From Bogota to Villa de Leyva: Bus or car?

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jeanfromboston2
jeanfromboston2

We have about three weeks in Colombia in December. The plan is to spend 3-4 days in Bogota (with one excursion out of the city), then fly to Armenia and go on to Salento for 4 nights, then fly in the morning back to Bogota and on to the bus station and on to Villa de Leyva by bus, all in one day. Then after Villa de Leyva we would take a bus back to Bogota, get to the airport, and fly to Cartagena in the late afternoon. We have to get to Cartagena that night because we have a speedboat the next day to an island. I looked into busing to Bucaramanga and flying to Cartagena from there, but it looks like only one airline, one afternoon flight a day. So if something gets messed up we have a problem. Whereas flying from Bogota there are lots of flights, so if one gets cancelled, there are later ones.

But looking at the recent posts from piaand, and answers from amazingjourneys, mvbergen, and mstep about stopping to see Zipaquira and Chiquinquira on the way to Villa de Leyva, I am wondering whether it would make more sense to rent a car for this part of the trip. That way, we could pick it up and drop it off at the Bogota airport, not need to go to the bus station. I got a pretty decent price from Localiza, much more than the bus of course.

But what is the driving like on this route? Easy, hair-raising, dangerous? It wouldn't be the first time we have driven around in Central or South America (Ecuador, Panama) or Mexico. Traffic could be a problem whether car or bus. This would be about December 15.

Thanks for your help.

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mstep
mstep

Once you get out of Bogota, on the highways north of the city, the traffic will be normal and manageable. It's mainly the crazy traffic in Bogota and the road signs in the city you have to deal with.

If you decide to use bus and local transport, it's still doable. There was a thread just yesterday: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/americas-south-america/colombia/saltmine-zipaquira?page=1 where people discussed how to visit the salt cathedral in Zipaqueria without staying in the town, and without a car. Once in Villa de Levya, you could use local bus or taxi to go to Chiquinquira.

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GringoBogota
GringoBogota

I always recommend that people visit Villa de Leyva while they’re already in Bogota instead of from the airport since that becomes more complicate, particularly with traffic. Taking Transmilenio to Portal del Norte station and then getting a direct bus to Villa de Leyva by the Exito store is very easy. If I go early in the morning, the whole journey to VDL starting from my apartment in Chapinero only takes 2.5 hours.

That said, having your own wheels will give you a lot of freedom for exploration.
I’ve been with friends renting a car at or near the airport. Both times it took over an hour just to get the car. Getting out of the city could take another 45-60 minutes or more, depending on traffic and time of day. Avoid rush hour at all costs. Once out of the city you can make it to VDL in less than 2 hours, providing no delays on the highway. If you go by way of Zipaquira and Chiquinquira, add another hour plus any stops. If you rent a 4x4 you could take the route between Cucunaba and Raquira, both are super charming villages. You can buy ruanas in Cucunaba and ceramics in Raquira.

Another option, with either bus or car, particularly if you like colonial architecture: go first to Tunja, which has the country’s best preserved structures from the 16th and early 17th centuries. The interiors of Santo Domingo, Santa Clara and casas del fundador and Juan de Vargas are all fascinating. All are within a few blocks of each other. Tunja is a real city and completely underrated as a tourist site, IMHO. Getting to VDL from Tunja is only 30 min by car or 45 min by bus.

Have a great trip!

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