Bolivia Getting Around

Getting Around

Air Travel

The two major air carriers in Bolivia are Lloyd Aereo Boliviano (LAB) and Aero Sur. Amaszonas and TAM (Transportes Aereos Militares) also provide service to some isolated locations.

Regularly scheduled air service is available between the major airports: La Paz, Cochabamba, and Santa Cruz which are linked to Potosi, Puerto Suarez, Riberalta, Sucre, Tarija, Trinidad, Cobija, Rurrenabaque, Guayaramerin, Uyuni, and Yacuiba.

Train Travel

Train services are somewhat limited. Current major routes include Oruro to Villazon at the Argentine border via Uyuni. There are also trains between Uyuni and Calama in Chile. Two routes operate out of Santa Cruz. Train and ferrobus (passenger rail bus) sevices link Santa Cruz with Corumba on the Brazilian border and trains make the trip between Santa Cruz and Yacuiba on the Argentine border.

Bus Travel

Traveling by bus is certainly the cheapest way to get around Bolivia. Recently, a rough benchmark was less than $1 USD per hour of bus travel. Bus travel between major cities is comfortable. The buses tend to be modern and service is adequate. Service to more isolated areas can be more challenging and breakdowns are not uncommon.

Remember, land travel in the Andes and tropical areas of Bolivia can be precarious. Road conditions are often primative. High altitude trips can be very cold, especially in the winter (June-August). Low altitude trips in the tropics can be hot and humid. Travel in the rainy season (November-March) can be complicated by storms.

Bolivia is famous for having some of the most dangerous roads in the world. Some routes along the Andes are single lane, dirt roads with breathtaking dropoffs. Such trips are not for the faint of heart. See note about travel to Rurrenabaque below.

Following are some approximate bus route times. Note that night schedules are almost always quicker since they do not require stops at as many rural villages:

La Paz to Copacabana: 3 hours on paved road

La Paz to Oruro: 3 hours on paved road

La Paz to Cochabamba: 6 hours on mostly paved road

La Paz to Santa Cruz: 24 hours on mostly paved road

Oruro to Potosi: 8 hours on mostly paved road

Potosi to Uyuni: 5-6 hours on mostly dirt road

Note on Rurrenabaque and the Most Dangersous Road in the World : Beware of traveling to tropical Yungas and Rurrenabaque unless you have a very, very loose schedule! The bus takes approximately 12 hours and traverses "The Most Dangerous Road in the World." Supposedly, they have recently improved the conditions by mandating one-way traffic on the road and building a secondary road. Historically this is a 1 to 1.5 lane road that supports two directions of traffic and is etched into the mountains, resulting in precipitous dropoffs. Along most of the way, when two vehicles meet, one has to reverse along the road until they reach a wide enough point to allow the other vehicle to pass. The bicycle path from La Paz to Coroico is famed, as cyclists whizz along the downhill route, passing from the Andean highlands of La Paz through more temperate zones until they reach the steamy village of Coroico, en route to the more tropical "Rurre," as it is nicknamed. Estimates abound in travel guides, with most citing at least one vehicle per month that tumbles over the side of the road. Bring Dramamine, or even better, heavy sedatives to sleep through the stomach-churning ride.

The other alternative to reaching Rurre is by air. This is relatively cheap, costing US$50-US$60 and offering gorgeous views of the landscapes below. Once in Rurre, most travelers immediately book a jungle trek or two. The problem arises upon departure. The runway in Rurrenabaque is dirt. Rurrenabaque is in the jungle. In a rain forest jungle, it, well, rains! More than a few travelers have returned from their jungle trip, ready to jet back to La Paz and continue on their travels, only to find that they are stranded in a tiny wet town where the plane is grounded due to a muddy runway. Your options are to a) wait it out for as many days as it takes, or to b) eat the money you already spent on your ticket and take the dangerous, windy road 12 hours up to La Paz. Some travelers will choose not to take the risk, and many will vouch that Rurre's beauty is well-worth the effort to get there and back!