Arriving at Asuncion Silvio Pettirossi
The airport taxis are an official concession with a 44-car fleet. The FCDO wants you to call a licensed car rather than hail one, and the exchange desk is the one place not to change money.
The taxis at Silvio Pettirossi are a concession
- Cooperativa Mburuvicha Ltda. holds the contract to carry arriving passengers and crew at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport. DINAC renewed it in July 2024 for five years.
- The fleet is 44 cars, and the renewal required all of them to be replaced with new vehicles, 20 in the first stage and 24 in the second.
- That matters because it means there is an official rank with an accountable operator, which is exactly what the FCDO's general advice points you towards.
The FCDO's rule for taxis anywhere in Paraguay
- Call a licensed taxi from a landline or from your hotel rather than hailing one in the street. That is the wording, and it applies in Asuncion generally, not only at the airport.
- Keep phones and wallets out of sight, and keep valuables and the passport somewhere secure.
- Bag-snatching and pickpocketing are a problem on public transport, and the FCDO notes many foreigners choose taxis over buses for that reason.
Do not change money on arrival
- Use registered banks or a bureau de change. The FCDO's wording is that false banknotes are common and that you should not change money with people on the street or on arrival at the airport.
- Many ATMs accept foreign cards, and the FCDO's advice is to use ATMs inside buildings rather than on the street.
- Between those two rules, the practical answer on landing is: draw guarani from an ATM inside the terminal or a bank, and ignore anyone offering to change cash.
Onward by road
- The Terminal de Omnibus Asuncion is the main long-distance bus terminal.
- Many taxis and buses do not meet European standards and rarely have working seat belts. That is the FCDO's assessment, not a stylistic remark.
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