Everyday practical information for Paraguay

Power

• Paraguay uses plug types A, B, C and N, at 230 V and 50 Hz. Four types is unusual, and it means a socket that takes your plug may still be wired for a different standard.
• The voltage is the trap, not the shape. Types A and B are the flat American pins, but they are carrying 230 V here rather than the 120 V those plugs mean in North America. Check the device is rated for 230 V before plugging it in.
• Type N is the Brazilian standard, which is what newer buildings tend to fit.

Carrying ID

• You must always carry ID. A copy or printout of the passport photo page and a copy of the entry stamp is what the FCDO recommends, so that the original can stay somewhere safe.
• Police checks are common in Asuncion, the neighbouring cities and San Pedro and Concepcion departments.

Getting about

• The Terminal de Omnibus Asuncion is the long-distance hub.
• Buses and taxis often have no working seat belts.
• Blockades disrupt roads with little warning, so build slack into any journey with a flight at the end of it.

River travel

• Many vessels do not meet the safety standards that would apply in the UK. Look at the life jackets before you board rather than after.