Transportation of Bolivia

Every time there is a firm decision to go somewhere on vacation, we look through thousands of sites with various information about the destination. And this is quite logical, because you do not want to spoil your holiday with any unaccounted for detail. When it comes to traveling to countries that are surrounded by a certain trail of not very good reputation, such planning rises to the level of obsession - after all, it is now necessary to take into account everything! Bolivia - an amazing country, inspired by its nature and color. But in view of her reputation, a somewhat impoverished state, in which every third is connected to the drug business, one must keep one's ears open! And this article will help to cover you such an important aspect as transport in Bolivia.

Air communication

Actually, we'll start the article with a description of air carrier services. For example, the question of how to get to Bolivia, is solved very simply - buy a ticket for the nearest flight, and you are almost there. Air transport is the most common mode of travel in Bolivia both among tourists and among wealthy citizens. This is dictated by the fact that in some places it is simply impossible to reach in any other way - either the roads are washed out or there are none at all. Moreover, there is no shortage of airports in the country: Viru-Viru, El-Alto, Jorge Wilstermann airport, and many others.

Airports serving domestic airlines, there are almost any city. The most reliable air carriers are Aerosur, Amaszonas, BoA, GOL, Aerocon and TAM. The prices are quite acceptable, but the registration features will require additional financial expenses. For example, for domestic flights you will have to pay about $ 3 as a tax, and the ticket itself will not cost more than $ 120. International flights will have to be spent much more. The passenger is allocated a quota of 15 kg of luggage and 3 kg of hand luggage.

Bus service

To begin with, it is worthwhile to tell you about what the Bolivian roads are. From the south to the north-west of the country passes the Pan-American Highway. Several large roads linking megacities and some cities branch off from it. Perhaps, on this asphalted "happiness" ends. It is necessary to be satisfied with unpaved roads, which are regularly washed by rain. To be more convincing, it should be said that the length of the roads in Bolivia is about 50 thousand km, and only 2.5 thousand km of them are covered with asphalt. That there is only one Yungas Road, the Road of Death !

However, despite such a lamentable state of affairs, buses occupy an honorable second place among the vehicles of Bolivia. Among themselves, they are divided into several types:

  1. Flotas , or long distance buses. Here, as a rule, there is the concept of comfort and safety. While driving, you can listen to music or watch movies, and in the cabin air conditioning. Some particularly comfortable types - cama bus - have the ability to transform the seat into a kind of bed.
  2. Colectivos . These buses are less comfortable than the previous group, but large enough and spacious. They travel by secondary routes, for example, between cities and villages. Traveling on this type of bus, you need to be prepared for the fact that you will have to go in one cabin with animals, a lot of luggage and a huge number of people.
  3. Micros . These are the familiar "minibuses" that serve the city. They have a clear route and designated places to stop, but in fact the driver is ready to pick up or drop passengers at every corner. The main danger of this type of transport is its driver. In Bolivia, full of fans to arrange races on the highway, overtake or prune another bus, while neglecting the safety of passengers.

In general, seasoned travelers with some romanticism speak about buses in Bolivia. They say that there is no better means to see local beauties and feel the local lifestyle than a trip on bumpy Bolivian roads. However, when going on such a trip, be sure to grab warm things, documents and pre-visit the toilet. And when traveling for an impressive distance, be prepared for the fact that you have to go at night.

As for city minibuses, it is better to move in a taxi with such a dangerous driving style in Bolivia. Here it is quite affordable pleasure, and a lot of nerve cells will remain. As a rule, when discussing a route, taxi drivers are happy to help, optimizing it, or driving through the most interesting places. Remember - you need to agree on payment in advance!

In Bolivia, you can rent a car. This will cost about 400 US dollars for a week, a separate article should take into account a pledge of $ 1000 and car washes (another $ 30). From the organizational moments you absolutely need to have an international driving license and a credit card with you, and be over 25 years old.

Railway transport in Bolivia

The length of the railway in Bolivia is about 3600 km. It is divided into two separate parts by the eastern Andes. In general, this is the main reason for the lack of popularity in this type of transport in Bolivia, since all attempts to somehow combine these roads have been unsuccessful.

Trains here have a low level of comfort, if not its absence, and the concept of "sleeper" speech does not go at all. In addition, this is a very slow method of movement. However, there are Bolivian railways and its advantages - it is an excellent alternative to blurry roads, and some of the routes are extraordinarily picturesque. For example, the branch of Uyuni-Oruro will not leave anyone indifferent, enchanting the amazing scenery from the train window.