Transport in Cúcuta - Lonely Planet Travel Information

Getting there & away

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Land
Air

Land

Bus

The bus terminal is on the corner of Av 7 and Calle 1 and is very dirty and very busy - one of the most chaotic in Colombia. Watch your belongings closely. If you are arriving from Venezuela, you might be approached by some English-speaking individuals who will kindly offer their help in buying bus tickets and insuring your money. Ignore them - they are con men. Buy tickets directly from bus company offices.

There are frequent buses servicing Bucaramanga (US$13, six hours). At least two dozen buses daily run to Bogotá (US$32, 16 hours).

If you are traveling on a Berlinas bus you'll be taken to a private bus terminal a few blocks south of the center.

To Venezuela, take one of the frequent buses or shared taxis running from Cúcuta's bus terminal to San Antonio del Táchira (around US$0.50, in either pesos or bolívares). You can catch colectivos and buses to San Antonio from the corner of Av Diagonal Santander and Calle 8, in the center. From San Antonio's bus terminal you can go further into Venezuela. There are half-a-dozen departures daily direct to Caracas, all departing late afternoon or early evening for an overnight trip. There are no direct buses to Mérida; go to San Cristóbal and change. Colectivos to San Cristóbal leave frequently.

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Air

The airport is 4km north of the city center. Minibuses that are marked 'El Trigal Molinos' (from Av 1 or Av 3 in the center) will drop you 350m from the terminal. A taxi from the airport to the center costs US$3.

The airport handles flights to most major Colombian cities (direct or with connections), including Bogotá (US$90 to US$120 one way), Medellín (US$80 to US$120), Cali (US$90 to US$140) and Cartagena (US$90 to US$130).

There are no direct flights to Venezuela (you must go to San Antonio del Táchira, the Venezuelan border town, 12km from Cúcuta, from where there are flights to Caracas and other domestic destinations). But the airport does have a DAS post. You can find the airline office for Avianca (571 5161; Av 5 No 13-04) downtown.