La Paz, Bolivia

[heywilson]

I'm going in September, and would be interested in knowing about where to rent a decent car for 8-9 days if anyone has some info

I say go for it if you speak Spanish (fluently) and can drive a manual. I was in Bolivia 2 years ago doing volunteer work building a suspension bridge in a pretty remote village. We rented a SUV (I think it was a Mitsubishi Montero) and a Toyota Helix. We were on some pretty rough roads but it wasn't anything worse than driving in the mountains in Colorado. The Mitsubishi looked pretty new which was great when we picked it up. However these were used as construction vehicles for 2 months. Not so new when we returned them. To our surprise we didn't get charged for any damage. We rented them from either Avis or Enterprise and the pricing was comparable to the US for those vehicles. I don't remember which company it was but it was one of the main companies. I think it was a little cheaper going through the Bolivian based websites not the US. You'll find the traffic around La Paz and Al Alto pretty crappy. Random parades and protests adds even more gridlock to the already backed-up streets. If you're used to driving in countries like this you'll be fine. Also Google Maps worked pretty good for us to our surprise. Once out of the city the main highways were in really good shape and really no traffic. The side roads is where it gets rough and dusty. It's nice to have the freedom of going out of La Paz and not relying on the buses. However getting petrol can be quite an ordeal. Especially if you don't speak Spanish. Which I don't but was with someone who does. At night the stations often run out and you get stuck waiting for hours for the places to get refueled. Don't worry about the photo of the al Camino de la Muerte. Most roads aren't like that and that road isn't really used except by mountain bike companies and a few others looking for a short cut. After being on it I would say it's comparable to a dirt road version of Red Mountain Pass. Just more dramatic looking and single lane. You can even make a few bucks picking up hitchhikers. It's a pretty common and cheap way for people to get from one village to the next or all the way to La Paz (I did not do this). If you decide to take buses and you're on the Alto Plano at night make sure to dress very, very warm. I can't emphasize that enough. Have fun and don't drink too much Singani.

[mtn_nut]

I say go for it if you speak Spanish (fluently) and can drive a manual. I was in Bolivia 2 years ago doing volunteer work building a suspension bridge in a pretty remote village. We rented a SUV (I think it was a Mitsubishi Montero) and a Toyota Helix. We were on some pretty rough roads but it wasn't anything worse than driving in the mountains in Colorado. The Mitsubishi looked pretty new which was great when we picked it up. However these were used as construction vehicles for 2 months. Not so new when we returned them. To our surprise we didn't get charged for any damage. We rented them from either Avis or Enterprise and the pricing was comparable to the US for those vehicles. I don't remember which company it was but it was one of the main companies. I think it was a little cheaper going through the Bolivian based websites not the US. You'll find the traffic around La Paz and Al Alto pretty crappy. Random parades and protests adds even more gridlock to the already backed-up streets. If you're used to driving in countries like this you'll be fine. Also Google Maps worked pretty good for us to our surprise. Once out of the city the main highways were in really good shape and really no traffic. The side roads is where it gets rough and dusty. It's nice to have the freedom of going out of La Paz and not relying on the buses. However getting petrol can be quite an ordeal. Especially if you don't speak Spanish. Which I don't but was with someone who does. At night the stations often run out and you get stuck waiting for hours for the places to get refueled. Don't worry about the photo of the al Camino de la Muerte. Most roads aren't like that and that road isn't really used except by mountain bike companies and a few others looking for a short cut. After being on it I would say it's comparable to a dirt road version of Red Mountain Pass. Just more dramatic looking and single lane. You can even make a few bucks picking up hitchhikers. It's a pretty common and cheap way for people to get from one village to the next or all the way to La Paz (I did not do this). If you decide to take buses and you're on the Alto Plano at night make sure to dress very, very warm. I can't emphasize that enough. Have fun and don't drink too much Singani.

This is great info, thanks

Driven a manual my entire life, so that's not an issue. I'm working on the Spanish thing, but I've found that google translate does a pretty good job. I can type something into my phone and they can read it and type something back, even when the phone is out of service. When i'm in service, It can even translate via speaking (i speak into it with English, it translates it and speaks Spanish out, and vice-versa). Since i have a Project Fi phone, I've found that i have service in most good sized towns.

[boleslav]

Not sure if you are aware of Kanoo tours- they are not a climbing agency, but a tour reselling agency.
I would not trust the third party.
Jeff, an Australian climber and owner of this agency, get very good reviews. Give him a shout.
http://climbingsouthamerica.com/
We did not use him, used Hugo Berios's agency, but would not really recommend them, disorganized, old equipment, unhappy guides

[SteveBonowski]

I've used Marco Soria at Bolivian Journeys ( www.bolivianjourneys.org ) for three Colorado Mountain Club trip leads (2006, 2011, 2013) and have been real pleased with the service. Thinking of returning in 2018 for another CMC high altitude trek; if so, will use Marco again.