How to Get Around Venezuela

Flying is how the country is crossed, and how Canaima and Los Roques are reached at all — both are served only by light aircraft. Domestic aviation has contracted sharply, schedules change and cancellations are common, so build slack into everything and do not plan a tight international connection.

Fuel is the constraint that surprises people. Despite the oil reserves, shortages are frequent and queues at filling stations can last many hours, which affects road travel and tour logistics throughout.

By road, long-distance buses connect the main cities, and por puesto shared cars cover shorter routes. Road quality has deteriorated, and driving at night outside cities is strongly discouraged for safety reasons.

In Canaima and the delta, motorised dugout canoes are the transport, arranged as part of a tour.

Caracas has a metro, though reliability varies; taxis should be arranged through your accommodation rather than hailed.

Most visitors travel with a guide or a fixed operator, which is a practical response to the logistics as much as to the risks.

Money first, because it determines everything else

Cash withdrawals from foreign bank accounts at ATMs are not possible. Many machines do not accept international cards or demand extra identity codes, and malfunctions and empty machines are recurring problems. Local currency is hard to obtain at all. Basic food and personal-care products are available but very costly, and you will need US currency to buy them. Change money only at official exchange offices, never on the black market, and note that only US dollars can be exchanged. Identification is required for a card transaction.

Arriving

Simón Bolívar International at Maiquetía, the airport for Caracas, is dangerous: violent crime happens frequently both inside the terminal and around it. Kidnappers and armed robbers target foreigners on the assumption they are carrying foreign currency, and criminals approach arrivals offering to change money or posing as taxi drivers. The advisory's instruction is blunt: do not take a taxi from this airport. Arrange to arrive and depart in daylight and have a friend, relative or trusted transport service waiting. International departures are available from five airports, among them Caracas, Maracaibo, Barquisimeto and Valencia, though commercial flights are limited, some airlines have cut or suspended services, and some Caracas flights now operate from temporary terminals.

The roads

Road conditions and safety are poor countrywide, with unmarked damage and roadworks, inadequate street lighting, aggressive driving and prevalent drink-driving. Beyond that, the roads are actively predatory: armed bandits set up illegal roadblocks and rob vehicles, including intercity buses, and motorists have been robbed after stopping to inspect damage caused by improvised spikes laid on the road or stones thrown from overpasses near poorer neighbourhoods. Drive with the doors locked and windows closed, keep valuables out of sight, stay alert when stopped, and avoid driving after dark. Stopping at Bolivarian National Guard and police checkpoints is mandatory and there are many of them: have vehicle papers, insurance and passports to hand. Carry an international driving permit. Public transport has declined in both quantity and quality through a shortage of parts. If you use a taxi, pre-book a licensed radio-dispatched car rather than hailing one, and tell someone the company name and the taxi number; mototaxis are not recommended. Pirate attacks and armed robbery against ships occur in coastal waters.

Utilities, which fail together

Power cuts and electricity rationing are common in much of the country including Caracas, and outages lasting several days can begin suddenly. They take other services down with them — medical care, the public water supply, mobile and internet, banking, the ability to buy anything, and transport including flights — and rioting, fighting and theft occur during them. Water rationing is common in most of the country even during the rainy season. Fuel can be scarce outside the cities, particularly near the Colombian, Brazilian and Guyanese borders.

Entry, law and health

A visa must be obtained before travelling and is not available on arrival, for tourism, business, work or study alike; entry requirements are strictly enforced and the penalty for arriving without a valid visa is severe, including potentially lengthy detention or imprisonment. Photography of sensitive installations — the presidential palace, military sites, government buildings, airports — is prohibited. All departing visitors are thoroughly screened for drugs by the Bolivarian National Guard, so pack your own luggage, keep it with you and carry nothing for anyone else. On health: there is a severe shortage of pharmaceutical drugs throughout the country and most hospital pharmacies and drugstores no longer stock basic medicine or supplies, so bring what you need. Rabies treatment may be limited or unavailable locally. Proof of yellow fever vaccination is required if you arrive from Brazil, including after more than 12 hours in transit at a Brazilian airport.