Practical tips

Money: always carry cash

In Bolivia you mostly pay in cash, in bolivianos (Bs). Cards are the exception.

• Foreign cards only work in hotels, some restaurants and supermarkets in the big cities, often with a surcharge. Markets, buses, taxis, villages and national park entrances: cash only.
• You'll see QR codes everywhere, even at street stalls. They are transfers between Bolivian banks: without an account at a Bolivian bank you can't use them. Just ask “¿En efectivo?”.
• Withdraw money in the cities: there are ATMs (cajeros) in La Paz, Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, Sucre and Uyuni. In villages (Torotoro, Sorata, the Titicaca islands, the Sud Lípez) there are none, or they are often empty. Leave with enough bolivianos for the whole stage.
• Withdrawing from an ATM with a foreign card works, but every withdrawal is charged and capped: it's better to travel with cash. Bring US dollars or euros (both change easily) in clean, untorn notes, and change them at a casa de cambio, where notes get a better rate.
• Keep small notes and coins: drivers, markets and public toilets (1 to 2 Bs) often can't change a 100 or 200 Bs note.

In town: micros, minibuses and trufis

Public transport is very cheap and goes everywhere, but it doesn't work like in Europe or North America. And don't count on Google Maps: most lines aren't on it.

• Micros (small buses), minibuses and trufis (shared cars or minibuses) follow fixed routes, with a number or a letter. The main streets on the route are written on the windscreen and often shouted from the door.
• There are almost no stops: the minibus stops wherever someone asks. To catch one, wave your hand at the side of the street.
• If in doubt, ask the driver before getting on: “¿Pasa por la plaza principal?”. Bolivians are used to it and happy to help.
• To get off, say it out loud a little before: “¡Me quedo en la esquina!” (I'm getting off at the corner).
• You pay the driver in cash, when you get on or off. A ride costs a few bolivianos, so have the change ready.
• In La Paz and El Alto, Mi Teleférico, the cable car network, is the exception: clear lines, real stations and the best view of the city.

Between cities: buses and terminals

The bus is the most common way to travel, by day or by night.

• Long-distance buses leave from each city's Terminal de Buses. Buy your ticket at the company's counter, the day before for the busiest night buses.
• Before boarding, you pay a small terminal fee (tasa de uso de terminal) of a few bolivianos. Keep the ticket: they'll ask for it when you board.
• For night journeys, choose “cama” or “semi-cama”: seats that recline much further, for a few bolivianos more.
• On the Altiplano, buses are rarely heated: keep a warm layer with you. In the lowlands, it's the air conditioning that can be freezing.
• Luggage goes in the hold with a tag. Keep your papers, money and devices with you.
• To villages (Torotoro, Sorata, the Valle Alto…), it's often minibuses that leave when they're full, from a particular street rather than a station. Ask your hotel where they leave from.
• As in town, the bus stops anywhere along the road. Tell the driver where you want to get off, for example “me deja en el cruce a…” (drop me at the turn-off to…).

Taxis and apps

Taxis are cheap: a ride across town costs about 15 Bs, roughly one euro (about US$1.30).

• The easiest option: the InDrive or Yango apps. They are taxis whose price is shown in the app before the ride, and you pay the driver in cash.
• Street taxis have no meter: agree on the price before you get in. That's the custom here, and everyone is at ease.
• At night, avoid hailing a taxi in the street: take one from a radio taxi stand, have your hotel or a restaurant call one, or use the app.
• For a site with no public transport (Incallajta, some lagoons), you can hire a car with a driver for the day: agree on a total price, including the return trip and waiting time.

Travelling with peace of mind

Bolivia is a welcoming country. A few simple precautions, as in any big city, are enough.

• In the evening, avoid walking alone late in quiet streets: after dark, an app taxi or a radio taxi is easier and costs next to nothing.
• In markets, bus terminals and crowds, keep your bag and phone close.
• When crossing the street, take your time: cars don't always stop at crossings. Look both ways and cross with the locals.

Blockades and the unexpected

Leave some slack: in Bolivia a journey doesn't always go to plan.

• Road blockades (bloqueos) and strikes are part of Bolivian life. A road can be cut for a day or a week: keep one or two free days in your trip.
• The day before a long journey, ask at the terminal, at your hotel or check the local press (“¿Hay bloqueo?”).
• In the rainy season (December to March), roads in the lowlands and the Yungas can be cut by mud or landslides. Flying is then often the best option.

Altitude, water and health

A few habits to enjoy the trip without getting sick.

• Don't drink tap water: bottled or filtered water only. Be careful with ice and raw vegetables in small restaurants.
• Go up in stages: a few days around 2,500 m (Cochabamba, Sucre) before La Paz or Uyuni help a lot. Drink plenty, eat light and avoid alcohol for the first days.
• The sun at altitude burns fast, even when it's cold: sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses.
• For the Amazon and the lowlands, check before you leave about the yellow fever vaccine and mosquitoes (dengue).

Phone and internet

Staying reachable and finding your way.

• A Bolivian SIM card (Entel, Tigo or Viva) is cheap and sold in shops with your passport. Entel has the best coverage in the countryside.
• In the Sud Lípez, on some islands and in the jungle there's no signal at all. Let your family know before you go.
• Download offline maps before you go (Google Maps, Organic Maps…): the buses aren't on them, but the streets are.

Language and customs

What helps you feel welcome.

• Spanish is spoken everywhere, along with Quechua, Aymara or Guaraní depending on the region. Away from tourist spots few people speak English: a few words of Spanish change everything.
• Always ask before taking someone's photo, especially cholitas and in markets.
• Bargaining is normal at craft markets, much less for food or transport.
• Public toilets cost 1 to 2 Bs and often have no paper: always carry some.

Getting to Bolivia

By air or overland.

• Most international flights land in Santa Cruz (Viru Viru) and La Paz (El Alto, at 4,000 m).
• Overland, you can come in from Peru, Chile, Argentina, Brazil or Paraguay: every crossing is described below, under “Border crossings”.
• Depending on your nationality you may need a visa: check the rules before you leave.

Documents and visas

The rules depend on your nationality and sometimes change: always check before you leave.

• A passport valid for at least six months after you arrive. Keep a photo of it on your phone.
• Many nationalities, including European Union citizens, don't need a visa for a tourist stay: you usually get 30 days on arrival, extendable up to 90 days a year at the Migración office.
• Other nationalities need a visa, before leaving or on arrival. The up-to-date list is on the official site of the Dirección General de Migración (migracion.gob.bo) or at a Bolivian consulate.
• On entry, check the stamp and the number of days granted: each day of overstay is fined when you leave.
• A yellow fever vaccination certificate may be asked for in some tropical areas: keep it with your passport.

A few useful phrases

In Spanish, the way people say them in Bolivia.

¿En efectivo o con QR?

Cash or QR? (You'll hear this one a lot.)

¿Tiene cambio?

Do you have change?

¿Este micro pasa por…?

Does this bus go past…?

¡Me quedo en la esquina!

I'm getting off at the corner!

¿A qué hora sale el bus a…?

What time does the bus to… leave?

¿Hay bloqueo?

Is the road blocked?

¿Cuánto es?

How much is it?

Border crossings

The most used crossings, country by country. Hours and rules change: check before you go.

Peru

Chile

Argentina

Brazil

Paraguay