Getting from Argentina to Bolivia By Bus, Train and Air

There are several ways you can enter Bolivia from Argentina. First of all, there are regular flights from Buenos Aires to Bolivia's three main cities (Santa Cruz, La Paz and Cochabamba) connecting through Santa Cruz, on several airlines such as Boliviana de Aviación (BOA) and Aerolineas Argentinas. The following are overland options for the main tourist circuits in Bolivia:

BY BUS from Jujuy/Villazón

Start in Jujuy, Argentina (in La Quiaca) and take a bus to Villazón Bolivia.

From Villazón you can take a bus every day at about 6:00 p.m. to Potosí. It's a 12-hour trip and costs about $15 US dollars. This is how some people enter when they plan to visit the Salar de Uyuni salt desert.

There are buses from Potosí to Sucre every day. This is a 4-5 hour trip and costs about $8 US dollars.

There are buses from Sucre to La Paz every day. This is roughly a 14-hour trip and costs about $20 US dollars.

There are also buses from Sucre to Cochabamba every day. It's a 12-hour trip and costs about $15 US dollars.

Buses leave Cochabamba to La Paz every day. It's a 6-7 hour trip and costs about $15 US dollars.

From La Paz you can travel by bus to Copacabana (Lake Titicaca). Buses leave every day from the Tomás Katari plaza across the street from the Cementerio General (city cemetery) of La Paz all day long between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. Look for the Manco Kapac or 2 de Febrero bus lines or look for the little minivans operated by Cooperative 6 de Junio. It's a 3-4 hour trip to Copacabana and costs about $4 US dollars.

From Copacabana you can travel to Puno, Peru. It's a 3-hour trip and costs about $10 US dollars. You can purchase your tickets at any of the travel agencies located on Avenida 6 de Agosto in Copacabana. The Peruvian bus lines that travel to Puno are called Panamericano, Colectur, and Tours Perú.

You can also take a bus from La Paz to Tiwanaku (Tiahuanaco): they leave the La Paz bus station each day at about 6 a.m. and return at about 6 p.m. It's a 3-hour trip and costs about $5. Numerous hotels and tour operators (located on Calle Sagarnaga on the street that runs along the left side of the San Francisco Cathedral to the Witch's market) also offer day trips to Tiwanaku. You can also take a minivan from the cemetery (same cemetery as above for Lake Titicaca).

BY TRAIN from Jujuy/Villazón

Travel first from Jujuy to Villazón, Bolivia. There is a train that runs from Villazón to the Uyuni Salt Desert passing through Tupiza, and then continuing to Oruro. Trains leave Villazón on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. The cost to Uyuni is about $10 US dollars, and straight through to Oruro is about $30 US dollars.

From Oruro to La Paz you can take a bus. It's a 3-hour trip and costs about $5 US dollars.

You can visit the WESTERN Bolivia train company's website for exact pricing, schedules and connections: www.ferroviaria-andina.com.bo

Alternately, you can travel from Uyuni to Potosí by bus (8-10 hours and about $10 US dollars) and from there on to Sucre - La Paz - Copacabana - Puno.

BY BUS OR TRAIN from Salta/Yacuiba

From Salvador Maza (Salta, Argentina) you can travel to Yacuiba, Bolivia.

In Yacuiba you can take a bus every day to Santa Cruz. It's a 14-hour trip and costs about $15 US dollars.

You can also take a train from Yacuiba to Santa Cruz three times per week. It's a 10-hour trip and costs about $20.

You can take a bus from Santa Cruz to Cochabamba every day for about $10 US dollars. It's an 8-hour trip.

From Cochabamba to La Paz it's another 6-7 hours and costs about $15 US dollars. See above for traveling from La Paz to Copacabana and Puno.

You can also travel from Cochabamba to Sucre on a bus every day and from Sucre you can continue on to Potosí and the Uyuni Salt Desert. Buses leave Cochabamba for Sucre every day. It's a 12-hour trip and costs about $15 US dollars.

BY BUS from Salta/Bermejo/Tarija

You can take a bus from Orán (Salta, Argentina) to Aguas Blancas, and from there on to Bermejo, a small Bolivian border city.

From Bermejo you can take a bus to Tarija. It's a 4-5 hour trip and costs about $5 US dollars. Bus lines (Andaluz, Albornoz, El Chapaco, Padcaya, San Lorenzo, Expreso Tarija, San Lorenzo, Expreso del Sur, Expreso San Roque) offer differing quality and pricing.