Getting There & Away
Flights to Caracas are readily available from
the US and the UK. From Australia and New Zealand, round-the-world
tickets may be the cheapest and most flexible option. Flying into
the country from other South or Central American destinations
can be problematic and/or very costly. Be sure to research your
options thoroughly. The international departure tax is US$21 (US$39
if you've stayed over a month).
Please note
that additional info (prices, activities, etc) are found to the
right of this pages. 
Entry by sea is possible via the US, where travelers
can take a cargo ship from one of several ports on the Gulf of
Mexico. Alternatively, ferries run from the Lesser Antilles, but
there is no longer any service between Venezuela and the Netherlands
Antilles.
By land, there are road connections from Colombia
and Brazil, but not from Guyana. Travelers planning to use the
dangerous El Amparo de Apure-Arauca border crossing or the Puerto
Páez-Puerto Carreño crossing into Colombia should
consult their embassy to assess the security situation. Colombian
guerrilla attacks on Venezuelan army posts resulted in a confrontational
buildup of troops on both sides of the border in March 1995.
Getting Around
Avensa (along with its offspring, Servivensa)
was Venezuela's main domestic airline until it went bankrupt in
1999. It now operates on a reduced scale. Its place has been taken
by Aeropostal, which has a network of routes servicing most major
domestic destinations. There are half-a-dozen or so smaller carriers
including Aserca, Laser and Avior, which service regional areas.
The lack of railways means that buses are the primary form of
transport through most of Venezuela, and services are generally
fast, efficient and comfortable. There are frequent buses from
the main Caracas bus terminal to almost every corner of the country,
and prices are kept fairly low by the high level of competition.
Driving or motorbiking gives you added flexibility,
but it's expensive both to take a car into the country and to
rent one while you're there. Additionally, be aware that road
rules are rarely observed by local drivers, which could make the
undertaking somewhat hazardous. Stops at national-guard and police
checkpoints are common, and travelers should follow instructions
and be prepared to show papers or be searched.
Local transport includes cheap but crowded bus
services and inexpensive shared taxis. Caracas has a modern, efficient
and cheap metro. |
