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Cars 4 Rental Guide To Travel In  Bolivia

Note: There are no restrictions on travel throughout Bolivia, but a resurgence of sporadic social protests has affected the Central Highlands (Altiplano), where Lake Titicaca, Sorata and La Paz are situated, as well as Cochabamba and Santa Cruz. Strikes and roadblocks are a common form of protest in Bolivia and can occur at any time. Roadblocks can interrupt passage to and from La Paz’s international airport. Some of the main tourist centres have been affected by social disturbances and conditions in these areas are volatile. Visitors should avoid demonstrations and not attempt to pass through or go around roadblocks. International Airports La Paz (LPB) (El Alto) is 14km (8.5 miles) southwest of La Paz. Coach services to the city depart whenever there are scheduled flight arrivals (travel time – 20 minutes). Services from the city to the airport depart from Plaza Isabel La Catlica. Minibus and taxis are also available. Santa Cruz (VVI) (Viru-Viru) is 16km (10 miles) from the centre of Santa Cruz. Restaurant and duty-free facilities are available. The Visit South America Pass: The Visit South America Pass: Must be bought outside South America in country of residence and allows unlimited travel to 36 cities in the following countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile (except Easter Island), Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. Participating airlines include Aer Lingus (EI), American Airlines (AA), British Airways (BA), Cathay Pacific (CX), Finnair (AY), IBERIA (IB), LAN-Chile (LA) and Qantas (QF). A minimum of three flights must be booked, with no maximum; the maximum stay is 60 days, with no minimum, and prices depend on the amount of flight zones covered. Children under 12 years of age are entitled to a 33 per cent discount and infants (under 2 years old) only pay 10 per cent of the adult fare. For further details, contact one of the participating airlines. Departure tax: US$25. Payable in US Dollars for all non-residents. For visitors staying longer than 90 days: US$50. Back to Top Air Travel The national airline is Lloyd Areo Boliviano (LB). Other airlines serving Bolivia include American Airlines, which flies from major European cities to La Paz via Miami. British Airways flies to Miami and Rio, from where connecting LAB or Varig flights to Bolivia are available. Approximate flight times: From La Paz to London is 14 hours 30 minutes and from Santa Cruz is 14 hours 40 minutes. Airlines operating internal flights are AeroXpress, LAB and TAM (the military airline). Because of the country’s topography and tropical regions, air travel is the best method of transport, although delays, cancellations and general unreliability is highly possible. La Paz (El Alto) - which is the highest airport in the world - and Santa Cruz (Viru-Viru) are the chief internal airports. Departure Tax: Usually Bs15, but variable depending on airport and destination. It is advisable to check locally. Back to Top Travel By Water Although it is a member of the International Maritime Organisation, Bolivia is wholly landlocked. However, it is possible to reach ports in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Peru by ship, and from there there are rail connections to La Paz or Santa Cruz. The nearest seaport is Arica in the extreme north of Chile. Steamers cross Lake Titicaca to the Peruvian port of Puno from Guaqui, the most important port on the lake. Situated 90km (56 miles) from La Paz, it is accessible both by road and rail, though services are generally slow. Double-decker passenger boats operate between the various small islands on Lake Titicaca and traverse the many rivers of the Amazon basin (the main thoroughfares being Ichilo, Mamor, Beni, Madre de Dios and Guapor rivers); most of them leave from Copacabana. Back to Top Rail There is a twice-weekly connection from La Paz to Buenos Aires (Argentina), and a twice-monthly connection to Arica (Chile). There is also a weekly train to Calama (Chile) with bus connections to Antofagasta. Bolivia has 3697km (2297 miles) of track which goes to make up separate and unconnected networks in the eastern and western parts of the country. Since privatisation, the railway services have been reduced and services are, by and large, slow and disorganised. The Eastern network is particularly inefficient. Some trains have restaurant cars, but there are no sleeping-car services. The railways have recently renewed their rolling stock with Fiat railway carriages from Argentina. There are joint plans with the Brazilians to link Santa Cruz and Cochabamba. Back to Top Travel By Road The Pan-American Highway which links the Argentine Republic with Peru crosses Bolivian territory from the south to the northwest. Driving in the rainy season may be hazardous. During recent years, much attention has been given to new roads, and the principal highways are now well maintained. The internal road system covers 50,419km (31,330 miles). Work is in progress to improve the condition of major highways, since the overall road network is rather poor, due to the lack of paved roads. Traffic drives on the right. Bus: Long bus trips off the main routes can be erratic. Most long-distance bus trips are overnight. Taxi: All have fixed rates and sharing taxis is a common practice. Tipping is not necessary. Car hire: Hertz and local companies exist in La Paz. Documentation: An International Driving Permit is required. This can be issued by Federacin Inter-Americana de Touring y Automvil on production of a national licence, but it is wiser to obtain the International Permit before departure. URBAN: Bus services in La Paz are operated by a confederation of owner–operators. There are also some fixed route taxi ‘Trufi’ and ‘Trufibus’ systems which show coloured flags for particular routes. Fares are regulated. In some cases, catching a 'truck' can prove a better means of transport, being half the price of a bus and usually more reliable - although transportation may be less comfortable. TRAVEL TIMES: The following chart gives approximate travel times from La Paz (in hours and minutes) to other major cities/towns in Bolivia. Air Road Rail Cochabamba 0.25 6.00 7.00 Santa Cruz 0.50 24.00 - Tarija 1.00 18.00 - Sucre 0.35 11.00 13.00 Potos 0.40 12.00 12.00 Beni 0.35 - - Back to Top

Car Hire Bolivia

Cars 4 Rental can provide car hire vehicles in all the popular locations throughout Bolivia.

Whatever your requirements Cars 4 Rental will be able to provide a car to meet your needs. Our hire cars can be equipped with many optional extras including child seats so that your car rental is ideally suited to your needs.

Hire a car in Bolivia