Getting around the historic La Candelaria area is fine on foot, but some of the best shopping, recreation and restaurants are further north. The good news is that transportation in Bogota is rather easy to navigate.
Car Rental
Rental cars are available, though it’s not the recommended way of getting around Bogota. Heavy traffic, unpredictable drivers, and confusing street signs (or lack of them) all make driving difficult. Add to that expensive parking and the high price of gasoline, and it’s no wonder many decide to use taxis to get around the city. Plus, taxis are cheap here.
If you do rent a car, keep in mind that drinking and driving is strictly prohibited, so take a taxi if you’ll have an evening out that includes a drink.
From the airport
So now that we’ve ruled out renting a car, how do you get to and from the airport? As we mentioned, taxis are cheap and they are (of course) available right at the airport.
Generally taxis in Bogota are small, so getting several suitcases into them can be a challenge, but you can just wait for a larger taxis or SUV. There are special white SUVs that provide a higher quality service at a slightly higher price.
Taxis in Bogota
Taxis in Bogota are abundant and cheap. For security reasons, it’s a good idea to not hail a cab off the street.
If you have internet service – SIM cards are very inexpensive, so we recommend that! – you can use one of the many taxi apps that are available. If you don’t have internet service, you can get one from your hotel or any restaurant or store can order one for you.
Public taxis have meters that you can check easily, and a big yellow price chart should be at hand in back pocket of the front passenger seat. Just look up the number the meter says on the price chart, and pay them the corresponding amount of pesos.
Make sure the taxi drivers only charge you what the chart says at the end of the ride, since they’re notorious for charging more. There is an extra charge of about a dollar at night, on Sundays and holidays, and about 2 dollars for trips to the airport.
Keep in mind that when taking any kind of transportation, it’s always better to pay in Colombian pesos. You’ll probably get some blank looks if you try to pay in dollars or euros.
Biking in Bogota
With extensive bike routes and many bike parking facilities, it’s not a surprise that biking in Bogota is a popular and inexpensive way to get around. One of the best ways to see La Candelaria is to do it on a bike tour.
Transmilenio bus system
Transmilenio is a bus system that covers the enormous city from one end to the other. These long red articulated buses travel in separate lanes and arrive at stations throughout the city. The buses have set routes and most don’t stop at every station. The best way to ensure getting to the stop you want is to ask a bus station employee or consult an app. Few workers speak English, but pointing to a map gets good results.
This system can be one of the quickest ways to get around Bogota, since the buses aren’t affected by the frequent traffic jams on the city streets. The downside is that these buses get packed at rush hour, so if you want to maintain your dignity you might want to avoid peak hours.
A word of warning; pickpockets can take advantage of these crowded bus conditions, so be careful with bags and pockets. Since taxis are so cheap, we recommend that visitors avoid taking Transmilenio unless they’re accompanied by someone who lives in the city.
