Colombia / Venezuela best border crossing by car

[kingkurt]

I am planning my route from Colombia to Venezuela and am trying to decide which crossing to take. I like the idea of the maicao / Paraguachón crossing but have read its slow and problematic so would appreciate some feedback from others who have done the crossing in a car/van

Im mostly interested in speed and cost of crossing

cheers

[Peter Bodtke]

Originally Posted by kingkurt

I am planning my route from Colombia to Venezuela and am trying to decide which crossing to take. I like the idea of the maicao / Paraguachón crossing but have read its slow and problematic so would appreciate some feedback from others who have done the crossing in a car/van

Im mostly interested in speed and cost of crossing

cheers

I did the crossing at Maicao in October 2012 with a motorcycle. It was an easy crossing as borders go. Immigrations and Customs are separate building, with a stretch of road in between. Arrived late morning and waited for a bus load of people to get their visas. No big deal, maybe 10 and I was on my way to Aduana. I had all my papers organized and might have had copies of all the typical documents, but I seem to remember the official made a copy of something or another. I was out of there with everything I needed in 15 or 20 minutes.

The road leaving the border area makes the big sucking noise, huge pot holes everywhere. Once you get to the main road the surface improves and you need to start watching out for the aggressiveness of Venezuelan drivers and the bad shape of many of the cars. It seemed as if most of the cars had been in multiple demolition derbies and lost every one. The cheap Venezuelan gas is only available if you have a special transponder, so you have to buy over priced gas along the side of the road until you get a distance from the border.

[kingkurt]

Originally Posted by Peter Bodtke

I did the crossing at Maicao in October 2012 with a motorcycle. It was an easy crossing as borders go. Immigrations and Customs are separate building, with a stretch of road in between. Arrived late morning and waited for a bus load of people to get their visas. No big deal, maybe 10 and I was on my way to Aduana. I had all my papers organized and might have had copies of all the typical documents, but I seem to remember the official made a copy of something or another. I was out of there with everything I needed in 15 or 20 minutes.

The road leaving the border area makes the big sucking noise, huge pot holes everywhere. Once you get to the main road the surface improves and you need to start watching out for the aggressiveness of Venezuelan drivers and the bad shape of many of the cars. It seemed as if most of the cars had been in multiple demolition derbies and lost every one. The cheap Venezuelan gas is only available if you have a special transponder, so you have to buy over priced gas along the side of the road until you get a distance from the border.

Hi Peter

Thanks so much for sharing your experience

You have filled a big gap in my route planning and now I feel much better about that crossing

I will be driving a car so will fill a few fuel cans in Colombia


Many thanks

[Peter Bodtke]

You don't need to load up on gas in Colombia, just have enough gas in your tank to get close to Maracaibo. It's about 75-80 miles from the border. By the time you get near this major city you should be able to buy gas at a gas station. I'll check a friend in Caracas who just came through border a few months ago by motorcycle.

The subsidized prices of gas are unbelievable. You will be so spoiled, you won't want to leave the country. Depending on how you exchange money, at a bank (only in emergency) or privately (a cambo guy at the border, hotel personnel or a friend...) gas was around 5 cents a gallon. The exchange rate got crazy recently (in your favor), but the prices of everything typically goes up to match. If you are going on to Brazil you will hit what might be the highest gas prices and high ethanol (which mean crappy mileage, just rubbing salt in the wound.)

Here is a picture buying gas on the side of the road just east of the border. I entered Venezuela without much gas and had to buy some to get to Maracaibo.

[kingkurt]

Hahaha, yeah Ive seen a few of those bottles in my time, especially in Mongolia and Indonesia

5 cents a gallon!! awesome, looks like Ill be filling up there then

I know its so tempting to cross borders with a virtually empty tank when you know it so much cheaper on the other side and I have been sucking fumes a few times too

So the fuel in Brazil is high ethanol? I didnt know that and its something else to add to the list. I was in Mauritania last year only to find out they only sold leaded fuel and had to cut the catalytic converter out of my exhaust on the side of the road

I will have to check out your website when I have time because I am doing some of the same route from Lima, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Guyana, Suriname and across the Amazon. Im hoping the bridge from French Guiana to Brazil will be open by next summer, one less ferry

thanks for taking the time mate

[Peter Bodtke]

I heard back from Cenair, my friend in Caracas. The full story, he and two friends rode from the US to Venezuela, arriving in Caracas a couple of weeks ago. They had to buy gas on the side of the road before finding a (transponder free) gas station near Maracaibo. Yes, they are Venezuelan. No, they did not have transponders for their bikes... He said they almost ran out of gas. Too funny. Makes me wonder if a Venezuelan would lose his citizenship for crime of running a tank dry... Even buying gas on the side of the road is cheaper than the prices at the pump in Colombia, but I don't recommend it.

Looking further down the road...before you leave Brazil, take enough cash in Boa Vista to get you from Lethem to Georgetown. The bank in Lethem, (yes, there is only one bank) Guyana, is a national bank without relationship to international banks. This means you won't be able to withdraw cash from their ATM. Maybe you can get a cash advance on a credit card, but I break out in hives at the mere thought.

Looking further down the road...when you leave Brazil, don't cancel your vehicle importation papers, if you are going re-entering Brazil in a few weeks from French Guiana. Leave the paperwork open and you won't have to do the importation when you get to Oiapoque. Frankly, I am not sure of all of the implications of importing a car vs. a motorcycle into Brazil. The fees and amount of time give, or extensions, are pretty much unknown beyond my personal experience. From other threads on the HUBB it seems Brazil is no longer restricting how long you keep a vehicle in country. If you can avoid the paperwork, then keep it open while traveling through the Guianas. I did and it worked for me. I think I surrendered the paperwork when I exited Brazil and entered Uruguay, so I don't have documents to reference. When I arrived in Oiapoque I only needed to get a visa and I was on my merry way. If you are from the US, then I think you 'll need to get your visa at the Brazilian Embassy in Cayenne, French Guiana. I'm a duek citizen and travel using my Irish passport, so I don't have to worry about getting a visa for Brazil. I think they don't issue visas for US citizens at the border. It might have something to do with paying the tourist fee...brace yourself. ~$160-180.00. I wasn't asked for a yellow fever card when I entered, but I had one. I read on U.S. Passport & Travel Visa Services: Online Application, Visas Requirements. a comment about needing a letter and a bank statement...not sure if this is outdated info. Regardless of the hassles of getting into Brazil, it remain my favorite country in South America. The people are friendly like no other country. You'll see.

I hired a launch to take me and moto across the river from French Guiana to Brazil. You might want to research overland forums to learn how to get a car over the Rio Oiapoque. I hope the bridge is open when you get there, but it is a good idea to have a Plan B as this bridge has been in the works for a long time. Plan B in this case is the traditional passage across the Rio Oiapoque.