Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BY PLANE
Given the great distances involved and the generally poor condition of the country's roads,
the best way to travel in or out of La Paz is by plane - indeed, during the wet season this
is sometimes the only way to reach certain destinations. International, and pretty much all
domestic flights, arrive at and depart from El Alto airport on the rim of the Altiplano, about
10km away from - and almost 500m above - La Paz. At over 4000m above sea level, this
is the highest international airport in the world, and it can feel as if planes have to climb
rather than descend when they come in to land. Despite being an international airport serving
Bolivia's de facto capital, the terminal has a very provincial feel. Basics has more informa-
tion on
international flight routes
.
INFORMATION
The airport's rather limited facilities include a 24hr information desk ( 02 2810122), a
couple of banks where you can change US dollars and travellers' cheques (though not at
the best rates), and an ATM where you can make cash withdrawals on Visa or MasterCard.
There's also a café and restaurant, plus ENTEL/internet facilities and a few newsstands and
souvenir shops.
TO/FROM TOWN
Theeasiest wayintotownfromhereisbytaxi(30min;Bs60).Alternatively,anairportshuttle
minibus (micro) runs down into the city along the length of the Prado to Plaza Isabella La
Católica (Mon-Sat every 10-20min 6am-8pm, Sun every 30min; Bs3.50). If you're heading
out to the airport, wait on the Prado and flag down any minibus marked “aeropuerto”.
DOMESTIC AIRLINES
AeroSur (Av 16 de Julio 1616 02 2313233,
www.aerosur.com
)
is the main domestic op-
erator,withfrequentflightsfromLaPaztoallBolivia'smaincities.Theirwebsiteisroutinely
torture to navigate, however, and you might want to opt for the limited schedule of the gener-
ally cheaper, state-run BOA, ( 02 2117993,
boa.bo
) instead. Amaszonas, at Av Saavedra
1649, Miraflores ( 02 2220848,
amaszonas.com
)
are your best bet for Rurrenabaque,
while Aerocon, onAvArce 2809( 022150093,
aerocon.bo
)cover the northern Amazon,
as does - much more affordably - military airline TAM, on Av Montes 738 ( 268 1111,
www.tam.bo
)
. You can buy tickets for all these airlines from their own offices or, for a small
commission, through any of the travel agents in La Paz. For TAM flights, it's easiest to book
through a travel agent.
Destinations
Cobija (5 daily; 1hr 40min; AC/AS/TAM/BOA), Cochabamba (14 daily;
45min; AC/AS/AM/TAM/BOA); Guayaramerín (4 daily; 1hr; AC/TAM); Puerto Suárez (3
weekly; 2hr; TAM); Riberalta (6 daily; 1hr; AC/TAM); Rurrenabaque (15 daily; 40min; AC/
AM/TAM); Santa Cruz (14 daily; 1hr 30min; AC/AM/AS/TAM); Sucre (5 daily; 1hr; AC/
AM/AS/TAM); Tarija (2 daily; 1hr 20min; AM/AS/TAM); Trinidad (10 daily; 1hr; AC/AM/
TAM); Yacuiba (2 weekly; 1hr 30min; TAM).
