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Getting There By Air:

El Dorado International Airport (BOG)
Tel: (1) 425 1000 (El Dorado) or ext 3218 (Puente Aéreo).
Website: www.aerocivil.gov.co

El Dorado Airport is located 13km (8 miles) northwest of the city center. There are two terminals, El Dorado (the main one) and Puente Aereo (1km/0.6 miles before El Dorado), so make sure you know which terminal you’re flying from.

Airport facilities: These include snack bars, restaurants, Internet cafes and bureau de change, ATMs, several shops, including a book shop, a chemist and duty-free.

Transport to the city center: Both terminals are easily accessible from the center of Bogota by inexpensive colectivos and busetas (marked ‘Aeropuerto’). In town, you catch them on Calle 19 or Carrera 10. At the airport, they stop next to the El Dorado terminal (they do however stop at Puente Aero). The service stops at about 2000. A taxi from/to the airport costs around Col$12,000 (US$6). At the El Dorado terminal there is a special official taxi service which protects travelers against taxi ‘rip off’; visitors get a printout at the taxi booth showing how much the journey to their desired destination in/around Bogota will be; the ticket is then showed to a taxi driver who cannot charge more.

Bogota also has two other airports; the military official CATAM base and Guayamaral, which handles light aircraft and operates a flying school as well.

Getting There By Road:

Roads are generally of a good quality in Colombia, although driving in the Andean regions and parts of the rainforest will require a four-wheel drive. Traffic drives on the right. Seat belts in the front two seats are mandatory. Speed limits are 45-60kph (28-37mph) in urban areas, and 80kph (50mph) in rural areas. An International Driving Permit is required. The maximum legal alcohol to blood level is 0.04%.

Kidnapping was a real risk when traveling by road in Colombia until recently, particularly in rural areas, including on roads to rural tourist destinations such as Ciudad Perdida (the Lost City) and even around Cartagena on the coast. Security, however, is improving and traveling by bus is generally safe (especially on the main roads, such as the one linking Bogota and Cartagena), although driving east of the Andes is not recommended, as incidences of kidnapping and carjacking are still high.

Bus services: The main bus terminal in Bogota is near Cuidad Saliter. It handles all arrivals and departures from Colombia as well as the rest of South America. It is divided into five zone, each represented by a different color: yellow means that buses go to the south of the country, blue indicates bus lines to the east and west, red is for the north and South American destinations, green is for long distance taxis and finally purple is for arrivals and local taxi services.

The terminal is well staffed and there are numerous police officers too, who are very helpful and pleasant.

Getting There By Rail:

Although trains still carry freight, inter-city passenger services are virtually non-existent. A restored steam train, Turistren, runs from Bogotá to Zipaquirá and Cajicá (tel: (1) 375 0557; website: www.turistren.com.co).

Getting Around:

Public Transport
The bus system operated by TransMilenio (website: www.transmilenio.gov.co/transmilenio/home_english.htm) has revolutionised transport in the city. The network covers the whole town (all the main transport arteries), and buses are clean, safe, cheap and efficient. Visitors to Bogota are usually fascinated by the quality of the service, which is close to that of developed countries of the Western World. The system needed approximately 30 years to be designed, developed and introduced and benefited largely from the town’s moving away from a metro idea; it is, however, a cross between the two, with self contained stations and buses having their own lanes separate from the rest of the traffic. The network operates between 0500 and 2300, and the 600-strong fleet carries 950,000 people a day. There are currently plans to extend the network to the airport.

For the real, South American transport feel, take a local buseta. They are all over the place, stop anywhere to pick up and drop off passengers, and you usually get off/on through the front door. When you want to get off just say to the driver ‘por aca por favor’ (‘here please’).

Taxis
Bogota is well served by its big fleet of taxis (yellow, usually Korean cars). They all have meters (always insist on the meters being switched on) and are also rather inexpensive. They also should have stickers displaying day and nighttime fares. A 10km (6 mile) ride should cost no more than COP 8,500.

Car Hire
In the city, car hire is provided by Avis (tel: (1) 637 4358; website: www.avis.com) and American Car Rental (tel: (1) 243 2130; website: www.americanrentacarltda.com).

Avis, Hertz and National all have representatives at the airport. A driver also can be hired there (self-drive throughout Colombia is still considered to be rather risky).

Bicycle Hire
Bogota is well known for its impressive and extensive bicycle network, which covers over 300km of cycle paths. They are however mostly situated in the north of Bogota and those in the city center are heavily congested. The best day for a ride is on traffic-free Sunday. The bicycle network is integrated with the TransMilenio bus system which provides bicycle parking facilities. So called ciclorutas are bicycle lanes on the most important streets in Bogotá. Unlike ciclovias, they are permanent, not just on Sundays. Bike rental is almost non existent.

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