What is the best way to travel from Merida to Caracas in Venezuela?

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justasking

Hi!
Actually what the above answerer says might be true to some point but is a bit exagerated.
I would recomend going by Bus if you are on vacation, sightseeing. The trip is great and the landscapes are beautiful. It's true: the roads are not the best and the drivers do tend to drive faster than allowed. The bathroom situation would depend on the Bus Company you choose as the stops the bus makes and time you decide to travel.
I recommend the Peli Express company. They will leave you in Caracas, not downtown but at a safer zone.

Regarding taxi cabs: taxi cabs is what you SHOULD take! There are no official or government approved busses here. Really. The Only ones could be the Metrobuses (that take you to Subway Stations), but the Taxis are the safest way. What you have to do is grab a company taxi. You will recognize them because they are painted white and have yellow and black squares on the sides. There are no regulated taxi-fares in Venezuela (and if there are, they are not respected). What you do is ask the driver in advance how much does it cost to take you to a specific place, and then, if the cabbie is willing you might negociate.

The plane is the fastest and safest way to go. Although some people don't like it much because Merida Airport's plane runway is really short (Merida is a mountain city, so there is not much space for runways!). True, the plane will leave you at the MaiquetÃa Airport (which is and hour and a half away from Caracas) but hey! That's they way it is. (Narita Airport is like 1 hour from Tokyo s, no big deal).
What might delay you in this case (againg, depending on your traveling date) is that part of the highway route is closed. A bridge was torn down but an alternate course was built. It is smaller and a little longer, but now people have gotten used to it (when it was new the traffic was very bad. Now it flows).
Weekends are the slow days for this trip, because people tend to go to the beach... and that's the road they have to take to do so, so the more cars in a small road, the more traffic.
The deal with the taxis is pretty much the same at the airport.
At the airport there are also buses that can take you to Caracas. I wouldn't recommend them unless you have someone to pick you up at the Station in Caracas.

There are also private transportation and taxi companys that guarantee a great and safe trip. If you have friends in Venezuela, ask them to help you find one.

The train, my friend, is ruled out. There are no trains here!

Venezuela is a great country. Security is an issue, mainly because of poverty, but if you are careful you don't have to worry. Just don't leave your belongins alone and always carry your passport and money with you. Do not wander alone in dark places or closed places with no people and bring a lock if you plan to leave you suitcase in the hotel.

Have a nice trip!

Goodluck!

Deyabella

Ok, there is no train! The bus ride is pretty long, I would say about 14 hrs but the region is very pretty. The plane tickets are around $100 (bus is a lot cheaper). Hope this helps!

ci82105909

There is no train and you probably don't want to go by bus. I have taken the bus many times but it was only because it was so much cheaper. Taking the bus is however, dangerous. The bus usually doesn't have a restroom or tif it does, the times I went it was locked and the drivers claimed not to have the key. I also had things stolen while on the 12 to 14 hour trip. One time there was a rock slide and the bus couldn't turn around so we had to wait about 12 hours until the road was cleared. The bus makes a couple of stops at truck stops which are also dangerous because of thieves and pick-pockets. Furthermore, the bus sometimes is ordered to stop at the numerous military check-points. As an american, I have been hassled by the soldiers trying to make up some excuse to delay me so I'd give them money. In addition, the drivers speed and drive like crazy, passing trucks on narrow mountain roads, etc. It is simply not worth it. I think it costs about $35 USD for the bus and about $125 one way to fly. There are several airlines serving Merida. I think $125 is too much but on the other hand it's safer and only an hour to Caracas. The only problem I can think of is you have to find a way to get from the Caracas airport to the actual city, whereas if you survive the bus trip you'll arrive in downtown Caracas. The last time I went, it wasn't too bad except it can be dangerous. You need to take a government approved bus. Don't take a taxi. At best they will overcharge you and at worst, many people get in the taxi and the driver takes you into the bad areas and then you are robbed and left in the middle of nowhere or in the barrio/slum area. I took an official bus and didn't have any trouble. You can get good advice from the CorproTurismo office/Kiosk located in the Caracas airport. Finally, the only thing that could cause a problem is I heard thr only route to downtown Caracas is closed because a bridge is out. You need to find out if this has been fixed. I hope this helps. Please let me know if you need anything else. I lived in Merida for ten years and I had to learn the hard way about almost everything.
Ken, ci82105909@yahoo.com

head_blown_apart

There's a very reliable Bus service calle "Aero Expresos Ejecutivos". Good price and good service, they have bathrooms inside and seats that convert to beds (Almost). Also you can pay a TAXI company but make sure it has labels and everything of a company. Don't hire a just plain white car only taxi company cars. The third and easiest is the plain (You are going to miss a very beautiful landscape, believe me). The last choice is up to you.

Enjoy the trip (I miss that land)

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