


Method 1:  Taxi - price:  most expensive
​This is the method most travelers will use.  It is the easiest and most convenient way.  Just hop into any yellow taxi.  There is no need to negotiate as the rates are fixed.  The most current rate will be listed on a placard that is attached to the front windshield in the upper right corner.  The price should be around $70,000 COP.

If you have an early morning flight or are arriving late, this may be your only option.

Total Cost - $70,000 COP
​
Method 2:  Shared taxi - price:  moderate

​Most of the locals get to the airport by colectivo or the shared white taxis.   First make your way to the San Diego Mall (Centro Comercial San Diego).  If you go by taxi from El Poblado, this should cost under $10,000 COP.   Then  locate the white taxis which will either be waiting for passengers in the Texaco gas station parking lot or behind the Falabella building along Carrera 42B (Las Palmas).
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The colectivos will most likely be waiting in this Texaco parking lot right outside of the San Diego mall
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If they are not at Texaco, they should be behind this Falabella building along Carrera 42B (Las Palmas)
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The white "colectivo" airport taxis
The day I used them, they were all waiting in the Texaco parking lot.   As soon as you pull up, there will be guys running alongside your taxi asking if you are headed to the airport.  You can't miss them.

They generally leave every 30 minutes or as soon as enough people are ready to go.  The cost is $60,000 COP split between however many people are in the taxi, i.e. $15,000 COP each for 4 people, etc.  If you are the first to arrive, you can claim the front seat.  Otherwise, you'll get crammed into the back with 2 other people.

Total Cost - starts at $15,000 COP for the colectivo if there are 4 people.  They usually wait for the taxi to be full before leaving.  If you include the taxi to get to the San Diego Mall, then around $25,000 COP total from El Poblado.


Method 3:  Shuttle bus - price:  cheapest 

Make sure you leave early for this method as you'll need to get to a shuttle bus stop and then wait for the next shuttle.

You can catch the shuttle bus next to the San Diego Mall, exactly where you catch the collectivo taxis in method 2. There is a bus stop near the Texaco gas station where the shuttle bus will pull up.  Just keep an eye out for it and wave it down when it approaches.   The easiest way to get here if you have luggage is to take a taxi.   If you're travelling light with just a backpack, then you can take the metro to the Exposiciones stop and walk about 4 blocks to the San Diego mall.  

If you're closer to downtown or El Centro, then there's also a stop behind the Nutibara hotel.  First, make your way to the nearest metro station.  The metro ticket will cost you around $2,000 COP.  Then hop on the metro and get off at the Parque Berrio station.  As soon as you exit the station, look to your left for Hotel Nutibara, which is a huge building with a Nutibara sign on top.  Go behind the building and locate the shuttle buses at Carrera 50A #53-13.  They are mini-buses that are white with green trim run by Combuses, SA.  The sign on the front of the bus should read "Aeropuerto JMC".  The tickets cost $10,000 COP and it takes about an hour to get to the airport.  Be careful at night as the area tends to get a little sketchy.  During the day you should be fine.  As you can see on their business card below, when going to the airport the shuttle runs from 3:30 am - 9:30 pm (SCHEDULE HAS BEEN EXTENDED.  THE BUSINESS CARD BELOW LISTS THE OLD SCHEDULE).  Coming back from the airport, it runs from 6am - 12am midnight and stops at the San Diego mall. 

Total Cost - around $10,000 COP for the shuttle ticket, $2,000 COP for the metro
For more information, call 034-511-4023
Picture
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The shuttles line up behind Hotel Nutibara (Photo credits: sobrecolombia.com)
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Sign on front of the shuttle bus
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Shuttle buses (Photo credit: colombiabeat.com)
You may also be interested in these articles about Medellin:

How to get a refund on the Colombian 16% IVA value-added tax

The Best of Medellin Part 1

The Best of Medellin Part 2 

The Best of Medellin Part 3



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41 Comments
Dani Blanchette link
12/26/2012 05:11:48 pm

I've been to and from the International Airport to Medellin a few times and have always taken then shuttle bus. They are great. They are cheap. And i've seen a few tourists show up in a cab to the hostel saying the taxi driver is trying to charge them way more than the 50mil (one was saying it was $50. Needless to say the hostel had words with the taxi driver and he didn't leave with over the 50mil.)

I love Medellin and am moving back there very soon!

Cheers!

Reply
JosephLe.com link
12/27/2012 10:23:08 am

Thanks for your comment Dani. It is really expensive to take a regular taxi to and from the airport and those costs quickly add up if you're living in Medellin and need to travel often. The shuttle or colectivo are safe, low-cost alternatives and a great way to save our hard-earned money.

That's unfortunate to hear about the taxi drivers trying to overcharge those tourists but it definitely happens. I'm glad to hear the hostel was able to help sort things out though.

Good luck with your move to Medellin...maybe I'll see you there!

Reply
Lila
1/21/2018 07:56:11 am

Is the shuttle bus to town locate some where at the airport? Do I book it some Where? Thanks

Reply
Mateo
6/6/2013 12:03:31 am

This is really great information and very helpful to someone who is coming here for the first time. Thanks for sharing!

Reply
JosephLe.com link
6/6/2013 01:56:54 am

Your welcome, I'm glad it was useful!

Reply
Val craig
8/13/2016 01:20:18 pm

Does anyone know how late the collectivism run TOWARD the airport from Medellin. I'm gonna sleep in the airport and want to get the last one. Thanks

Reply
Andrew Spark
7/11/2013 09:10:58 am

You can also rent a car. I rented one in Medellin recently, last minute, for $55, one way from San Diego to the airport. It was more than the taxi, and I also had to drop some coin on toll and tax, but then I also had a car for the day, and saved money on the several taxi rides I would have taken.

Reply
JosephLe.com link
7/11/2013 11:39:25 am

That's a great idea especially if you have some last minute errands to run around town! Which company did you go with and was anything special needed for the rental besides credit card and ID? Thanks for the input.

Reply
Andrew Spark
7/11/2013 01:53:31 pm

I used Inter Nacional. Nothing special was needed, but it was a bit odd because while I gave them my credit card, they made me pay cash up front.

A few interesting things to keep in mind that I don't even normally think of

1. They gave me a manual stick shift car, the only car they had at the moment (I was literally a walk-in). I hadn't driven stick in years, and the first thing I had to do was drive straight up to Las Palmas in very heavy traffic. Medellin drivers are not rude, but they move quickly considering the conditions. That initial climb was not a pleasant experience.

2. I ended up hitting a curb, which I do a lot, but as I found out when I got back in the car a little later, I destroyed the tire. I don't have collision on my car at home and was relying on the credit card for collision coverage, but the credit card insurer doesn't cover anything unless the whole rental was paid on the card, which it wasn't since I paid cash. Luckily, the rental car place hasn't charged my card for the damage, even though I told them how it happened when they came and changed the tire and that my credit card would cover it (before I found out otherwise).

3. the rental car desks at MDE are not open very late. I recently tried to make a reservation for this Sunday night around 8:30, and every website I tried said there are no cars available then, and one site said that its outside the hours of operation for all of the companies. I haven't yet searched to see if there is a local, off-airport outfit that might be open late, but thanks to your article, I'll just take the shuttle to my hotel and probably rent in town the next day.

Andrew Spark
7/11/2013 01:59:12 pm

sorry about the multiple posts. I kept getting messages that the site couldn't post my comment and didn't see it, and just came back to try again and saw the mess.

Reply
JosephLe.com link
7/16/2013 02:57:28 am

No problem Andrew, I took care of the glitches. Thanks for posting the information about the car rental. The whole time I was in Medellin I didn't even consider renting a car just because I imagined it would be so much more difficult than in the US. But if someone is looking to get a rental this information will be really useful to know. Cheers

Reply
Andrew Spark
7/15/2013 04:01:37 am

Thanks for the tip. The shuttle went up to $8,000 COP, but obviously still a big savings. Its stops at San Diego now, too, on the way into town (but not going back).

Reply
JosephLe.com link
7/16/2013 02:59:16 am

Thanks for the updated details, I went ahead and updated the post to reflect the new information. I'm glad you were able to use the shuttle and save some money!

Reply
Andrew Spark
7/16/2013 03:49:12 pm

I just remembered that there was a stop coming into town on Las Palmas even before San Diego, but I don't remember exactly where. Only one guy got off, and the driver almost went right past it, so whoever wanting to get off there should tell the driver.

Tino link
1/22/2014 10:00:04 pm

Thanks for this informations, Joseph ... that's exactly what I'm looking for. I'll try today "Method 2" ;)

Reply
Tino link
1/23/2014 06:26:20 am

... thanks to your description - it was quite easy. The taxi driver took me directly at the right places close to the San Diego Mall. There was a man with "Aeroporto" on his vest - he brought me to the right taxi (he got from the driver a small commission). It was a long but enjoyable ride to the airport. Small price increase: the 3 Colombian businessmen and I have each paid 13,000 pesos ... but from El Poblado in about 1 hour for 20.000 Peso to the airport it's still a good deal. Thanks !

Reply
JosephLe.com link
2/9/2014 03:04:36 am

Hi Tino, I'm glad to hear everything worked out for you and that this information was useful! Thanks for the heads up on the price changes, I will update the article with the new prices. Happy travels!

Tino link
2/12/2014 11:07:01 pm

Hi, I've been some days ago again in Medellin and tried now the Method 3 (shuttle bus) to the airport and I was really surprised how easy and comfortable it was. No more people than seats in the bus and the bus stopped maybe just 2 times between to pick up some locals (I took a bus in the afternoon). We needed a little bit less than 1 hour - but it's better to calculate with a little bit more (traffic jam). The price is a little bit higher now - it's 8.600 Peso. But still the cheapest and not really the most uncomfortable way (I had more space in the bus for me than in the shared taxi) to get to the airport. If you stay close to the center or metro station I would recommend this option.

Regards,
Tino

Felice
8/12/2014 11:39:22 am

Hello I'm going to Medellin on Thursday and I want to know if this method works in reverse to Medellin and not the airport. I can't afford 60.000 COP for a taxi so please help :)

Reply
Tino link
8/12/2014 03:14:17 pm

Hi Felice,

it works also from the airport to Medellin.

Enjoy your stay in Medellin
Tino

Reply
JosephLe.com link
8/15/2014 01:58:59 am

Hi Felice,

Yes, it works also coming from the airport to Medellin. And as Tino said, it only costs about 8,600 pesos. It will stop outside San Diego Mall where you can transfer to a local taxi. Enjoy your stay in Medellin and let me know if you have any other questions!

Cheers!

Joseph

Reply
Donna
1/13/2015 12:45:41 am

Hello, I am planning to arrive at the Jose Maria Cordova airport next week in the afternoon. I hope to take the bus to town and then take the metro to Pablado station. Could you tell me if I should get off at Nurtibara or San Diego to catch the metro. Also do you pay for the metro with pesos on board or do you buy tickets elsewhere?

Reply
JosephLe.com link
1/13/2015 04:19:58 am

Donna,
Take the shuttle bus from the airport to San Diego mall, you can pay with pesos on board, should be around $8,000. After you get off at San Diego, walk to the nearest metro station which is Exposiciones about 4 blocks away, just ask for directions. There you can pay again with pesos at the ticket booth. Then just take the metro to Poblado station.

From San Diego, you can also take a taxi to the Poblado station or another location in Poblado for around $7,000. Hope that helps, enjoy Medellin!

Reply
Sebastián
5/8/2015 05:08:42 am

It's a good post, and I think it's very easy to understand for foreign people, congratulations!!
Blessings

Reply
Vic
7/4/2015 08:23:32 am

What's the latest that colectivos (White Taxis/Vans or Buses) run from airport these days? Dang Jet Blue does not arrive before 23:30 and does not get your out before 0:30.

Also, bag limit?

Moving to Mede, so I'm loaded with 3 bags.

Reply
saleenajohnson link
10/7/2015 02:29:24 am

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Reply
Darrell
12/25/2015 03:28:15 pm

Where is the shuttle located at the airport if you catching it to the town

Reply
Airport Shuttle Cape Town | Cape Town Taxi link
7/9/2016 04:44:25 am

Thanks, for the good information,

We will also provide the Airport Shuttle, Transfer, Pick up Service in Capetown, South Africa,

if you want to then visit online at : http://capetowntaxi.co.za/

Reply
Tines
4/16/2017 04:32:24 pm

Thanks for the information!! As a little update for shuttle buses: I think they changed their horario slightly and the price is now 9000 COP :)
Medellín – Aeropuerto: 3:30 a 21:30 horas
Aeropuerto – Medellín: 6:00 a 24 horas

Reply
JosephLe.com link
4/16/2017 07:28:41 pm

Tines,
Thanks for the message. I will update the post with the new schedule and price. Safe travels,
Joseph

Reply
Nathasja
6/6/2017 01:46:58 pm

Thanks for all the information! I want to take the mini-bus from Hotel Nutibara to the airport. But do the buses leave at scheduled times or just when the bus is full?
It would be a risk if I have to wait till it's full, don't want to miss my flight :)

Kind regards,
Nathasja

Reply
JosephLe.com link
6/6/2017 02:09:59 pm

Hi Nathasja,

They don't wait until full so don't worry about waiting too long. Last time I was on, there were only a few people, mostly airport employees, so the shuttles do run on schedule.

Safe travels!

JosephLe.com

Reply
Andres Elejalde
7/17/2017 12:20:35 pm

Has anyone used uber from JMC airport to get to anywhere in Medellin? If so, were there any issues? Did you get picked up directly at the airport or did you have to walk to a designated area?

Reply
AlexKennedy link
7/27/2017 10:44:57 pm

That's a great detailed information . its very useful information who those persons they coming first time here. you provide taxi service its very good people can get service comfortable and fully enjoying travel . If you give the more information about timing and rates of ticket so people can get your service easily without any difficulty.

Reply
Shaun Taberer
4/12/2018 09:17:21 am

Medellin-airport-transfer.com is a really great service that allows you to book online and pay with a credit card (so you can't get scammed or need to change money in the airport). Really great service, especially if you're arriving late at night.

Reply
Piet
4/15/2018 08:36:56 pm

Thank you very much for the information, very helpful indeed! A question about the "mochilero-option": how sketchy is the area behind the hotel at night? Is it better to avoid using this way of travelling at night completely ,or is it not that bad? I'll be arriving at around 23:00, alone. Cheers!

Reply
JosephLe.com link
12/27/2018 10:22:22 pm

We would recommend just getting a private taxi at that late hour.

Reply
Zargham Butt link
2/15/2019 03:31:07 am

The article you have displayed is amazing take a look at our website.

Reply
Ethen link
1/25/2020 12:24:01 am

Great Post!Thank you so much for sharing this kind of wonderful things

Reply
Sean Casey
11/2/2020 08:31:57 pm

Thank you for all the excellent info. I took the shuttle from the airport to San Diego Mall. Then took the metro to within a block of my hotel. Simple and cheap

Reply
JosephLe.com link
11/5/2020 11:47:55 am

Hi Sean, thanks for leaving a comment. I'm glad the info was useful!

Reply



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