Cartagena Airport

Cartagenera says on Jul 14, 2006, 16:18:

Sorry I don't understand...well to get in Cartagena is very easy, as it is a turistic city..it works pretty much as in your country, and everybody in the airport speaks english, they'll be able to help you..don't worry it will be fine..

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tomtom33 says on Jul 14, 2006, 17:02:

"everybody in the airport speaks English" I guess everybody was gone the 20 or so times I have been there.

You fill out a form on the plane and hand it to a DAS guy when you enter the airport. He/she will stamp your passport. Then you head to baggage claim. With your bags you head for the X-ray machine. You get patted down before you put your baggage through the machine. You also go through a detector. Then you drag your bags over to a table where they manually search them. The whole process will take 15 to 45 minutes.

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Mikey1 says on Jul 14, 2006, 17:08:

I don't understand either... Expect the full on heat and humidity the minute you step out of the plane ,day or night and then the first taxi journey ,always one of my favourite bits

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Ctg Bound says on Jul 14, 2006, 17:13:

lawki I wouldn't say everybody speaks English at the airport, although the odd person does, but you should just think of it as any other airport regarding immigration, luggage etc.

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morphus says on Jul 15, 2006, 05:38:

"everybody in the airport speaks english"

Not all the time. I know a guy that goes to Colombia and only speaks about 10 words of Spanish. He always has trouble at the airports. One time they were holding him up at the airport in Cartagena. They were suspicious of him because of his frequent trips to Colombia. They were questioning him in Spanish and he could'nt answer. They wanted to know what he was doing in Cartagena? He told them he was visiting girls. They wanted to know which girls? He said "La Dolce Vida" and everybody smiled. They let him get on the plane.

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Gator says on Jul 15, 2006, 07:12:

Hummm 1. Don't count on much English-but the process is no complicated.
2. Hot and humid as hell.
3. Do NOT let anyone handle your bags or hail a cab for you.
4. ALWAYS establish the cost up front
5. ALWAYS have sufficient small bill to pay. I will guarantee
you that there will be no change available.
6. Personally I have found the drivers, for the most part at
least in Cartagena, to be ripoff artists. Even when I stand back
and let Mrs. Gator do the negotiating we still get ripped. ALWAYS get the price up front. Watch out for the airport trip-if you a running a little late they know you do not have time to put up a fight or if you give them 20.000 the :no tengo cambio" ploy come into play.. The last time, about five months ago, Mrs. Gator got so upset she threw $5.000, the agreed on fare not the 12.000 he asked for, in his face and marched into the airport-best have your one carry one bag in hand before trying this.

If you are arriving at the airport and are traveling light you walk out of the airport parking lot towards the green church and hail a taxi for less than US$2, or catch any bus marked Centro passing to the left. A bus will only cost you about US 35 cents to get the 2 miles or so into the center of Cartagena. We are BIG on the buses when we visit but they are no longer allowed in the Old Walled City.

Watch yourself or be prepared to replay the love scene from the movie "Deliverance."


"SIC FRIATUR CRUSTUM DULCE. OBESA CANTAVIT."

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

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Cartagena Hooker says on Jul 15, 2006, 07:43:

Costs at the airport are different. The taxis sit for hours to get a fare and so do the baggage handlers. That is why the high costs. I live three blocks away and pay eight mill if I have a lot of bags,which I usually do. To Bocagrande the usual fare is 6,000 so ten to twelve is not unreasonable. Baggage handlers can help avoid bag searches sometimes. They have to wait in line with you. Very seldom do they get two customers per flight.Sometimes we overcompensate with money here. Try thinking about MIA or JFK. I am not going to drag two suitcases through 90% heat to save $4.00.If I am at the airport to buy tickets, I will walk the two blocks to get a cab but not with bags. As for english forget it. Cartagena Hooker

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Gator says on Jul 15, 2006, 08:44:

They Are. There is a BIG airport tax the taxi must pay to pick up at the terminal its self. As far as a wait for hours there going and coming seem fairly constant to us.

"SIC FRIATUR CRUSTUM DULCE. OBESA CANTAVIT."

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

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Gator says on Jul 15, 2006, 08:49:

Big Tax... on the cabs that pick up at the terminal. Never noticed a long line of cabs waiting in fact the flow seems fairly constant-most of the cab drivers know the incoming flight schedules so arrive about those times. We do use the baggage handlers when departing but not on arrival. Watch out for the kids outside was what I was talking about. Never had one wait with us-just carried the bags to check in

"SIC FRIATUR CRUSTUM DULCE. OBESA CANTAVIT."

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

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mbsharp says on Jul 17, 2006, 05:51:

Travelling to Columbia for the first time...... hi!
i am travelling to columbia for the first time in September, i am a young female and will be travelling to Cartagena via Bogota airport alone and will be meeting my boyfriend and friend at cartagena airport, i am very confused as i keep getting lots of different advice-can anyone give me any ideas as to what to do and what to expect? also anyone got any tips on keeping safe while travelling?
Thanks

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larumberainglesa says on Jul 17, 2006, 05:58:

Make sure you know you are going to COLOMBIA not Columbia is the best advice I can give you.

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