Bucaramanga Getting to and away

Getting to and away

By Lorraine Caputo

The modern bus terminal is southwest of downtown, on the Girón road. The station is divided into four modules and has several ATMs (outside Module 3), restaurants, phones, elevator, information booth (outside Module 3) and even billiards to pass the wait.

To Barrancabermeja: Cotramagdalena - half-hourly, $8, 2 hours. Also Cotrasangil, Extrarápidos Los Motilones, Copetrán, Omega, Cotaxi, Cotranal.

To El Banco: Copetrán, Cotramagdalena - $24.20, 6 hours.

To Pamplona / Cúcuta: Cooptimotilon and other companies - every half-hour, $12.10 / $18.10, 4 hours / 6 hours.

To Málaga/Capitanejo: Cotrans - 4:30 a.m., noon, $17 / $18, 7 hours / 8 hours.

To San Gil: Cotransangil, Cootrasaravita, Transander - half-hourly, $8, 2 hours.

To Bogotá: Berlinas - 6:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m. every half-hour, $34, 9 hours. Also Omega, Copetrán, Concorde hourly.

To Medellín: Bolivariano - 8 a.m., 10 a.m., five afternoon / night departures, $37, 9 hours. Also Brasilia, Omegas, Copetrán.

To Cali / Ipiales: Bolivariano - $51 / $64, 15 hours / 26 hours.

To Valledupar: Copetrán - 6 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m., six afternoon / night buses, $37, 10 hours.

To Santa Marta: Costa, Copetrán, Berlinas, Crasilia, Concorde - evening departures, $40, 9 hours.

To Barranquilla / Cartagena: Berlinas -four buses 9:30 p.m.-12:30 p.m., $43 / $49, 9 hours / 12 hours. Also Brasilia, Copetrán.

Cotrans, Cootrasaravita and Cotranal have offices conveniently located near the center of the city.

Bucaramanga's Aeropuerto Palonegro, west of Girón, has direct flights to Cúcuta, Medellín and Bogotá. From a kiosk on Calle 35, Parque Santander Taxi Aeropuerto leaves (Open 4 a.m.-6 p.m., Tel: 7-642-5250 / 310-273-2552. Reserve at least two hours before; shared $3.20, solo $ 5.30). Public busetas ($0.85) towards the airport leave you quite a distance away, but reportedly taxis shuttle the last leg. Avianca, Satena and Copa have offices on Calle 36, between Carreras 13 and 19.