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Cars 4 Rental Guide To Travel In  Venezuela

Travel Warning: The political situation in the country is volatile and street demonstrations and disturbances can disrupt travel - particularly in Caracas and other large towns and cities. Demonstrations usually occur along the main route from Caracas International Airport. Street crime is also rising and visitors are warned to be on their guard at all times. Back to Top International Airports Caracas (CCS) (Simon Bolvar) is 22km (14 miles) from the city (travel time – 30-45 minutes). There is a coach service to the city every 60 minutes (0530-2359). Buses (littoral) are available to the city every 60 minutes (0600-1800). Taxis to the city are available on ranks. Airport facilities include duty-free shop, bank/bureau de change, bar/restaurant, tourist information and car hire (Avis, Budget and National). Departure tax: Bs58,200 (adults) or Bs38,800 (children aged 2-15) leaving Venezuala on international flights from all international airports. Transit passengers and children under 2 years are exempt. The Visit South America Pass: This 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. Back to Top Air Travel Almost all large towns are connected with scheduled services operated by domestic airlines including Aeropostal (website: www.aeropostal.com), Aerotuy (website: www.tuy.com), and Avensa and Servivensa. There are various discount tickets offered by Avensa and Servivensa including special student and family prices. For further information, contact your local travel agency. Air travel is the best means of internal transport but services are often overbooked and even confirmation does not always ensure a seat. Travellers are advised to arrive at the airport well before the minimum check-in time in order to obtain confirmed seats. Schedule changes and flight cancellations with no advance warning are also likely. Departure tax: Bs600. Venezuela’s national airlines are Aeropostal (Alas de Venezuela) (VH), and Avensa and Servivensa (VC), which no longer flies to Europe. Other airlines serving Venezuela include British Airways, Lufthansa and United Airlines. Approximate flight times: From Caracas to London is 9 hours, to Los Angeles is 9 hours and to New York is 5 hours. Back to Top Travel By Water Ferries link Puerto La Cruz with Margarita Island (travel time – 2 hours 45 minutes). The principal Venezuelan ports are La Guaira, Puerto Cabello, Maracaibo, Guanta, Porlamar and Ciudad Bolvar (on the Orinoco River). The principal shipping lines operating to Venezuela are: from the USA: Venezuelan Line; from European ports: Columbus Line, French Line, Hapag Lloyd, Polish Ocean Lines, and the Spanish ships ‘Cabo San Juan’ and ‘Cabo San Roque’. Cunard offers Caribbean cruises from San Juan that include a stop in Caracas. Other cruise lines include Costa and Celebrity Cruises. Departure tax: Exit tax on all air and sea departures, regardless of nationality, of Bs13,200. Back to Top Rail The only railway runs between Barquisimeto and Puerto Cabello, with no air-conditioning. There are plans for a considerable extension to the rail network. There are ambitious plans in progress for a 1400km (870 mile) national network to be constructed in the near future. There are no international rail links with neighbouring countries. Back to Top Travel By Road Traffic drives on the right. Internal roads between principal cities are of a high standard, with 17,050km (10,595 miles) of paved motorways, 13,500km (8400 miles) of macadam highways and 5850km (3635 miles) of other roads. Bus: There are fairly cheap interurban bus services; quality of travel varies a lot, however. Car hire: Self-drive cars are available at the airport and in major city centres but are expensive. Documentation: National driving licences are valid for 1 year. International Driving Permits are also valid. URBAN: Caracas has a 35-station metro, which is comfortable and inexpensive. Conventional bus services have badly deteriorated in recent years and there has been a rapid growth in the use of por puestos (share-taxis). These are operated by minibus companies and tend to serve as the main form of public transport in Caracas and major cities. Fares charged are in general similar to those on the buses, although they are higher during the evenings and at weekends. Taxis in Caracas are metered but the fare can nonetheless be negotiated with the driver. It is customary not to use meters after midnight; the fare should be agreed before setting out. Taxi fares double after 2000. Taxi rates are posted at the airport. Motorcycles may not be used in Caracas after 2200. TRAVEL TIMES: The following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from Caracas to other major cities/towns in Venezuela. Air Porlamar 0.45 Los Roques 0.50 Mrida 1.00 Canaima 1.15 Cumana 0.45 Maracaibo 1.00 Ciudad Bolvar 0.50 Road access is from Colombia (Barranquilla and Medellin) to Maracaibo, and from the Amazon territory of Brazil (Manaus) to Caracas. Back to Top

Car Hire Venezuela

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

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 Venezuela