How to get by bus from Copacabana to La Paz, the complete guide
There are 4 ways to get from Copacabana to La Paz in Bolivia: taxi, tourist bus, local bus and van.
- The taxi option would be convenient and cheap if you are a group that share its 400bs cost.
- The tourist buses are double decker bus. They are more comfortable and depart twice a day (1:30pm and 6:30pm). The cost is around 50bs and ticket should be purchase in advance.
- The local bus is a standard bus found in the main plaza of Copacabana. The ticket can be buy on the spot and it depart every 30min or as soon as it is. The cost is 30 bs
- The van has the same logic as the local bus only the price may go up to 40bs and we heard that the drivers sometimes are crazy.
We personally took the local bus from Copacabana to la Paz at 3pm, but would recommend the van, and the reason why is….
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Local bus from Copacabana to la Paz
So here we are in a local bus full of local people :). That’s going to be quite the adventure as it seems we are the only foreigner in it, though the 2 people next to us sound Portuguese.
We were the last passenger to get on the bus from Copacabana to la Paz, so it left in advance. But after 200m the first stop? Heu why? is there something wrong? Nah, just missing some people. They went out and didn’t come back on time… After a short while, here they come, and we at last exist Copacabana.
After 10min a person stood up and started playing music, how nice but that’s not the goal of it. Once the first song was finished, he started selling necklace. He would first give some of them to the passenger and then come back to confirm if they would buy it or take it back. All right, let’s play another song, and now you can get a free bracelet for a tip. As the only, let’s say white foreigner, he didn’t bother us. That was the end of the business but not the end of the adventure trip we just boarded.
Oh! We stopped again. What’s happening on that bus from Copacabana to la Paz? Nah, nothing, we are picking up a local along the road. As we were 4 people on the last row (a row of 5 seats, which is already the less comfortable place on a bus), there is a spare seat.
1h30min later, we arrived in a small city where all the passenger had to get out of the bus from Copacabana to la Paz. At such time, speaking Spanish would be handy.
The bus and passengers have to cross the lake but separately. This goes for any type of transportation. So, time to head out to follow the crowd and buy tickets (2bs each) before boarding a small boat. And wait the bus from Copacabana to la Paz on the other side.
It was 4:22pm when we were back on the bus, and the 4h ride that it is supposed to be seems late, but let’s see.
Finally La Paz. Oh we stop at the end of RN1 where all the locals went out.
We are 5 passengers left for the bus terminal, but the driver doesn’t want to go any further. After negotiating to go to the terminal as it is supposed to, we took off our packs and left the bus.
The positive point was that one of the 5 was from La Paz and the driver told him how to reach the center.
We took a van to the city center. Maybe 10/15min later someone asked to go out of the van on the side of the highway. At this time the couple seating in front of us told us that the terminal was right a there and that we should go out. Luckily there heard our story and were really kind to help us.
The reason now why we would recommend the Van is the bus from Copacabana to la Paz is not comfortbale and with less people you get less chance of ending your trip in the RN1 after a 5h ride.
The positive aspect is that we experienced how local are travelling by bus from Copacabana to la Paz. The guy next to me didn’t know how to use a cellphone, there was a family of 4 seating on 2 seats. An old coupe would use an umbrella in the bus against the sun as there were no curtains. Those are things you can only experience in the local bus. Another thing is the view from the bus, as there are big windows, you really can see the countryside of Bolivia.
And if you would like to go to Uyuni the same day, that’s possible, read: How to get by bus from La Paz to Uyuni, the complete guide
Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.” – Anthony Bourdain
The best accommodation in Copacabana is simply: LA CUPULA. Years after that travel, we are dreaming of this accommodation, its fireplace, and incredible view of lake Titicaca.
And if you arrive one day earlier in Uyuni here is a list of good accommodation:
- (€) Eucalyptus Uyuni
- (€€) Casa de Sal – Salt Hotel
- (€€€) Hotel Jardines de Uyuni
