The national currency is the Boliviano (ISO code: BOB), denoted Bs. (with dot). Wikivoyage uses the notation Bs. 100 (with a space).

Bills come in denominations of Bs. 200, 100, 50, 20, and 10; coins are in Bs. 5, 2, and 1, and 50, 20, and sometimes 10 centavos (1/10 of a Boliviano). Bills larger than Bs. 50 can be hard to break with smaller stores or vendors, other electronic stores or such dealing with larger amounts will be able to change it for you.

Money exchange:

Bolivianos can be exchanged for US dollars, euros and most South American currencies at Casa De Cambio agencies or street vendors. However, it can be difficult to change money other than euros and US dollars for a good rate. Expect to negotiate for a favorable exchange rate, as most vendors will try to make money off tourists.

Nevertheless, street agencies (at least in La Paz) have very competitive US dollar (and even euro) exchanges rates with often less then 1% fee included in the rate. Sometimes US dollar rates are actually better than interbank rates, either due to the need of dollars or because the rate lags behind. Either way, check the rates before exchanging money.

Banks are a little less favorable, but of course more secure. Otherwise US dollars are accepted in hotels, tourist shops, and for large purchases, but the rates are generally less favorable then.

ATMs:

Using ATMs is the most convenient and effective way to get cash in Bolivia. High fees like in Argentina do not exist.

Banco de Credito (BCP) is a good bank to get cash from without fees, and it had been so for some time. Mercantil Santa Cruz and Banco Fie do not charge any fee either. Banco Union charged an unmentioned 5% surcharge in 2012, but does not do so anymore. Banco Sol charges Bs. 17.

BY BUS:

Bus transportation in Bolivia is a nice cheap way to get to see the beautiful scenery while traveling to your destination. Unfortunately the buses often travel solely at night. Keep in mind that roads are occasionally blocked due to protests, often for several days. So ask several companies at the terminal if you hear about blockades, unless you are willing to spend a few days sleeping on the bus.

Bus travel is usually pretty cheap. Estimate that it will cost you about US$1 for every hour of travel (it’s easier to find travel times online than actual price quotes). Prices do change based on supply and demand. Buses generally do not need to be booked ahead, especially for common distances served by many companies. There are great bargains in it for you the shorter you book ahead. Just arriving at the station one hour before the buses leave can often give you a 30-40% discount over bookings several days before. However, as always, shop around and do not go with the first vendor that intercepts you when you arrive at the bus terminal. Hawkers are constantly crying out destinations in the bigger bus stations cajoling potential riders to take their bus line.

If you need to buy a ticket in advance, a good website is: Tickets Bolivia.

Note, that by bus travel anything of the following is meant, which falls into the same category but obviously differs in price and duration: bus (national), minibus (regional), servis (regional van), micro (city bus), trufi (city micro bus with fixed route), and colectivo (city taxis with fixed route and price). Servis’ are often 50-100% more expensive than minibuses or buses, but go more often than buses. Buses should be a little cheaper than minibuses, but buses usually cover larger distances.

Contrary to Asia where buses go when full and schedules are unreliable, buses in Bolivia are forced by law to go at the times they publish, even if not full. So, whenever times are posted or available somewhere, even if just by word of mouth, you can be pretty sure that the buses really leaves within 5 min of that time. The good thing though is that even if the bus has just 5 passengers, you still pay the same price as if the bus where completely filled.

BY PLANE:

Flying within Bolivia is quick and fairly economical. BoA connects most major cities.

• Amaszonas, Av. Saavedra Nº 1649, Miraflores, La Paz, +591 2 222-0848, info@amaszonas.com. Most famous for their La Paz to Rurrenabaque route but also fly to Uyuni, Trinidad, Guayaramerin, Riberalta, Cobija, San Borja, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz. Fares are listed under “tarifas” on their website, listed below. Their office in Santa Cruz is in El Trompillo airport. edit
  
• Boliviana de Aviación – BoA – the national airline of Bolivia. Provides economical travel between the main cities of Bolivia. You can book your tickets online or at BoA-offices in Santa Cruz, La Paz or Cochabamba. Main office in Cochabamba, Calle Jordán #202 esq. Nataniel Aguirre. email: ventasweb@boa.bo phone: +591 901 10 50 10 fax: +591 4 4116477
  
• Ecojet flies the usual major city routes, but it also has flights to Riberalta and Guayaramerin in Bení. Call Center can be reached at phone: +591 901 10 50 55 (not a toll-free call)

BY TRAIN:

On some routes, the roads are in such a dire condition that the train becomes the alternative of choice. Trains are more comfortable than one would expect, having for example reclinable seats. The trip from Oruro to Uyuni is especially beautiful, with the train going literally through an Andean lake on the way. The train is especially good for trips to the Salar de Uyuni and the Pantanal.

Coming from La Paz, you need to take a three-hour bus ride to Oruro to catch the train. It’s best to book your tickets a few days before your trip. In La Paz booking office is at Fernando Guachalla No. 494, at the corner with Sánchez Lima (between the Plaza del Estudiante and Plaza Abaroa). Main stops are Uyuni, Tupiza and Villazon, on the Argentine border. As of 2018-02-18, the route between Uyuni and Villazon is closed due to flooding. It is expected to reopen in October 2018.

Tickets Bolivia also sells advance train tickets.

Between Santa Cruz and the Pantanal it is more straightfoward to organize a trip. Just go to the Terminal Bimodal in Santa Cruz (see the Santa Cruz page for details), or the train station on the border in Puerto Quijarro. The train is also convenient for trips to the Jesuit Missions. Check the website for timetables.

BY TAXI:

For longer trips between towns and cities that aren’t served by bus, shared taxis are common. Shared taxis are not safe for tourists, especially if you are solo female traveller.

EAT:

The cuisine of Bolivia might be called the original “meat and potatoes” — the latter (locally called papas from the Quechua) were first cultivated by the Inca before spreading throughout the world. The most common meat is beef, though chicken and llama are also easily found. Pork is relatively common. Deep frying (chicharron) is a common method of cooking all sorts of meat, and fried chicken is a very popular quick dish; at times the smell permeates the streets of Bolivian cities. Guinea pigs (cuy) and rabbits (conejo) are eaten in rural areas, though you can sometimes find them in urban restaurants as well. A common condiment served with Bolivian meals is ll’ajwa, a spicy sauce similar to Mexican salsa.

Almuerzo is very popular during the mid-day meal and usually consists of an appetizer (entrada), soup, main dish (segundo), and dessert. Walk around many streets around Bolivian cities and you’ll see the day’s menu for that restaurant. Most have at least 2 main dish options to choose from. Almuerzos run anywhere between Bs. 15-25 depending on the restaurant or ‘pension’.

Some notable Bolivian dishes:

• Pique a lo macho – grilled chunks of meat in a slightly spicy sauce with tomatoes and onion, on potatoes
  
• Silpancho – beef pounded to a thin, plate-sized patty, served on a bed of rice and potatoes, with a fried egg on top (Similar to wiener schnitzel).
  
• Picante de Pollo – the degree of spiciness depends on the cook/chef
  
• Fritanga (Bolivian style fried pork)

Street food and snacks:

• Anticucho – Beef hearts grilled on a skewer, served with potatoes and a spicy peanut sauce
  
• Salchipapa – Thinly sliced sausage fried with potatoes
  
• Choripan – Chorizo (spicy sausage) sandwich, served with grilled onions and lots of sauce

Mid-Morning snacks typically consists of any of several of meat-filled buns:

• Salteña – A baked bun filled with meat and potatoes in a slightly sweet or spicy sauce. Be careful when you take a bite, as the sauce will drip all over!
  
• Tucumana – Like a salteña but fried
  
• Empanada – Similar to a saltena, often filled with cheese as well as meat
  
• Cuñape – A small roll filled with cheese, similar to Brazilian pão de queijo. The bread is made from cassava flour.

Many people also start off the day with some concoction involving fruit:

• Ensalada de frutas – Many different fruits chopped in a bowl of yogurt. Very filling. Some stalls may have honey, nuts or gelatin on top, if you like.

Vegetarians will find decent to very good options in Gringo-places around the country. But also at market places, there are good vegetarian options on offer (usually potatoes, rice, fried egg and salad for about 7Bs.) In bigger cities, there are some (decent to good) fully vegetarian restaurants.

Coca leaves:

Coca has been part of Andean culture for centuries, and chewing is still very common (and perfectly legal) in Bolivia. You should be able to buy a big bag of dried leaves at the local market. Coca is a stimulant, and it also suppresses hunger. Chewing a wad of leaves for a few minutes should bring slight numbness to your lips and throat. Remember the slogan (printed on souvenir T-shirts): Coca no es Cocaina (“The coca leaf is not cocaine”). But cocaine most definitely is an illegal drug. Remember this, only chew the leaf; if you eat the coca leaf you will get a very sick stomach.

DRINK:

Juice bars appear at most markets. Shakes (either with water or milk) are 2 Bs. 2-3. Locals can be seen to drink Vitaminico an egg, beer and sugar concoction or “Vitima” which includes coca leaves.

• Licuado – Water or milk blended with your favorite fruit combination. A big spoonful of sugar will be added unless you specifically ask them not to. Try the milk and papaya licuado. You should probably ask whether the water added is from botella (bottle) or from the tap (not recommended).
  
• Vitaminico – Don’t ask what’s in here. Many fruits, milk, sugar, a shot of beer, and, if you wish, a whole egg (with shell).
  
• Mocochinchi – A drink made by brewing peaches and spices together in water. Very good but some people are turned off by the shriveled peach which is typically served with each glass.
  
• Api – A traditional corn-based drink usually found in the open-air markets. If you didn’t know it was corn you’d never guess it though because this stuff is good.
  

Alcohol:

Bolivia’s traditional alcoholic drink is chicha, a whitish, sour brew made from fermented corn and drunk from a hemispherical bowl fashioned from a hollowed gourd (round-bottomed so you can’t put it down). It’s customary to spill a bit of chicha on the ground before and after drinking it as an offering to Pachamama, the Inca earth goddess.

• Singani is a grape liquor that’s mixed with Sprite or ginger ale with lime garnish to make a cocktail called chuflay.
  
• There are a number of local beers, the largest being Paceña and its high-end brand Huari. El Inca is a very sweet low-alcohol beer. Orange Cocktails are a popular drink too!

Tarija is located at 1924 meters above sea level, and is known for it’s wine-making, vast vineyards, and award-winning wines. Hence you can visit and taste wine at its beautiful wineries, such as: Campos De Solana, Kohlberg, Casa Vieja, Valle De Concepción, and Casa Real, where the famous Singani is made.

Offering a favorable exchange for Western tourists, lodging can be found at very reasonable prices throughout the country, from hostals to luxury hotels. In simple accommodations WiFi is not common, only if they cater for tourists.

There are not many hostels in the common sense around, except for the typical tourist spots. But even in normal and basic places (often called hostal, hospedaje or alojamientos) you only pay per person (Bs. 30-60) and not per room. So, you might end up paying Bs. 40 for a room with 4 beds, one taken by you.

Outside of large cities, hostel prices are considerably cheaper when walking-in than online. In large cities however, you will find it hard to find a bargain and it is better to reserve online.

TBC.