Hot answers tagged bolivia
11
That's entirely possible.
Firstly, there are no trains. Seriously. Don't bother trying to find them. In Argentina there's one from Buenos Aires to Rosario, but the bus is cheaper AND faster. There are some tourist trains in North Argentina (near Salta) and yes, there is the train from Cusco in Peru to Aguas Calientes, but that's about it.
I'll discuss ...
10
I've done a tour of the Salt flats in January 2010 which is the summer down there and even then it got cold at night because it is pretty high up - 3,656 meters (11,995 ft).
I did a tour with a local operator as everybody else did, there are dozens of 4x4s out there every day.
The accommodation was indeed very basic, especially on the second night. We ...
7
It's actually longer than 24 hours. The most common route is from La Paz through to Iquique, and then down to Santiago.
The Santiago->Iquique leg alone takes 24 hours. I can recommend either Pullman (we used them for that) or Tur Bus (used them for other shorter trips). I blogged about it as well.
From Iquique to La Paz it took us 16 hours. However, ...
6
No for both countries:
Peru:
With a few exceptions (notably some Asian, African and communist
countries), visas are not required for travelers entering Peru.
Tourists are permitted a 30- to 90-day stay, which is stamped into
their passports and onto a tourist card, called a Tarjeta Andina de
Migración (Andean Immigration Card), that you must ...
5
Short answer: You really can't.
Long answer: The most direct way (ie not taking a Potosi bus and connecting) is to take just two buses.
The first bus will be from Uyuni to La Paz. This can take 12-15 hours depending on the time of day, the bus company, your driver (some will pull over for a few hours to sleep!) and stops (some stop in El Alto to drop off ...
4
EDITED:
You get an international driving permit from your home country:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Driving_Permit
No problem at all to rent motorcycles and cars with that
if you have the requirement in your original driving license.
While the convention says that you should have your original driving
license available I never have done ...
4
So there are two options.
1) You're planning on doing a Salt Flats tour, if you're going to Uyuni? Most of these run from Uyuni to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile, or vice versa, and take 3ish days. It's well worth it and you should consider that if you haven't already, as it'll make the next part really easy. Once you're in San Pedro, there are buses over ...
4
As far as I know there are no passenger trains in the north of Chile and certainly not all the way to La Paz.
The only trains in Chile run south of Santiago to Talca.
The train station in Antofagasta looks like it has not been used in many years. Your information must be very old.
Buses are your only choice on the ground, unless you drive yourself.
4
Long-distance buses connect Puno to La Paz, some of them are really comfortable (buses from Peru are generally better than Bolivian ones).
There are two things you can't miss when connecting those cities, so I'd recommend you make at least one stop in the middle. There are plenty of connecting buses, so it shouldn't be a problem.
Copacabana is one of the ...
4
None is completely reliable in that part of the world. Bring plenty of patience and plan a good amount of time between bus arrivals and departures.
The La Paz - Uyuni segment is the roughest. While you can do half (Potosi-Uyuni) on train which is more comfortable, it makes logistics more complicated. Train cancellations are common and so are bus ones but at ...
4
It will depend on how much time you have. Salar de Uyuni is HUGE (10,582 square kilometers), and not only you will need time to get there, but also to see the many different facets of it.
Still, it is possible to visit it from Chile if you have enough time. You can get a train from Avaroa on the Chilean border, but keep in mind the schedule is not exactly ...
4
Unfortunately, I don't think there's many options in Uyuni for accommodation.
I slept in the same place Peter mentions, and I was honestly anxious when it began to get colder and colder outside. The 'common area' was fine though, the tour guides (a really nice couple) gave us some sleeping bags and there were also blankets in the room. It might be because ...
3
The nearest airport, UYU, is a domestic airport; you will need to connect at La Paz (LPB). Amaszonas and TAM offer UYU-LPB services.
Arequipa, for its part, has limited international service, and you would need to connect on a LAN or TACA flight through Lima (LIM).
3
Mark covered all the basics and if you stick to the major tourist attractions you can make it in five weeks. Doing a round-trip from Lima south over into Bolivia and the Northern Chile sounds do-able.
One 'attraction' that Mark left out, is the Amazon rain-forest, which you can visit in both Peru and Bolivia. After the cold Andes, this may be a welcome ...
3
My best tip for La Paz would be to find a decent taxi driver and ask him to take you to some place where they have the beans. Offer him a bonus if he makes you happy.
Remember not to wrap the beans in plastic. They should be stored somewhere dry and cool. I forgot to take some beans I bought out of their plastic bag and ruined them.
Also remember that ...
3
I don't think you will have any problems with theft in the buses. They are used by either tourists or people working (and I honestly suggest you keep an eye on tourists!).
But don't expect comfortable and 100% reliable buses with air con and snacks. Buses from Peru and Chile are usually better than Bolivian ones, and around La Paz there are quite alright.
...
3
For most travellers, there's really only one logical way - the bus. The airport is 50km away in Juliaca, and generally you fly from Lima.
I did this trip by bus back in 2010 - the 'fast' option around the lake, and you can read my brief bit about it on my blog.
From the Article on Wikivoyage:
Daily buses depart to and from La Paz, Bolivia on two ...
2
Just go to the Bus Station in downtown Laz Paz. There are several buses to Peru, most of them will stop in Puno. Just double-check when buying your ticket.
It may be cheaper to take domestic buses and walk across the border but buses around there are so cheap that it is hardly worth the trouble.
2
Trains exist in Bolivia but are quite rare. In fact, so rare the asking several travel agencies they all said that no train services was available, yet once in a while I met someone who just arrived by train!
Actually considering one of my hotels a few months ago faced the passenger train station in Uyuni, I can say that it does exist. Only for your ...
2
Everywhere in the area around Calama, San Pedro de Atacama, we heard of this mythical train. It's mentioned on various blogs, websites and wikis.
However, I've yet to meet a single person that has actually been on it, and I've been to Chile and Bolivia twice now.
Generally you either get a tour through from San Pedro de Atacama to Uyuni, and bus up to La ...
2
I also started in Uyuni, on a standard three day tour you spend the first day on the salt lake, getting off it in the evening, then going further south the second day visiting various lakes and rock formations, the third day you are going back to Uyuni.
If you want to go to San Pedro you are dropped off at the border to Chile in the morning of the third ...
2
You pretty much will have to go on a tour. It's through a national park area, and in addition to that, requires extensive knowledge of the area - there aren't many roads as such. So you'll go on a tour, and they'll guide you through the border.
So in that regards, yes, it's very easy. You join a tour, and follow their instructions :)
I can recommend ...
2
By bus, the easiest is going to be a stop in La Paz, Bolivia.
You have two options from Puno. The direct - through the border and round the south side of Lake Titicaca to La Paz. It doesn't take that long - about 5 hours from memory, although I've heard it can take 8.
Option B is the ferry through to Copacobana. It's meant to be quite the experience, but ...
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