Vehicles

1. Teleférico

   Cable car

   Usage

   The urban cable-car network linking La Paz and El Alto. Lines are known by colour and fares are low; it clears over 500 m of height difference in minutes, making it the fastest way around a city built on slopes

2. Minibús

   Minibus (shared van)

   Usage

   The backbone of La Paz city transport. A helper shouts the route out of the window; raise a hand to board and keep your bag in front of you when it is crowded

3. Trufi

   Trufi (fixed-route shared taxi)

   Usage

   A Bolivian institution: a shared car on a fixed route, a little pricier than a minibus but faster. Check the route card in the windscreen

4. Micro

   Micro (large city bus)

   Usage

   Despite the name it is the big bus: cheaper and slower than a minibus

5. Flota

   Flota (intercity coach)

   Usage

   The Bolivian word for an intercity coach. Most run overnight and get cold inside, so bring a blanket or a thick jacket

6. Taxi

   Usage

   No meters, so agree the fare first. Radio taxis carry a company sign on the roof

7. Auto

   Car

   Usage

   A private car; altiplano roads often lose their surface without warning

8. Camioneta

   4WD / pickup

   Usage

   The vehicle used on Uyuni salt-flat tours. There are no landmarks out on the salt, so always go with a driver

9. Tren

   Train

   Usage

   A line still runs from Oruro through Uyuni toward the border; services are few, so book ahead

10. Camión

    Truck

    Usage

    In villages with no bus service people ride in the back; it is not safe, so take another option if one exists

11. Moto

    Motorcycle

    Usage

    The altiplano wind cuts through you; wear a windproof layer if you ride

12. Bicicleta

    Bicycle

    Usage

    At around 4,000 m you run out of breath far sooner than at sea level

13. Ambulancia

    Ambulance

    Usage

    "Ambulanciaru phajjita!" = call an ambulance! With serious altitude sickness, descending beats waiting

14. Lancha

    Motorboat

    Usage

    Used to reach Isla del Sol and other islands on Lake Titicaca; take a hat and jacket, the sun is fierce and the wind cold

15. Balsa de totora

    Totora reed boat

    Usage

    The traditional craft bundled from the reeds that grow along Lake Titicaca. Mostly floated for visitors now, though the building skill is still passed down

16. Avión

    Airplane

    Usage

    El Alto airport sits above 4,000 m, one of the highest in the world; take the first day easy

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