Bolivia (BO)

Bolivia is South America's highest and most landlocked country — a plurinational state of dramatic contrasts, from the world's highest navigable lake (Titicaca at 3,812m) and the vast salt flats of Uyuni to the tropical Amazon basin.

Capital: Sucre

Region: Americas

Language: Spanish

Currency: BOB (Bs.)

Cost of living: Very affordable (index 24)

Emergency: 110

Getting Around

Transport options for living in Bolivia.

Public Transport Overview

Bolivia has no metro system. Urban transport relies on minibuses (micros/minibuses), shared taxis (trufis), municipal buses, and in La Paz, the world's largest urban cable car network — Mi Teleférico with 10 colour-coded lines connecting La Paz and El Alto.

Main operators:

Mi Teleférico (La Paz / El Alto cable car — 10 lines)PumaKatari (La Paz municipal bus)COTAS / COTRANSOL (Cochabamba urban buses)SINTTIA (Santa Cruz urban micros)Trufis (shared route taxis — nationwide)Micros / minibuses (urban, route-based)VINTO Bus (La Paz night service)Flota Unificada (intercity long-distance)Trans Copacabana / Trans Titicaca (La Paz–Copacabana)

🎫 Transit Passes

Mi Teleférico Single Ride Bs.3.00 per ride (all lines)

La Paz and El Alto — 10 colour-coded cable car lines. Red, Yellow, Green, Orange, Blue, Brown, Silver, Sky Blue, Purple, White lines.

💡 Pay at the station. No pass system yet. Each connection requires a new ticket. First and last station are free for transfers within 30 minutes on some routes. Best way to avoid La Paz traffic.

PumaKatari Bus (La Paz) Bs.2.50 per ride

Main La Paz bus routes connecting peripheral neighbourhoods to city centre and Mi Teleférico stations.

💡 Fixed-route double-decker buses. More comfortable than micros. Route map at lapaz.bo/pumakatari.

Micro / Trufi Fare Bs.2–4 per ride (depending city and route)

All Bolivian cities. Minibuses (micros) and shared taxis (trufis) follow fixed routes marked on windshields.

💡 Pay cash on board. Ask "¿Para dónde va?" (Where are you going?) before boarding. Route displayed on front windshield. No apps — ask locals for routes.

Taxi & Rideshare

Radio taxis are the safest option. Always use radio taxis (Taxis Seguro) or Uber/InDriver rather than waving down street taxis — tourist robberies using street taxis occur in La Paz and Santa Cruz. Major radio taxi companies: Radio Taxi 10-4 (+591 2-222-4141 La Paz), Taxi Telmex (+591 2-245-0009). Fare: Bs.15–30 within city centre.

Rideshare (Long-distance)

Uber is available in La Paz, El Alto, Santa Cruz and Cochabamba. InDriver (the Russian-origin app) is increasingly popular and often cheaper. Both apps require Spanish-language navigation. Uber Bolivia: safe, metered, recommended for tourists and new arrivals.

Cycling

Not practical in La Paz due to extreme altitude and steep terrain. Some cycling culture in Santa Cruz (flat city). Death Road mountain biking (downhill from La Cumbre to Coroico) is a major tourist activity — operated by specialised agencies. Cycling infrastructure is minimal.

Intercity Trains

Very limited. Ferroviaria Oriental operates Santa Cruz–Quijarro (Pantanal gateway, "Death Train") and Santa Cruz–Yacuíba (Argentine border). No passenger rail in the west. Long-distance travel relies on buses: Flota Unificada, Trans Copacabana, and others. La Paz–Copacabana: 3.5h. La Paz–Sucre: 10h overnight. La Paz–Santa Cruz: 16h. La Paz–Uyuni: 10h (overnight bus, then train option from Oruro).

Driving

Right-hand traffic. Roads vary enormously: highways (La Paz–Santa Cruz dual carriageway) to unpaved mountain tracks. 4WD recommended for Altiplano and rural areas. Speed limits: 60 km/h urban, 80 km/h rural paved, 100 km/h highway. Road tolls on main intercity routes (Bs.5–20). Altitude affects vehicle performance — diesel and petrol engines lose 20–30% power above 3,000m.

Airports

La Paz: Aeropuerto Internacional El Alto (LPB/SLLP) at 4,061m — the world's highest commercial airport. Santa Cruz: Viru Viru International (VVI/SLVR) — main international hub. Cochabamba: Jorge Wilstermann (CBB/SLCB). Sucre: Alcantarí Airport (SRE/SLAL). Domestic carrier: Boliviana de Aviación (BoA) — state airline. International: LATAM, American, Aerolíneas Argentinas, Copa, Avianca.