ps731 says on Apr 22, 2009, 08:11:
Hi Jckekbj,
I think this was the best alternative way to fly into San Cristobal. The Venezuelan airlines are dangerous and I've heard horror stories from the Caracas airport (ie. flights getting delayed up to 2 days, luggage lost & never returned, and not being allowed to enter due to not having a cedula). So, in my opinion, the way to travel to San Cristobal IS through Cucuta.
Let me tell you about my trip...
When I arrived in the Bogota airport, I was asked to provide a COLOMBIAN address in case of emergency. I did not have one, I explained to them my border crossing plans (which they did not care for). So luckily enough, I ran into some friends who were traveling to Cali and I provided the Colombian agents a Cali address, even though I would be traveling to Cucuta. Obviously, they do not care what you provide as long as it is a Colombian address and telephone number you can be reached at. Ask the family you will be staying with if you do not have Colombian info you can provide. I am almost positive they will know someone in Cucuta that they can hook you up with.
To be honest, I felt really insecure in the Bogota airport. To say the least, I am very white, blond, with blue eyes and look very young. I was traveling by myself and I speak perfect Spanish. I was approached at least twice by random men trying to make conversation. I am pretty sure it was harmless but being alone in a country I had not been to for quite a while, I got a little nervous and tried to stay in the sight of the National Guard officials that were paroling the airports. Not that they would have done anything, they looked to be about 15 years old.I am not sure what it was, but I felt like everyone could spot me a mile away. Not due to my looks (there are plenty of white skinned South Americans) but maybe due to my own anxiety??
I assume you will be flying into Bogota. Because you will be on an international flight, you will be left at the international side of the airport. You then have to take a bus from the international side to national (or domestic) side. This exchange can be a little confusing but not too bad. Hope that the bus will be there waiting for your flight so that you are able to make your connection to Cucuta, mine was not and I had to rush.
The national guards will inspect your belongings, as is expected. I had some technological devices (ie. a toy robot, a digital pic frame, etc) and I was flagged for trying to possibly sell these items. I explained that they were not for sale and gifts for my family and I was allowed into the country.
When you reach Cucuta you will wait for your luggage and meet your family in the family waiting area. There are large windows so you'll be able to see them before your luggage arrives. It was quite emotional for me, 10 years is a long time!
The Cucuta crossing is interesting. It was a true culture shock. People drive like crazy. I would say you really have nothing to be afraid of if you'll be traveling with your Venezuelan family members. Upon entering Venezuela you will see a road block, in fact when entering any city you are likely to see roadblocks. These are put up by the National Guard and they are very likely to not give you any trouble at all. This is how it will play our: They will stop you, look at you, and if you look like good people (ie. not drug traffickers or sketchy business) they will let you through. I traveled throughout Tachira and into Cucuta many times during my stay and I did not once get asked to present papers. IF they do, present Venezuelan documentation NOT American, if you have it. DO NOT show both, this looks sketch to them. Only present Venezuelan documentation if you have it, if not just present your American passport. You should be fine if your are with family. This is the advice I received not only from the State Dept before I left but also from my family and friends in Venezuela. Don't worry about the actual crossing, I maybe have written too much on it than necessary.
NOTE: The traffic (or "colas" as they call them) are ridiculous on the route between Cucuta and San Cristobal. Tell your family to leave San Cristobal EARLY. It took my family 5 hours just to get there, and its only an hour and a half or two hour drive. This is because of the rough roads and more than anything the exchange between the two border cities. Colombians drive in to get cheap gas and Venezuelans drive out to buy things not found in San Cristobal or to cash in their travel money (but I believe that was done away with). I also went during the holidays so the exchange was a little more escalated due to holiday shopping and festivities. Nevertheless, consult with the family that will be picking you up as to how the current traffic conditions may be so that you do not stay in the Cucuta airport just waiting around. It was my biggest fear but my family got there just in time. :-)
The roads are rough. There are twists and turns and you will slowly see the landscape change from Cucuta-San Antonio's dusty & red landscape to San Cristobal's more lush and green. Its beautiful and from the mountain tops you will see little towns in between mountain valleys. It's amazing, but very dangerous. It took us 4 hours to get from Cucuta to San Cristobal due to a bad accident. People pass without being able to see over the twists of the mountain corners!
That's about it. I really had no trouble at all. San Cristobal is getting more into kidnappings so be careful. Just have a low profile, don't wear something thats going to draw attention. I took no jewelery, not even my watch. This might have been extreme but I didn't know what it would be like. I've heard muliptle accounts of people getting robbed at gunpoint for their Nike sneakers, so you just never know. Always leave your American passport in the home of your family, you wont need it while you're traveling through San Cristobal. You might if you leave the city and encounter roadblocks, but even then a license or some form of ID would be fine. But then again, I'm not 100% sure about that one. See what your family advises you on that part.
If you have any other questions please let me know. I had a great time and am hoping to come back! As long as you don't stand out too much (it can be hard for us Gringos!) and travel with people who know the area, you'll be fine. Seems pretty normal advice for just about any trip.
I will tell you this, without a doubt...the best way to travel to San Cristobal is through Cucuta. In fact, Cucuta has really cleaned up and is, in my opinion, safer than San Cristobal. The shopping districts are amazing, its a beautiful city. When you enter San Antonio (the border Venezuelan town neighboring Cucuta) you will be able to tell that you are in a different country. Venezuela has declined significantly while Colombia has tried to overcome its problems.
I wish you and your family the best of luck & safe travels!
-Stephanie
Oh! And two more things
1) Take dollars and stash them in different areas on your body (pockets, wallet, other pockets etc) and sell them to your Venezuelan family/ friends. You can get a MUCH higher exchange rate this way and you end up winning. I didn't use my credit/debit cards AT ALL due to the possibility of fraud. To be extra safe you could leave some money with a close friend here in case they have to wire you some money. Also, tell your banks that you will be traveling to Venezuela and Colombia so just in case you do have to use them they don't get blocked on you and that they pay extra attention to weird activity.
2) When you come back into the states, tell them you were in Colombia for X amount of days. They will not know you were in Venezuela because the only stamp they will see on your passport is from Colombian officials. There really is no need to get into further details with them and tell them about your border crossings, just say I was in Colombia for X amount of days and thats it. Further explanation would sound sketch in my opinion.
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