LoCo09

I'm thinking about visiting Bogota for about a week. I would be visiting a friend who is a native Colombian and would be with them throughout most of the visit. I have never been to Bogota or Colombia before, my friend speaks both Spanish and English but my Spanish is very bad, any tips for travel, airport, etc? Will I be ok with poor Spanish at the airport or taxis? Thanks for any help

mgmsteven

We visited Bogota last year. My Spanish is also poor. We had no problem navigating the airport or getting a taxi. Plenty of English will be spoken at the airports and all major hotels and restaurants that cater to tourists. We also spent several days in a small town a couple of hours from Bogota where no one spoke English. The people there were very patient and accommodating. Occasionally, I had to resort to the translator on my I Pad. That will certainly get some laughs out of the locals. You will be surprised how quickly your Spanish improves when that is your only means of communication. We really enjoyed our time there. Go and enjoy!

benzemalyonnais

Taxis in Bogotá can be a bit tricky. Make sure they use the meter, especially from the airport.

drvannostren

1. Depending on what time of year you're visiting Bogota it can be chilly, don't mistake the fact that because it's South America that it'll be warm. Now depending on where you're from that might not matter. People in Medellin complain Bogota is freezing. As a Canadian (southern coastal Canadian) I only ever found it cold at night.

2. You need Spanish. Bogota will have the most English speakers of the country, except MAYBE Cartagena, but Cartagena's English speakers are basically just in tourist areas (and many of them are trying to scam you to a certain extent or just really pushy sales touts). You won't be able to tell by looking if someone speaks English. Someone in a business suit might be fluent, or be completely useless. Learn at least basic Spanish or cling to your friend.

3. Airport taxis are specific. Don't just hop in one. Find the taxi desk in the arrivals area, they'll ask you where you're going and give you a type of receipt. Check the fare price, remember it (more or less). Hand that off to your driver and they'll take you where you're going (usually the desk will just put your fare down for a neighborhood IE: Candelaria) then you'll have to give your driver the actual address. When you arrive, check the meter vs what the receipt said. If it's way off, you're being scammed then it's up to you to decide what to do, pay it and just deal, or fight it in a language you don't speak with a system you probably don't understand. That said, airport taxis are also accredited or whatever, so if you think you got scammed, keep the receipt and write down what he charged you, maybe you can take it to the airport on the way out and talk to someone about it. I've never had an issue. You also have to remember the exchange rate, if you get charged 35,000 instead of 30,000, you're only losing like $2, don't get upset he probably didn't even over charge, the address was just a bit further than the neighborhood "fare". It might sound complicated, it's really not though. Don't pick up taxis on the street either. I do it all the time in Medellin despite some warnings not to, but I feel comfortable doing it and nothing has ever happened (I'm doing it less now with my apartment I can get a cab just as easily to show up to my place), but I wouldn't do it at night in Bogota because you never know.

Take any advice your friend gives you he/she lives there, they know the lay of the land. It's said the south end of the city is rough, I was walking around with no issues but it was middle of the day and I could see that it would look bad at night.

goteed1

Last year I visited Bogota for the first time and because I knew there could be some drama with airport cabs, I arranged with my hotel to pick me up.

I had a long overnight flight in from SFO and arrived at the airport about 6am and was pretty beat. No sign of the hotel's pick up service anywhere in site and no one was answering the hotel phone. Finally after about an hour I decide to get cab from the taxi line. The driver was very gracious, spoke some English and took me to the hotel. Or where the hotel should have been had it not gone bankrupt a week earlier. I saw a hotel down the street and asked him to drop me off there. He walked me into the lobby of the hotel and was very gracious during the whole time here. Then he tells me the price has doubled because of this extra trip. (literally a 2 minute drive)

I asked the woman at the desk of the hotel if this sounded right and she said of course not, but did not want to get further involved.

At that point I was tired, I was grumpy and there was no way I was going to pay him double. I ran out of the hotel lobby with my cell phone and started taking pictures of every piece of ID in his cab, his license plates, every thing. He ran after me and soon agreed that he would not need to charge double. I gave him the agreed upon original price and went back into the hotel.

I did this on the spur of the moment, but since found that taking pics of ID has worked well for me with any Cab driver who over charges (I must be Bad Cabbie Bait, everyone of them can smell me a mile away, I think)

The good news is when I called Booking.com to tell them about the hotel, they agreed to pay my cab fare. Also the Hotel I ended up checking into was waaay better than the original and really one of the nicest hotels I've stayed at in any city. (Take a look at The Book Hotel in The Chaperino neighborhood)

I had no other problems with cabs in Bogota that I used (Mostly called by the hotel) They were generally cheap and pleasant but spoke zero English)

JohnnyColombia

What hotel did you actually book in the first place that is no longer there?

The Book Hotel seems to be the new name for the oddly gay branded Hotel Boutique Alma in Parque Portugal.

Bogotá Airport taxi drivers are scum. I also book transfers. I will happily pay double the going rate to ensure that 1) I actually pay that rate 2) The driver knows where I am going 3) I don't get the underlying urge to strangle the taxi driver with an old sock

goteed1

I think the hotel that closed might have been called The High Park? not too sure now. But the Book Hotel used to be called something else and I think you're right it was the Alma. The names were a bit confusing as The Book Hotel is part of a local chain of boutique hotels and so there were three different names on towels and signs. Nonetheless, the hotel really went the extra distance for me in service, the rooms all looked pretty new with high end finishes and the price was really reasonable.

I'm with you on those airport guys. They make the Bangkok taxi drivers look like choirboys.

LoCo09

Thanks for the tips, I probably won't go until early next year if at all but I was just curious. The lack of conversational Spanish worries me but like I said on the original post I would be with my friend who lives there. Colombia always gets a bad reputation but my friend tells me really Bogota is as safe as any big city you just have to use common sense. Anyone who has been there recently how safe did you feel. I know places like Venezuela are not the safest right now.

bingocallerb22

My theory is when things are bad, as Colombia was during Escobar, it makes big headlines, but when it becomes OK again, this doesn't make the news. The old reputation is hard to quell. I've been recently and found I did not feel unsafe going to traditional destinations. I just kept contact with someone (JohnnyC) who is on top of the daily situation i.e. strike hot spots and park closures for peace of mind.

goteed1

"Anyone who has been there recently how safe did you feel. I know places like Venezuela are not the safest right now."

I was there for about 5 days and ran all over the city day and night and never felt unsafe. The biggest hurdle as mentioned earlier is the lack of English. I have some high school Spanish, but not much, and I was able to get around between that and a A LOT of hand signals. The people I dealt with mostly in cafes and restaurants could not speak much English but tried really hard to communicate with me. At a steak house, the waiter could not explain the menu or the specials in English, so I just shrugged, but the manager came by and told me to wait. She found a dishwasher who was a student and had learned English at school. He interpreted for the waiter and then came by every few minutes to check on me.

The other thing about safety is that to someone in the US, what may appear to be threatening is not actually a threat in another culture. It's just different. You have to be alert, but be aware that your interpretations of safe are different as well. For instance I was walking through a neighborhood late at night and I saw a street with a lot of young people and an open fire. This looked threatening to me, but upon close inspection it seemed to be a Friday night ritual of kids out on the street having a barbq. (And by the way, the city lives for the weekend!)

jammanxc

I can't wait for the W Bogota to open! I'm returning back to Colombia this Sept

JohnnyColombia

I didn't know there was going to be a W in Bogotá. Just looked. Shame it is going to be in Santa Barbara and not somewhere cool.

jammanxc

Usaquen!! I love it there

JohnnyColombia

You are a freak!

jammanxc

it would be great if we met up again in Sept...