Paraguay - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 684

flying that your ticket includes the US$41
departure tax ( tasa de embarque ) or you'll
have to pay at the window at the airport.

do Iguaçu. Regular buses make the short
crossing, and it is also possible to cross by
taxi or even on foot (see p.706). Many
other border crossings with Brazil, such as
that at Pedro Juan Caballero, are popular
smuggling routes and considered unsafe.

OVERLAND FROM ARGENTINA
Argentina wraps around all of southern
Paraguay and is easily accessible. From
Asunción many international buses
make a quick exit out of Paraguay across
the river headed towards Formosa,
Resistencia and Corrientes in Argentina.
The border city of Encarnación sits
across the River Paraná from Posadas ;
international buses connect the terminals
on each side of the border. Similar buses
run from Ciudad del Este in Paraguay to
Puerto Iguazú , making day-trips to the
falls - or onwards into Argentina - easy
(see p.706).

GETTING AROUND
Buses in Paraguay are cheap and easy,
although they may stop short of national
parks, estancias or other isolated
attractions. Renting a car is extremely
expensive and many provisions need
to be taken if driving alone. It is not
recommended for non-Spanish speakers.

BY BUS
The easiest and cheapest way to get
around Paraguay is by bus ; there are
frequent and affordable services daily
between the major cities. Visiting areas
away from the major cities is more
difficult and bus services - when they
exist - are uncomfortable. Journey
durations and departure times tend
to be erratic, as buses leave when they
are full and may pick further passengers
up en route.
Asunción is the country's major
transport hub and there are so many
companies at the main “Terminal”
(see p.696) that, outside of the holiday
seasons, there is no need to book tickets
in advance. The quality of service varies
greatly: in general, you get what you pay
for. Pluma ( W www.pluma.com.br) offers
services to Brazil, NSA ( W www.nsa.com
.py) offers national bus services as well as
international routes to Argentina, while
Crucero del Norte ( W crucerodelnorte
.com.ar) is an Argentine company whose
bus services link up most of the southern
half of the continent.

OVERLAND FROM BOLIVIA
Land crossings from Bolivia are fairly
straightforward in good weather, less
so during heavy rains. A paved road
branches off from the Trans-Chaco to
cross the border at Fortín Infante Rivarola ;
international buses stop here en route
from Santa Cruz to Asunción, but there
is no passport control, so border
formalities need to be done in another
town (see p.710).

8

OVERLAND FROM BRAZIL
The busiest border crossing with Brazil is
the Puente de la Amistad (“friendship
bridge”) linking Ciudad del Este with Foz

WHEN TO VISIT
Paraguay is an extremely hot country for
most of the year. Eastern Paraguay can be
very humid, while the Chaco (northwest)
is dry. The hottest time is from November
to February, when daytime temperatures
can peak at around 45°C (or hotter in the
Chaco) and high atmospheric pressure
makes just walking along the street a
tough task. Winter (June-Aug) is often
pleasantly warm during the day (around
20-25°C), generally sunny and dry,
though can get as cold as 5°C. Between
September and November spectacular
electric storms become more frequent
and travelling off-road can be di cult.

BY CAR
Renting a car is possible only in
Asunción, Ciudad del Este or
Encarnación, and a 4WD is necessary for
the dirt roads that crisscross the country
away from the national highway system.
Rental is expensive (around Gs800,000
per day or more for a 4WD with
unlimited mileage), making it difficult to