Getting There By Air:El Alto International Airport (LPB) Tel: (02) 281 0240.
Located 12km (8 miles) southwest of downtown La Paz and connected by a motorway tollroad, the airport is served by a handful of international airlines, including
Aerolineas Argentinas,
American Airlines and
Varig, plus the national carrier
Lloyd Aereo Boliviano (tel: (02) 237 1020; website:
www.labairlines.com).
Airport facilities
include ATMs, bureau de change, duty-free, coffee shop, news stand, internet access and car hire all available at the airport. There are no business facilities at the airport, apart from a public Internet cafe-style area.
Minibuses depart every 15 minutes outside the terminal and head for Plaza Isabel la Catolica via the Prado. Otherwise the best advice is to bargain hard with the awaiting horde of taxi drivers, though many new arrivals have complained of being ripped off. Some upscale hotels will also arrange airport transfers at a premium.
Getting There By Road:Some would suggest that driving in Bolivia is only for the truly brave. Others would say that it is plain stupid. In a country where paved roads as a share of total roads account for only 7%, driving is generally a skill best reserved for Bolivia’s army of
mirco (minibus) drivers, who are well versed in negotiating the lethal combination of steep mountain roads and poor road surfaces. Worse still, 80% of roads are affected by flooding during the rainy season (December to March). If you do drive, keep to the right and make sure you have good insurance. Seat belts are required to be worn by law in the front seat of vehicles only (in reality, however, this law is not heavily enforced). The maximum limit of alcohol for drivers is 330ml of alcoholic drink before getting into their vehicle (this is enforced under Bolivian driving law). Heading to La Paz, the Titicaca road leading south from Lake Titicaca is paved and enters the city through the suburbs of El Alto, as does the Tiahuanaco route heading east from the Inca ruins at Tiahuanaco. For commercial traffic, however, it is the Ruta Nacional no.1 heading north from Oruro that makes for the main thoroughfare. All are well served by a slew of bus companies with domestic and international connections coordinated from the expansive Terminal de Buses in Plaza Antofagasta. For more details about road conditions, contact the
Automovil Club Boliviano (tel: (02) 237 2139; website:
www.acbbolivia.com).
Getting There By Rail:There are no rail connections to La Paz. The nearest train station is located at Oruro; the
Empresa Ferroviaria Andina (website:
www.fca.com.bo) has details of itineraries.
Getting Around:Like most South American cities, La Paz runs primarily on buses. The city’s deregulated public transport network is crowded, cheap and slightly chaotic, with routes usually marked on cards and tucked behind the windscreen. Do as the locals do: simply flag one down and wade in. Beware of pickpockets.
Taxis Much of downtown La Paz is negotiable on foot but taxis are especially useful for those steep ascents. Collective taxis charge a low flat-rate fare but will stop en route to pick up other passengers. Radio taxis (identified by their roof sign) may charge more but are generally more reputable, especially after dark. Simply flag them down, always agree on fares upfront and make sure that you have lots of small denomination coins - nobody ever, ever has any change. There are lots of private taxis on the road so, if alone, it is best to head for the busy taxi ranks outside the
Radisson Hotel on Avenida Arce or Plaza Isabel la Catolica.
Car Hire To hire a car you will have to be aged over 25, and have your national driving license and passport. You will also need to present an international credit card. Costs are generally high and you should expect to pay a deposit of up to US$1,000. Always check very carefully what is included in the hire company’s insurance and consider getting your own personal documentation translated into Spanish before arrival. Major providers include
Kolla Motors (tel: (02) 241 9141; website:
www.kollamotors.com) and
Petita Rent-
a-
Car (tel: (02) 242 0329; website:
www.rentacarpetita.com).
Bicycle & Scooter Hire To rent two-wheeled transport, head for the ex-pat run biking specialist,
Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking (tel: (02) 231 3849; website:
www.gravitybolivia.com), located just off the Prado in Edificio Avenida. Cycling around the city can be even more hazardous than driving so care should be taken.
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The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
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