Getting Around

By Plane -- As distances are relatively long and land travel time consuming, Venezuela has an excellent network of commuter airlines servicing the entire country and all major tourist destinations. Fares run $30 to $150 each way, depending on destination, distance, availability, and demand. On any internal flight, you have to pay an airport tax of $1 to $5, depending on the specific destination.

By Bus -- Regular and inexpensive buses service all of terrestrial Venezuela. Most popular destinations are also serviced by expreso (express), ejecutivo (executive), and/or de lujo (luxury) buses. In most cases, it's worth the few extra dollars for the expreso, ejecutivo, or de lujo options. Some reputable luxury lines are Aeroexpresos Ejecutivos (tel. 0212/226-2321; www.aeroexpresos.com.ve), Expresos Los Llanos (tel. 0212/243-6140), and Rodovías (tel. 0212/577-6622; www.rodovias.com.ve). There are two principal bus terminals in Caracas, Terminal La Bandera and Terminal del Oriente, although depending on the route, destination, and bus line, you may embark at either of these or a private terminal.

By Car -- I do not recommend a rental car as a means of exploring Venezuela. Many of the top destinations -- Los Roques, Canaima, and Angel Falls, for example -- are inaccessible by car. (Note: The only two destinations listed where a car would come in handy are Isla de Margarita and Mérida. In both cases, you'd be better off flying to the destination and renting a car there for the duration of your stay.) Venezuelan drivers are quite aggressive and ignore most common traffic laws and general rules of road safety. Moreover, roads are not well marked, distances between destinations are considerable, and you run the risk of becoming a target for one of many robbery schemes. If you do decide to rent a car, all of the major international agencies operate in Venezuela, with offices in Caracas (often with a branch at the airport) and in most major cities and tourist destinations. Rates run $40 to $85 per day.

Your best bet for renting a car, both in terms of rates and reliability, is to choose one of the major international agencies and book in advance from your home country. Avis (tel. 800/230-4898 in the U.S., or 0212/355-1190 in Venezuela; www.avis.com), Budget (tel. 800/527-0700 in the U.S., or 0800/283-4381 in Venezuela; www.budget.com.ve), Dollar (tel. 800/800-3665 in the U.S., or 0212/993-2469 in Venezuela; www.dollar.com), and Hertz (tel. 800/654-3131 in the U.S., or 0212/905-0411 in Venezuela; www.hertz.com) all have offices both in Caracas and at Simón Bolívar International Airport.

One amazing upside of driving around Venezuela is that gas is amazingly cheap, around 60Bs to 90Bs (2¢-5¢) per liter, or 225Bs to 340Bs (14¢-21¢) per gallon.

By Organized Tour -- Considering the current state of affairs, organized tours are a reasonable way to go in Venezuela. The country is still a bit inhospitable and unused to freewheeling independent exploration. The tourism industry here was built top-down, with lots of big hotels and big operations that almost seem to not want to waste their time on independent travelers. In many cases, tour operators and wholesalers are able to get better rates on rooms, tours, and transfers than you'd be able to find on your own. Many of them use the hotels and local tour operators recommended in this book.

Akanan Travel & Tours (tel. 0212/234-2103 or 0212/234-2323; www.akanan.com) is one of my favorite operators on the ground in Caracas. It offers a wide range of tour options. Lost World Adventures (tel. 800/999-0558 in the U.S., or 0212/577-0303 in Caracas; www.lostworldadventures.com) is an excellent operator and a pioneer in Venezuelan travel. It offers a wide range of tour options and can customize a trip to your needs and specifications.

Geodyssey (tel. 020/7281-7788; www.geodyssey.co.uk) is a British operator with a fair amount of experience in Venezuela. Journey Latin America (tel. 020/8747-3108; www.journeylatinamerica.co.uk) is a large British operator specializing in Latin American travel. It often has excellent deals on airfare.