Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) serves Quito, Ecuador's capital, sitting high in the Andes at an elevation that makes this one of the more distinctive driving environments in South America, and a rental car opens up both the historic city and a range of dramatic highland routes within a few hours in any direction. The airport itself sits in a valley northeast of the city center, with counters from international and local rental companies inside the terminal, and the drive into Quito along a modern access highway typically takes around forty-five minutes to an hour depending on traffic.
From Quito, the road south along the so-called Avenue of the Volcanoes passes within view of Cotopaxi, one of the world's highest active volcanoes, with the national park entrance reachable in roughly an hour and a half, while the market town of Otavalo, known for its indigenous textile market, lies about two hours north through increasingly rural highland scenery. The Mitad del Mundo monument, marking the equatorial line, sits closer still, a short outing of perhaps thirty to forty-five minutes from the airport or city.
Driving is on the right throughout Ecuador, and the defining feature of driving in and around Quito is altitude: the city sits above 2,800 meters, and mountain routes climb higher still, which can affect both visitors and vehicles, with reduced engine performance at extreme elevation and a genuine need to acclimatize before tackling long drives. Roads connecting Quito to Cotopaxi and Otavalo are generally well paved and well used, though fog and sudden weather shifts are common at higher elevations, and switchbacks on the mountain routes call for moderate speeds rather than confident highway pace. Fuel stations are frequent around Quito itself but thin out on rural highland stretches, so it is worth filling up before a full-day excursion toward the volcanoes or the northern highlands.