Bolivia: getting there and away

By Christopher Minster

By air:

Bolivia has two international airports: La Paz and Santa Cruz. Most visitors will arrive to La Paz, which happens to be the highest major airport in the world. The half-hour ride from the airport to the center of the city is a thrill: it’s a very scenic, mostly downhill ride. La Paz is serviced by American Airlines and Lloyd Aero Boliviano from the USA, and a number of other airlines from other cities in South America: you can fly from Lima aboard LAN Peru and Taca, from Buenos Aires on Aerolineas Argentinas, from Sao Paulo on Varig, from Asunción on TAM Mercosur and from Santiago on LAN Chile.

By land

Buses into Bolivia are cheap and easy, but uncomfortable and packed. Still, they’re the best bet for the budget traveler.

There are buses from Calama, Chile, to Uyuni, Bolivia, a couple of times per week: travelers have to change buses after passing through the border. Be warned: when buses arrive at the border in the middle of the night, they must wait for the immigration office to open: you may find yourself sitting on a freezing bus in the middle of the night for several hours. Be sure to ask about when the bus gets to the border and if they must wait there.

From Argentina, the most common and direct route goes from San Salvador de Jujuy (Argentina) to Villazón, Bolivia. Bus service is quite regular. It is also possible to go from Salta (Argentina) to Yacuiba (Bolivia). If you want to go to La Paz from Villazón, you’ll have to choose between the eastern road (which passes through Potosí) and the western train route (which passes through Uyuni).

The most important border crossing between Bolivia and Brazil is at Corumbá (Brazil) and Puerto Suárez (Bolivia). You can get to and from Corumbá from Rio de Janeiro by bus (a 28 hour trip!) and Campo Grande (5 hours). In Puerto Suárez, you can take the train to and from Santa Cruz. It is possible to cross the border from Brasiléia to Cobija, but the roads to and from these two towns are only for the most adventurous. There is another crossing at Guayaramerín (Bolivia) – Guayajá-Merím (Brazil). In Bolivia, from sort-of nearby Riberalta, it is possible to take a 17-hour bus trip through the worst roads on the planet to Rurrenabaque, and from there to the rest of Bolivia, although the next leg of the trip, from Rurrenabaque to Caranavi, is also long: it’s a 12 hour trip. The last way to go from Brazil to Bolivia overland is to go from Cáceres, Brazil, to San Matías on the Bolivian border, and from there catch a bus to Santa Cruz. This path will bring you near the restored Jesuit missions of Chiquitos.

From Peru, you can get a bus or a boat in Puno that will take you across the border. The bus goes through Desaguadero and Guaqui on the way to La Paz. The water route, over Lake Titicaca, is much more entertaining. The border agents are used to gringos crossing at this area, so it tends to go pretty smoothly and quickly.