South America: To Bus or not to Bus?
If you are planning a trip to South America, you will probably travel by bus at some point. Here's my bizarre experience travelling by bus from Peru to Bolivia.
Recently I was planning my trip to Peru and Bolivia. The itinerary looked ambitious, yet exciting: 4,000km and eighteen days to some of the most spectacular and remote places in South America.
Just one detail was missing: How to get from Peru to Bolivia? Our last stop in Peru was Lake Titicaca. With no direct flights from Puno (Peru) to La Paz (Bolivia), the best option to cross the border seemed by bus.
Travelling by bus in South America is very popular among tourists and backpackers, so I did some research. Unfortunately, what I found out didn’t look so good:
“I’ll never travel with Bus Company XYZ again. The driver looked drunk!”
”We woke up in the morning and our expensive camera was….GONE!!!!”
”Avoid travelling by bus in this country AT ANY COST”
Other blogs mentioned massive delays and even bus crashes.
I felt dismayed. We had been planning this itinerary for weeks and the departure date was getting closer.
Despite all negative reviews and the ongoing protests and blockades across the country, I bought my bus tickets Puno-La Paz (Bolivia).
A 7 hours drive, according to the website.
Here's how it went.
My experience travelling from Peru to Bolivia by bus
Timetables and Booking
Contrary to my expectations, planning and booking was smooth. I booked online, paid 28 USD per person and got my ticket via email.
Expected departure time: 06:00 AM
On the day of travel
05:30 AM
I arrive at the bus station 30 mins before departure.
05:45 AM
The bus company has a small front desk where passengers can check-in.
Noone's at the desk.
05:55 AM
A woman and a man arrive at the front desk. They look drunk and disappear in the back office.
”Is it the bus driver?” “Hopefully not, he looks too drunk to drive!”
06:00 AM
A lady approaches me to sell tickets with another bus company. “No, gracias”
06:15 AM
A patrol of tourist police enters the bus station. I approach them and ask for advice.
They check the front desk, make a phone call.
06:45 AM
The police escorts us to the parking lot. The bus has just arrived and we board it. There are other people on board travelling overnight from Cusco.
We leave with 45 minutes delay. The bus driver looks ok.
07:15 AM
Wifi on board is not working. I'd read this on the blogs, too.
That's ok, the landscape is beautiful.
08:00 AM
We're close to the border with Bolivia. We need to fill the online immigration form.
Without wifi?
08:50 AM
First passport control. The bus stops in Desaguadero, at the border between Peru and Bolivia. Everyone needs to leave the bus.
09:20 AM
Next, we need to cross a bridge to enter Bolivia. Second passport control.
A girl standing behind us shouts:
“I’ve heard we need to pay cash to enter Bolivia. I have no cash and there’s no ATM!”
Other passengers starts panicking, but it’s fake news -no cash needed.
Passport stamped, everyone heads back to the bus.
It's not over yet.
09:40 AM
Someone suddently shouts: “Falta una persona! One passenger is missing!” “Pare por favor! Stop the bus!”
The bus driver doesn't care. He keeps driving.
The backpack of the missing passenger and all his belongings are still on our bus!
10:20 AM
Third passport control. Once done, everyone quickly hops back on the bus.
No one wants to be left behind this time.
01:15 PM
More and more mountains around us. We are finally approaching La Paz.
02:15 PM
The bus descends into the valley where La Paz is located. What an incredible view!
02:30 PM
Last stop - La Paz bus station!
Ten hours later
Two hours delay
One missing passenger
We made it till the end, but those blog posts were not too wrong after all.
Ever had a similar experience? Would love to hear about it in the comments!
Useful for this trip:
Plenty of own food and water. TIP: If you're leaving early, ask your hotel to pack the breakfast.
A neck pillow
A few locks to secure the luggage (like this one). Apparently, suitcases and backpacks sometimes are stolen on board. I did not really feel unsafe at any point, but maybe a nice to have.
Don’t rely on the wifi on board
Be flexible with the timetable
iPeru is an official service providing tourist information via WhatsApp. Useful to get advice about travel restrictions in the country.
About me
As a passionate traveler and tourism professional I’ve experienced the world: From hiking the Andes to flying Business Class, from camping in Serengeti to staying in luxury resorts in Maldives.
In my career I’ve driven brand collaborations, scaled up communities and websites and helped tourism companies reach international travelers.
Beating Jetlag is my attempt to improve today's traveler journey -by bridging the gap between real traveler experiences, trends and innovations in tourism & hospitality.
"one missing passenger" hahahahaa