Venezuela 2015

[Adam y Jayde]

Wondering if there is anyone who has travelled through Venezuela by motorbike recently? If so, what border did you take to enter/exit Colombia (many governments have advisories against travel to the border regions with Colombia, so I'd like to hear some real world advice). Any other advice regarding police, police checkpoints and the general vibe of travelling through Venezuela at the moment would be great. We are heading for northern Brasil now and were planning on riding through Venezuela to reach Colombia.

Many thanks, Adam and Jayde

[Throttlemeister]

Depends on what nationality you are as your post or member location mentions nothing.

As a US citizen you now must have a tourist visa issued from your own country, not possible to get one from consulate or embassy outside your home country.

This was all changed in a fiery speech against the "Damn Yankee" on Feb 28, and put into effect on March 3. I'd already had a ticket to Colombia on Feb 5 heading overland to Caracas to retrieve my travel bike and was turned back at the border at the Cucuta, Colombia crossing on March 5.

I've used 3 of the eastern border crossings with Colombia, I liked the Southern Arauca crossing the best but it is one of the most isolated, some say the dangerous but I had no problems. The Cucuta-San Cristobal crossing in the middle and the usual one and very busy. I like the North one the least, seemed to get more harassment along the way to that one.
Only recent experience is at the first of March in Cucuta-SanCris and everything seemed as normal as last time except the new US visa crap


Inflation is the highest in the World as far as I know. The black market will be you best friend, bring plenty or dollars or euros and use no plastic. I've spent a lot of time in country before Chavez died and it is a lot of fun on a motorbike and lots to see and do, very varied country geography for its size. Use common sense and always start with a smile.

I would make the trip to Angle Falls, it along with the other neat falls are not to be missed.

[markharf]

Agree with everything John says, as I generally do: great country, fun people, excellent riding.

Agreed with everything except, that is, about using credit cards. There are European ex-pats who own businesses catering to tourists (tour companies, lodging) who can accept credit cards for payments which are then processed in Europe, not locally. That allows them to give you advantageous rates. Essentially, it's a way for them to collect hard currency from customers without actual cash changing hands.

Take that for what it's worth, and of course proceed cautiously with all such transactions.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

[Peter Bodtke]

I crossed into Venezuela at the northern frontier in the late morning, Maicao, Colombia / Guarero, Venezuela. No problems leaving Colombia or entering Venezuela using an Irish passport. Processing the importation paperwork was completed in near record time. I carry copies of my documents, but either I didn't have a particular copy or they need to generate one on the spot. The customs official used their copier instead of making me go search for copy shack.

Left via Santa Elena de Uairen, Bolívar, Venezuela / Pacaraima - RR
Brazil border, no issues leaving Venezuela or entering Brazil.

Do spend as many of your Venezuelan bolivars while in country. At the border I happened to meet some people heading into Venezuelan and sold them my bolivars at a fair rate. Afterward I was able to spend the small remaining amount of bolivars close to the border on food and Brazilian decals. Once you get far away from the frontier no one will touch bolivars. A Venezuelan friend of mine calls the bolivar, "monkey money" with good reason.

Cambo guys at the border may give you a competitive rate, but search the Internet the morning you head to the border to understand what the market will bare. The economy has gone off the hook recently, so you'll see crazy rates mentioned on the Internet. Whatever I might post today will be different tomorrow. What is crazy today could well be crazier tomorrow. Owners of hotels are a potential source to exchange USD for bolivars.

Regarding police, I didn't have any issues. Some where far north of the Brazilian border I encountered what might have been a military check point. Other than entering Cuba, this was the only time in all of my Lain American travels when I asked to un-pack a significant portion of my bags for inspection. The guys were polite and I didn't give them a hard time, as they were just doing there job. It might have been the part of Route 10 that comes close to Belize Guyana [ed], so there is vigilance for against smuggling. The night before I was traveling late into the evening looking for lodging. I stopped at a police check point to ask directions and they offered me soda.

Gas is incredibly cheap, so most people drive with a heavy foot or fully twisted throttle. Chances are low that you will be pulled over for speeding, but I keep my speed appropriate to the road. Speaking of the road, when they resurface the pavement, they cut deep grooves into the existing surface. I have seen this in the US, but the depth of the grooves is more than I have ever experienced. It doesn't matter if you ride fast or slow, the grooves will make you feel like they are going to make you drop the bike. Its pretty miserable. Just take your time.

If you are planning to visit Angel Falls, know that riding there is a MAJOR undertaking. You would need a local guide, dry season and sanity check. It highly recommended that you pick from a couple of cities, then fly. For me, Ciudad Bolivar was the jumping off point to Angel Falls. It was pretty cheap in 2012 when I did the tour. Prices may have gone up, but at the time: air fare, guide, meals, transfers, lodging (one night in a guest house, one night up river in a hammock) was ~$250 (USD.) Martin, owner of Posada Don Carlos stored our bikes and arranged for the tour. I checked with another tour and Martin arranged the best price by far.

Posada Don Carlos | Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela

Going to Angel Fall is something you will always remember. The down stream falls are really cool too. Chances are you won't actually go under the falls and most guides stop short of the last half mile or so at a look out point. If your tour leaves Canaima early (this will require setting and staying on a schedule) and you press your guide, then you might be able to touch the falls at the base. After a motorized canoe ride up stream, stopping for a swim, we hiked up a steep trail to the look out point. It was getting late in the afternoon, so the guides wanted to get down the hill and to the camp site. If its important to you to touch the falls, then budget for a tip to make it happen.

When in Ciudad Bolivar be sure to visit Jesús Soto Museum of Modern Art. Admission is free and worth it if they charged a regular fee.

[url=http://www.jr-soto.com/sonoeuvre_musee_uk.html]Soto - Fundaci

[Adam y Jayde]

That is great help so far, good to actually hear some reports. We are Australian so don't require a visa for venezuela. What places and routes did you like in Venezuela? We are running out of time after spending now 10 months in South America so our route through Brasil is pretty standard. Iguazu-Costa Verde-Rio-Ouro Preto-Belem, obviously I am leaving out the middle destinations as we are just pulling into whatever town we reach at the end of the day. We have about a month and a half for Venezuela and Colombia's Caribbean coast

[Peter Bodtke]

Where will you go after Belem? Up river on a barge to Manaus, then Boa Vista and point north? Sounds like you don't have time to take on the Trans-Amazonian highway... Its a long dusty road, from what I hear, but the voices in my head keep talk about it. Its a few days and several hundred USD to barge up the Amazon. To simply cross the Amazon at Belem on the slow barge takes a day and a half.

The potential rub of going through the Guyanias is getting through French Guiana. Its hard to impossible to find short term motorcycle insurance. The carriers only offer 6 month policies at a cost of several hundred Euros. The border officials ask for it, but will let you in without. I promised to buy it, but couldn't find anything reasonable. I was able to exit the country without showing insurance.

PS: A visa for Suriname must be acquired before you get to the border. You need a passport photo and $40-50 USD to get a visa. Surname is the quirkiest country that I encountered in South America to get a visa.

[Tony LEE]

PS: A visa for Suriname must be acquired before you get to the border. You need a passport photo and $40-50 USD to get a visa. Surname is the quirkiest country that I encountered in South America to get a visa.

Isn't that pretty much the same as for Brazil where (Australians at least, and I thought Americans too) have to get a visa at a Brazilian Consulate/Embassy before the border.
What are the differences?

[Peter Bodtke]

Traveling with an Irish passport I was able to get a visa for Brazil at the border of Venezuela, then later I was stamped back in by the national police in Oiapoque. Basically, no muss, no fuss. Can't say what the requirements are to get a Brazil visa at an embassy or consulate. In Georgetown, Guyana, to get a visa for Suriname I had to stop by the embassy in the morning, fill out a two page questionnaire, leave a passport photo and $45 USD, then came back after lunch. On my return I was interviewed by an embassy official and granted a visa for 3 months.

The questionnaire is longer than I recalled and is both more detailed and varied in the types of questions. Check it out:

http://www.surinameembassy.org/transit.pdf

Importation of the motorcycle is done at the border. Apparently the official that prepared my TIP wrote 10 instead of 11 (for November.) It cause a bit of a ruckus when I was leaving Suriname. My visa was for 90 days, but if my foggy memory is correct the TIP was for less than a month. While I was stamped in and leaving within the visa range, my motorcycle had on paper overstayed its allowance. When the discrepancy was raised, I calmly held my ground stating that it was obviously a typo. And a typo made by a Suriname official. I added that the problem was not mine, but the border official's. After a moment he agreed and stamped me out of Suriname. The ka-chuck, ka-chunk, sound of an official stamp processing your paperwork is sweet music.

[renimus]

I've been to Venezuela some 5 months ago (in Brazil now) and loved the country. Entered above Maracaibo (forgot the name of border crossing) and had no problems. In my whole month there, I was pulled over once for 2 minute check up. Can't recommend this country enough. Beautiful, great people, cheap as hell, no damn tourist anywhere, great roads and sights, very diverse. Bring cash and change at black market, dollar is worth triple now compared to 5 months ago. Gas is essentially free. $1 will get you some 400 gallons of gas!!! Don't worry if you run out of cash. There's plenty hotels and posadas who's owners have foreign account and you can simply transfer your dollars/euros to their account and they'll give you bolivars at black market rate. As mentioned before, just use common sense and do everything with friendly smile and you'll be just fine.

[Baja Bull]

I just spent a couple of weeks riding through Venezuela ('07 GSA). I entered from the south (Boa Vista/Santa Elena). No border issues, as I have a Canadian passport. Insurance required, and available for a few dollars in town. Beautiful ride through the Gran Sabana, up to Ciudad Guayana, then west to Ciudad Bolivar. A few days in Canaima/Angel Falls. A couple of nights in Puerto Cruz, then over to Caracas, from where I did a few day rides to the local beaches. Great country. I've been to every single country in South America, and despite what one hears/reads, Venezuela felt no different to me than many other Latin American countries. The people were great, things are VERY cheap, great landscapes and beaches, good food and . Zero issues with police. Shipped my bike from Caracas to Panama, since the borders into Colombia were apparently closed.

[mollydog]

Great news! We hear a lot of negatives about crime in Caracas.

When you looked into shipping did you ever get a price to Miami or somewhere in the USA? Just curious of cost.

Did you go air or sea to Panama? Cost?

Thanks so much for sharing this info. Recent info is a bit thin here.

[ridetheworld]

Baja, that's great to know. I'm hoping to bike there after Colombia. This is a great thread. If I make that far will update for sure.

[Throttlemeister]

Last I heard from my sources a month ago the border between Venezuela and Colombia was still closed. Anyone heard the latest on the border?

[memo-p]

We are thinking about traveling north through Venezuela as well. I'd love to hear more about your experience shipping the bike from Caracas to Panama.