FAQ - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT BOLIVIAHere you find answers about the frequently asked questions bout Bolivia. Transport - Currency/Exchange - Internet/Photos - Telephone/Electricity - Health - Trekking - Transport in Bolivia - Salar de Uyuni - Luggage/Clothes - Climate - Language - Accommodation - Shopping Back to the site FAQ - frequently asked questions about bolivia
National flights should be reconfirmed 48 hours, international flights 72 hours before departure. Furthermore airlines require you to be at the airport 2 or 3 hours prior to departure for national and international flights respectively. In South America are rarely train connections. The main transport system are busses. Bolivia has a very good bus network and many bus companies rivel against each other. The busses are very comfortable and much cheaper as in Europe or in the United States. Nevertheless you will find busses which are luxury, but there are also important differences in quality. There are also night-busses for long distance routes. Departures are often during the day and tickets can be bought at the companies. If you do not have much time, it is also possible to fly specific routes between the major cities. Domestic flights can be booked cheaper in Bolivia than in your homecountry. For further information click here. The major bus companies are safe and you can drive tranquilized. Nevertheless it is necessary to observe the safety rules. Bolivia has only two line sections, which are therefor very spectacular. The public transport system, offered in the cities of Bolivia are regular busses, minibusses, taxis and so called trufis. There are various international car rental companies with outlets in Bolivia where you can rent a car. The oficial currency in Bolivia is the Boliviano. There are coins of 10, 20 and 50 Centimos as well as 1, 2 and 5 Bolivianos and banknotes of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 Bolivianos. Practically in all towns in Bolivia you can pay with US dollars. But it is still recommendable to carry Bolivianos, especially for minor payments like for taxis, busses, snacks and drinks etc. Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Diners are accepted by most restaurants, hotels and service providers. Most larger towns and tourist centers throughout Bolivia have ATMs. Here you can easily, and with lesser fees than with your credit card, withdraw money (Bolivianos or US$) with your bank card and a pin number. Always check for the Cirrus and Maestro symbols that identify ATMs and matching cards. Traveler cheques are accepted by banks and some hotels, but usually for worse exchange rates than cash. Bolivia is one of the countries with the highest number of internet cafes in South America. Even in the most remote villages you are very likely to find an internet cafe or telephone shop where you can surf the net for very little money (2 to 3 Bolivianos/hour). Many internet cafes, telephone or photo shops offer the service to download your photos off your digital camera and to burn them on CD or load them up to the internet. It differs from sight to sight whether you are allowed to take photos or not. Just inquire directly at the sight about the local regulations. Just like in Europe the general voltage is 220. It should therefore not be a problem to charge your batteries for digital cameras, portable CD players etc., but in La Paz exist beside 220 voltage also 110 voltage. Generally, in Bolivia you can only use European mobile phones that work on tri band-technology. With pre-paid cards that you can buy in supermarkets or gas stations you can make cheap local calls. But in any case it will be expensive to make phone calls to Europe with your mobile phones. For international phone calls it is recommendable to check out the local telephone shops, like Viva, Entel, Cotel or others. Most of the time one of these shops has a special offer for very cheap international phone calls. Then it will be possible to call Europe or the US for just 1 Boliviano per minute. Doctors recommend hepatitis A and B vaccinations, furthermore vaccination against yellow fever for trips to the jungle. Do only drink thoroughly boiled water; we recommend to buy industrially bottled water. Peel fruits. Do not forget sun protection (sunscreen, shades and hat) as the sun is extremely strong at higher altitudes and people tend to underestimate it due to the lower temperatures.
Consider that many Bolivian tourist attractions are situated in extremely high altitudes (La Paz, Lake Titicaca, Oruro, Potosi, Salar de Uyuni etc.) you should definitely obey a couple of guidelines in order to avoid altitude sickness, so-called "soroche". All popular medication is available in the larger towns (aspirin, medication against diarrhea, disinfections, sunscreen etc.) and is in many cases cheaper than in Europe or the US. For legal reasons, we may not give any direct or binding recommendations for or against Malaria prophylaxis. There are constantly cases of diseases reported in the Amazonian rainforest. In any case, you should consult an experienced tropical physician and ask his/her advise on whether and if yes, which prophylaxis or stand-by medication to apply. Back to the site FAQ - frequently asked questions about bolivia |
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