Getting around the city, and which apps to install
Yango is the dominant ride app. La Paz gets around by cable car at 3 BOB a line, which is public transport rather than a tourist attraction. Intercity means overnight flotas, booked through aggregators because local sites reject foreign cards.
- Mi Teleferico is not a tourist ride, it is the metro - ten colour-coded cable car lines across terrain that defeats buses, at 3 BOB per line segment.
- Yango dominates ride-hailing in La Paz, Santa Cruz and Cochabamba, takes cash or card, and accepts a foreign mobile number for SMS verification, which many local apps do not.
- Intercity means overnight flotas from the Terminal de Buses. Todo Turismo specialises in the La Paz to Uyuni run and is the one most visitors take.
- Book buses through TicketsBolivia, Busbud or Bookaway: local operator websites routinely reject foreign credit cards, so it is an aggregator or cash at the terminal window.
- Bloqueos - union roadblocks - are a normal part of Bolivian life and close highways for a day or more with little warning. Leave slack before an international flight.
Mi Teleferico is not a tourist ride, it is the metro. Ten colour-coded cable car lines connect La Paz and El Alto across terrain that defeats buses. 3 BOB per line segment, paid with a paper QR ticket or a rechargeable Tarjeta Inteligente. It is fast, clean, and the fastest way across the city.
- Ride-hailing: Yango dominates in La Paz, Santa Cruz and Cochabamba, taking cash or card, and it accepts a foreign mobile number for SMS verification - which many local apps do not. Uber works in La Paz and Santa Cruz and bills foreign cards directly. InDrive runs on negotiated cash fares.
- City buses: PumaKatari and ChikiTiti in La Paz use the Tarjeta Ciudadana or exact cash. Micros and trufis are 1.50 to 2.50 BOB cash.
Between cities
- Long-distance coaches (flotas) leave from Terminal de Buses La Paz and the Terminal Bimodal in Santa Cruz. El Dorado, Trans Copacabana, Bolivar and Todo Turismo are the main names; Todo Turismo specialises in the La Paz to Uyuni overnight run and is the one most visitors take.
- Book through TicketsBolivia.com, Busbud or Bookaway. Local operator websites routinely reject foreign credit cards, so it is the aggregators or cash at the terminal window.
- Trains: FCA runs the highland line linking Oruro, Uyuni, Atocha and Tupiza to Villazon on the Argentine border. FCO runs the Ferrobus from Santa Cruz to Puerto Quijarro on the Brazilian border.
- Lake Titicaca: launches from Copacabana to Isla del Sol are 25 to 35 BOB, cash at the port.
Roads
Bloqueos - union roadblocks - are a normal part of Bolivian life and can close a highway for a day or more with little warning. Ask locally before a long overland leg, and leave slack before an international flight. Mountain roads also flood and slide (derrumbes) in the wet season from December to March.
Apps and platforms
Yango for rides because it takes a foreign number, WhatsApp because everything is arranged on it, and offline maps because coverage stops.
- Yango - https://yango.com/ - The main ride app in La Paz, Santa Cruz and Cochabamba. It accepts a foreign phone number for verification, unlike most local apps.
- Uber - https://www.uber.com/bo/ - Works in La Paz and Santa Cruz and bills foreign cards.
- WhatsApp - https://www.whatsapp.com/ - How hotels, tour agencies and drivers communicate. Not optional.
- TicketsBolivia - https://www.ticketsbolivia.com/ - Intercity coach tickets that a foreign card can actually pay for.
- Mi Teleferico - https://www.miteleferico.bo/ - Cable car lines, hours and fares.
- Google Maps - Reasonable in the cities; download the offline map before leaving them.
- Google Translate - Download the Spanish pack. English proficiency is low outside tourist hotels and agencies.
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