Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
traffic is so congested that walking is often the quickest way to get around, though at this
altitude the steeper streets can be pretty exhausting to climb. That said, taxis are plentiful and
relatively good value, and the city's public transport network, though slow and hopelessly
chaotic, is very cheap.
BY TAXI
Radio taxis To reduce your chances of being robbed, assaulted or worse, it's advisable to
only ever take a Radio taxi: they're marked as such, usually with a telephone number painted
ontheside.Whenyouenterthecab,thedriverisobligedbylawtocalltheirofficeandinform
them of your destination; drivers also often - but not always - have photo ID on display.
They charge a flat rate of Bs10-12 for anywhere in the city centre regardless of the number
of passengers, which makes them good value for more than one person. Bear in mind that
Radio taxis are obliged to provide an exclusive service, and are not allowed to pick up other
passengers en route; protest vehemently if they try to do so. Fares increase for longer jour-
neys, especially if they involve a steep climb which consumes more fuel; a taxi to the Zona
Sur should cost about Bs20. It's also a good idea to come equipped with a pocketful of small
change as drivers rarely have any.
Long-distance taxis For trips outside the city, Trans Diplomático ( 02 2224343) offers a
24hr long-distance taxi service; you can usually pick one up outside the Radisson Plaza hotel
on Av Arce.
BY MICROS
Privately owned minibuses known as micros run along all the city's main thoroughfares and
are one of the main causes of the ever worsening traffic congestion. They're also pretty
cramped, and usually entail a lot of getting out and in to accommodate your fellow passen-
gers, a move you'll quickly master with the grace of a ballerina should you spend any amount
of time in them. Destinations are written on signs inside the windscreen and bellowed incess-
antly by the driver's assistants, who hang from the open doors in the hope of coaxing just one
more passenger into the already packed vehicle. The micros you'll most likely want to use
are those that run up and down the Prado between the bus terminal and Plaza San Francisco
in the north and Av 6 de Agosto in Sopocachi, to the south. To go anywhere else in the city,
it's usually enough to wait by any major intersection until you hear the name of your des-
tination shouted out; alternatively, ask a driver's assistant where to catch the relevant micro.
Fares are usually fixed at around Bs2 for journeys in the city centre.
BY TRUFI
The city's third main form of transport is trufis - large estate cars that are used as collective
taxis and follow fixed routes, mostly between Plaza del Estudiante and the wealthy suburbs
of the Zona Sur (Bs3). They're designated by route numbers and, like micros, have their prin-
cipal destinations written on a sign inside the windscreen. Like micros, trufis charge a flat
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