Travel Answers

Departamento de Potosí

I'm currently in Buenos Aires and planning out the best way to see the salt flats. I am considering doing SALTA - PURMAMARCA - HUMUAHACA - UYUNI ... But I'm unsure of the buses. What is the transportation like from SALTA - UYUNI. How long is it? Or would it be easier to go from SAN ATACAMA DESERT in Chile to UYUNI? Thanks for your help

Hi there, Doing a rather fast trip through Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Argentina in Dec/Jan. Most of trip sorted but yet to lock down transport options between Uniyi and Salta. Assume there will be bus options, but if anyone can shed some light on best options I'd be very grateful. Happy traveling

Hi, I'd like to know if the road between Villazon and Tupiza was finally paved? Asfaltaron el camino de Villazon a Tupiza por fin?

Hi there solo female traveler here trying to plan a La Paz- Uyuni trip and just wondering if there is anyone in the same boat who might want to join together? Also for those who have made the trip before would you mind letting me know if my scheduling plans sound correct? I'll wait until my arrival in La Paz to buy the bus ticket for Oruro and also my train ticket to Uyuni. I'll book ahead with Todo Turismo for my bus ride at 8pm after the tour back to La paz OR is there a train route back that would be more accommodating? Can someone tell me if I can purchase round trip bus tickets so I can hop on once back in Oruro (I'm guessing I can but just making sure). P.S. A 2 day tour vs. a 3 wouldn't have me missing out on too much would it? Thanks so much!

Hi everybody! Need to vizit Pulocayo for 1-day photographic tour, I am single independent traveller, not want any shared excursions. What is charge for taxi Uyuni-Pulocayo? Uyuni-Potosi with stop 4 hrs Pulocayo? Is there any basic accomodation in Pulocayo or need to return Uyuni for overnight? Some years ago there was 2 hostel but not sure they run service nowdays... THANKS!!!

Hello all! My friend and I are planning a trip to Salar de Uyuni. We need to eventually end up in Pa Paz. We are wondering if it would be better for us to take a tour from La Paz, go to Salar de Uyuni, and back to La Paz or if it would be better to reach Salar de Uyuni from San Pedro de Atacama and go to La Paz from Uyuni. Any suggestions?

We wish to join a tour from San Pedro to Uyuni. However, we (from Hong Kong) do not have Bolivia visa. Does anyone have experience in obtaining the visa in Calama, San Pedro or the frontier between Chile and Bolivia? Is it easy to get it? How long will it take? If we apply it in Santiago, Chile, how long will it take to get the visa? By the way, one of us holds United Kingdom passport. Does the passport holder require visa to enter into Bolivia? All advice/comment are highly appreciated in advance.

Hi all. I'm on a trip around south america and am a bit tight for time as I need to be in Arequipe around 3rd November. Tomorrow I go to Valparaiso in Chile and then get a bus to San Pedro de Atacama. From there I would like to do the Salar de Uyuni (I dont care that it costs more) and then return to San Pedro and from there head to Arequipa. However I found the following in this link: lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/t... "One more tip.... on the first night we stayed in the same place as a group that was coming the opposite way from San Pedro to Uyuni. They were all suffering terribly from altitude sickness, with the vomiting and insomnia and feeling miserable. Our driver told us if you come that way you gain 2,000 metres altitude in 40minutes from San Pedro to the border so it is inevitable really. He said he would not do it that way round! Coming from Uyuni you gain 1,500m over 3 days, although you would probably still feel it if you had not already been in La Paz or Uyuni." This has me worried. Doing the tour from Uyuni is not an option for me, considering my time restrictions. It is either from San Pedro or from nowhere. How big a risk is it doing the tour from San Pedro? I was thinking of spending a few days in San Pedro and doing the various one day tours of the local area which are all above 4000m, and if I dont feel well during those tours then I could give Uyuni a miss. If I feel good during those tours then perhaps that means I'd be ok to do the Salar de Uyuni. Any advice would be great. I was at 2,850 metres today near Mendoza in the Andes and I felt fine.

Hello everyone, I want to take the tour to the lake 3 days /2 nights but is there any tour that ends in Calama? Thanks in advance.. Vaios

I am in need of some help! In a couple of months I am wanting to find my way from southern Bolivia (approximatley Uyuni or a town nearby) to Buenos Aires. I am with friends but will be leaving them so will be a young girl travelling alone - can anyone recommend the safest option to cross the border and where from etc. Your help will be greatly appreciated!!!

I have heard the todo tourism has better car and hotel but I have been sending them information for 3 weeks never got a reply from them... If anyone has a better experience on the tour please share with me and tell me the tour website or email so I can contact them. My trip will start in Uyuni end in Uyuni so I can take overnight bus or train to back to La Paz. Thanks for all of your kindly attention!!!

Hi there, I am planning to go to Bolivia this year, and really want to see the Salar de Uyuni. I see that it is usually tours in groups, as I am traveling alone, will I just be placed on a tour when there is a vacancy? Or do I have to try and search for other travelers who are one person short? I won't be staying in a dormitory, so I may not meet anyone if the second option is advisable. Can anyone recommend a good company? I don't mind paying a bit extra for comfort and reliability. When is the best time to see the Salar de Uyuni? I love photography and I think the wet season when the salt has a thin layer of water on top reflecting the sky sounds ideal. Any help much appreciated:-)

Hi, I fly into Santa Cruz on the morning of the 7th of November. My plan is to get a bus to Potosi and then a bus to Uyuni. I'm hoping to do this in about 24 hours so I am in Uyuni on the 8th, and do the salt plains tour on the 9th. my problem then is the quickest way to get to La Paz? Train? Bus? If anyone can help that would be great or if anyone sees any major flaws in my plan to get to Uyuni that would be great too! Thanks!

hey there, I am planning to take travel from Uyuni to Santiago by bus (i have time but on tight budget. Don't mind taking the bus if its the cheapest) after I am done with Salar Uyuni tour. I am thinking of the following option 1) After finishing Salar Uyuni tour and back to Uyuni, take the bus from Uyuni to Santiago. Is there a direct bus option? How long does it take? 2) Take the Salar Uyuni tour and instead of going back to Uyuni, thought if its possible for the tour to drop us at the nearest town (near the Chiliean border) and we take the bus from there to santiago. Have anyone done this before? Any tour company that does it? Cheers

Hey everyone,looking for some advice on getting from peru to bolivia by bus. Im fine getting from cusco to puno, but need to get from puno into bolivia to do the salt flats tour - i think there are buses from puno to la paz but does anyone know if you can go directly from puno to uyuni? or do you need to go via la paz? its such a long bus ride.. also a little bit worried as a female solo traveller going to la paz. thanks for your help! :)

Hi does anyone know if the only way to see the salts and lagoons in uyuni is to take the 3day tour? Is everything very apart from each other? Thanks, Arly

sorry need a bit of bolivia info. do you know how to call a mobile phone number in uyuni ? i'm trying to call a vivo mobile sim card but dont know the area code. please help ! thanks!!

Hi, My girlfriend and I are doing a 4*4 expedition from Uyuni, ending in La Paz, starting the 10th of septembre, until the 14th. We are visiting Salars, Sajama's region and more. If you're intersted feel free de contact me! Yannick, Belgique.

Can anyone recommend a good tour operator to go across Salar De Uyuni, going from Uyuni to San Perdro De Atacama??

Hi VTs I am looking for a (reliable) tour operator that organises tours to Uyuni from La Paz. From what I've seen, there are plenty or operators offering tours to the salar from Uyuni itself, but given that it is a bit of a pain to get from La Paz to Uyuni (namely rough bus to Oruro, and then train to Uyuni), I was wondering if you are aware of any operators that offer to pick you up from La Paz on their own vehicles and take you straight to Uyuni and then around the flats. My main aim is trying to find an alternative to the current transportation methods linking La Paz to Uyuni, particularly the bus link. Let me know your thoughts please. Thanks a lot RV

Anyone know where do you take the bus tha goes from La Paz to Oruro? And what days do the trains leave Oruro to Uyuni? I can't seem to find any info on this on the web. Thanks!

Can somebody tell me at what time buses from Oruro to Uyuni depart? the overnight ones?

Two friends and I will be traveling down from Machu Picchu, through Puno to La Paz. From there, the highlight of our Bolivian travels will be the salt flats in Uyuni. We want to stop in Potosí on the way, though. I know that people typically take the bus to Oruro and then the train to Uyuni. What is the transportation situation for going from La Paz to Potosi to Uyuni? After the salt flats we will be traveling up to Salta. I found a train (Ferroviara Andina) that will take us from Uyuni through Atocha, Tupiza, and Villazon). Is this the best transportation? Or, instead of going directly across the border, does it make sense for us to stop in any of the other towns? Sucre? Tupiza? What do they offer? Thanks for your help! -- Rachel

Hi all Advice needed!! I am arriving in Calama on Monday and have read in various places that the train to Uyuni leaves on Wednesday night from Calama. I have also seen a few notes on Calama being a 'not-much-to-see' town so would therefore like to go to San Pedro de Atacama. I have 3 questions... 1. Is this a better option. i.e. go to Calama to S.P.D.Atacama? 2. Can I get transport to Uyuni from S.P.D. Atacama and when/what is it? 3. We are going over there in mid Oct? Do we need extreme cold weather clothing in traveller experience of will good jackets, hats etc be ok? Thankyou Rusty

Ok so i'm planning on going to uyuni from Santiago. I can afford to buy domestic plane tickets and I was thinking to either Arica or Calama. Are there buses that go from Chile to Uyuni? Do I need to book tickets in advance? Any advice is appreciated.

Is there a flight from La Paz to Uyuni? If not, what is the best way to get there? Is it safe for a single female traveling from La Paz to Uyuni? Also, any recommended companies to do a tour of the salt flats over about 3 days? Oh, one more thing ... is the a company that leave from La Paz to do the flats and then return to La Paz? Thanks!

Hi I'm having a little hiccup. Ideally I want to travel to Potosi or Sucre from Argentina or at a push Paraguay. What is the best way to do this? Additionally, I want to then visit Salar d Uyuni and then to San Pedro de AStacame before heading south the Santiago. Can anyone recommend some solutions to my little headache? Thankyou all!!! Russ and Hannah

Hi I am visiting S. America for a month in Septemeber. Can anyone recommend a suitable itinery over a week of so to visit Atacam/Salyar d Uyuni/ and where is a good target in northern Chile for onward travel south. With a wealth of infor out there its difficult what is best so the advice of anyone would be extremely appreciated Regards Russ and Hannah

Hi I am wondering if it is a possible/feasible route to travel from Iguazu in Argentina to Uyuni by coach/train? If so, is it a worthwhile journey in terms of cost/scenery/travelling time? Any tips would be v much appreciated. Regards Russ & Hannah

Hello! I will have only 3 days in Bolivia, and I heard theres a 3 day tour that takes you to the Salar de Uyuni and these different colored lagoons... So basically Im wondering if anyone knows about this tour and/or has gone on it, how it was, and how much it costed? Thanks!