This is complicated, so take note.
Arrive at border early (8 o' clock). Saturday, Sunday, no go. Aduana gone fishing.
Go to Colombia Migracion, on left. Get salida stamp. Go to aduana next door. Be told that you have to go to main aduana near Cucuta airport (some 10 miles back). Don't try to find it. When in town, hire a taxi, who will take you there for 2,500 pesos. Present yourself at their office. An old geezer will go to bike with you and take a rubbing of its serial number. Done that, your free to leave Colombia. Back to border.
First go to Venezuela Migracion across the bridge in town (San Antonio). From the border post some four to six blocks into town, turn right for some 8 blocks, ask. Get your tourist card and entry stamp. (No longer necessary to get this at their consulate.) Go back to border post (remember your route, bec. you have to come back).
Next: Get photocopies of all your documents nearby. Go to aduana at your right when entering Venezuela. Present your originals and copies. She will ask if you have international insurance. You say yes, because you do. Your American or Canadian bike insurance is good in both countries, therefore is international. She types out your document, which will cost you 6000 bolivares ($3.00).
Next: You must go to Transito Police, on same block as Migracion, but around the corner. Watch for one-way streets. Go to photocopies across the street. Copy all your documents. Present these to Transito. One of the boys will endorse your aduana document on the back and enter your details into a book. You're free to roll in Venezuela. No one will ever stop you or check on you. But please note: Aduana closes at 14.00. So don't dawdle. Check my note on money. This is why we think adventure biking is a lot of fun.

Colombia to Venezuela (Cucuta)

This one was nice and chill, if a bit bewildering. You should try to give yourself a full day, as there's a bit of running around to do, and places close for a bit midday.

You can't cross at Puente Internacional Simon Bolivar (the main crossing) as they don't have the ability to close your TIP, so instead go to Puente Internacional Atancio Girardot, about 15 minutes north. It also has the advantage of being a much less chaotic border. Ride ahead through the row of kiosks and pull up at the building on your right with a green sign saying 'sellos pasaportes'. Inside there is a little office where you will get the exit stamp for your passport. Ride ahead and do a u-turn to your left (ignore the no u-turn sign) and pass through the kiosks for entry into Colombia. Just explain that you need to cancel your vehicle permissions and exit Colombia and they will wave you through. Park in the car park for the immigration office into Colombia - on the opposite side of the car park is a little building for DIAN. You'll need to show them the email you received when you first got the TIP - it should have a green 'autorizada' line in it. Also hand over passport & registration (originals - they just need to write down the details).
They will fill out a copy of your DIAN that they already have on file and you will both sign it. You will get an email confirmation that your TIP is closed, but take a picture of the completed form just in case anything goes wrong.

From there you have to ride back towards Colombia, do a u-turn at the roundabout and ride back through the kiosks you started at. This time you can carry on across the bridge to Venezuela. If you have a camera with you, there's a cool photo op of the Venezuela border gate with the mountains in the background

At the kiosk you hand over your passport & answer some questions (occupation, plans for your time there etc) and give a phone number. They will run off and take a copy of your passport. I asked for the maximum stay and they told me it would be 90 days. Interestingly the stamp doesn't actually specify how long you've got. It is free.

After that you are through the border, and you need to get your insurance & TIP in town. Start by following the road ahead and to the right, following signs for San Antonio. About 1km further on you will come to a little town with some hotels. Look for a sign saying 'Todos Seguros' directing you up a side road to your left. 50 meters up the road you'll come to a house with a sign outside for 'seguros'. Here you can buy 1 year insurance for 50,000COP and your 5 year 'fit to drive' certificate for another 50,000COP. Liliana, the very nice woman who gets these documents ready for you will probably invite you into the house to help her find your plate number & vin on the documents. It all seems very unofficial, but it's legit.

Now drive back to the main road, continue on and take a right at the roundabout. You are now driving back towards Puente Internacional Simon Bolivar, but on the Venezuelan side. Just before you get to the checkpoint, turn left and go through the big red gates into the Seniat car park. You'll be directed where to park up, and which door to go through. Hand over your passport, license, registration, and insurance (all originals). They will do all the paperwork while you wait and bring you the completed forms to sign for 90 days TIP - also free.

A few kilometers up the road there is inexplicably another checkpoint where they may ask for your passport and TIP to ensure everything is in order. Otherwise you're done.

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Travelling Vancouver to Tierra del Fuego with https://www.coddiwomplers.com/

Thanks for the report! Glad to hear it's possible and that it's being done. You're Canadian, or another nationality? That has mattered greatly at times, not at all at other times.

I'd be interested in your experiences on the road in Venezuela. I loved it--13 years ago. There's so much hysteria, at least in the US, that it's difficult to get a clear sense of what things are like there these days.

enjoy,

Mark

Excellent info, very timely as I'm thinking of crossing soon. Right now in Cartagena, on my way north to Valledupar etc.

I don't think it makes a lot of sense to visit Venezuela right now unless you are traveling with a Venezuelan national.

Venezuela is a lot more expensive than Colombia and you are taking on a large amount of risk when you cross the border. The thieves and police know you are carrying a large amount of dollars/ euros so you are an easy target. Even traveling to the Colombian provinces that border Venezuela is a bad idea.

I want to go to Venezuela as bad as the next guy, but with all the beautiful, safe, and inexpensive experiences that Colombia has to offer, I can not understand what would motivate guys to visit a country with a failed government, failed currency, failed police, failed emergency services.

Wanted to pose a few questions:

1. Your engine blows up on the highway and you are stranded.

2. You crash and need to be transported to the hospital.

3. Your tire gets a 2 inch gash and can not be repaired.

4. Your family needs to search for you there. What embassy are they supposed to call?

5. My advice before you do the trip is to find a Venezuelan and ask them if they think it is a good idea for you to do a motorcycle tourism trip in Venezuela right now before you go.

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http://www.journeyrider.net Latin America blog (07-8)

Im thinking the same as the Cat,Hell I live 100 km from the Venezuelan border
And I just dont have a Good feeling about entering Venez and doing travel there. There are well documented videos about Charlie Sinewans travels there recently and It shows the the Good The Bad and the Ugly
5000 km and he went thru over 100 check stops, he has probably seen 150 by now, Carlos is filming his entire adventure and it is actually stopping the authorities from asking for bribes because they know better Even though they are getting paid 30 dollars a month.
Normal Venezuelan people are the hardest hit by there regime although the rich would never consider any country that is better than Venezuela.
I think I will just stay away because Colombia has way more to offer with no Hazzle compared to Venezuela
Maduro! are you reading this