Bolivia Travel Guide - Getting There

The national airline is Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano (LB) (website: www.labairlines.co.uk).

From La Paz to Madrid is 17 hours and from Santa Cruz to Miami is 5 hours 30 minutes.

La Paz (LPB) (El Alto) is 14km (8.5 miles) southwest of La Paz. To/from the airport: Coach services to the city depart whenever there are scheduled flight arrivals (journey time – 20 minutes). Services from the city to the airport depart from Plaza Isabel La Católica. Minibus and taxis are also available.

Santa Cruz (VVI) (Viru-Viru) is 16km (10 miles) from the centre of Santa Cruz and is the largest airport in Bolivia. To/from the airport: Taxis are available. Facilities: Restaurant and duty-free facilities are available.

oneworld Visit South America Pass: valid within Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile (except Easter Island), Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. Participating airlines are Aer Lingus (EI), American Airlines (AA), British Airways (BA), Cathay Pacific (CX), Finnair (AY), Iberia (IB), LAN (LA) and Qantas (QF). The pass must be bought outside South America in the country of residence. It allows unlimited travel to 34 cities. A minimum of three flights must be booked, with a maximum of 20; prices depend on the amount of flight zones. For further details, contact one of the participating airlines.

US$25. Payable in US Dollars for all non-residents. For visitors staying longer than 90 days: US$50. There is also a national passenger tax of Bs169. For further information contact the Bolivian Airports Service (SABSA) (website: www.sabsa.com).

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. There are also crossings at Port Heath on the Madre de Dios river (Peru), the Bermejo or Pilcomayo rivers (Argentina) and from Brasilia to Cobija across to the Acre river and from Guayaramerin across the Heinez river (both in Brazil).

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.

There is a connection from La Paz to La Quiaca and Pocitos (Argentina), and a connection to Arica (Chile), as well as to Coroba (Brazil). There is also a train to Calama (Chile) with bus connections to Antofagasta.

The Pan-American Highway which links Argentina with Peru crosses Bolivian territory from the south to the northwest. Driving in the rainy season may be hazardous. Principal highways are generally well-maintained.