Most tourists travel Colombia by bus or plane, but more and more travelers rent a car. Renting a car is easy, it gives you more freedom and with a car you can more easily explore Colombia off the beaten path. Driving in Colombia is a cool experience, in which I myself have been both terrified and enjoyed it immensely. By now I have about 10 years of driving experience in Colombia and have driven many routes, and can give you the best tips. Renting a car in Colombia: in this article I tell you what to consider, what about your driving license, the traffic rules, about safety, distances and parking, I give you great routes for a road trip Colombia and more!
Itineraries for a road trip Colombia
What itineraries Colombia have I driven myself?
Many destinations in Colombia I discovered by car:
- Bogotá – Manizales – Pereira – Armenia – Bogotá and everything in between
- Second time Eje Cafetero (car rented in Pereira)
- Bogotá – Medellín and surrounding areas – Bogotá
- The whole of Cundinamarca I discovered by car, several times
- Boyacá and Santander (many times)
- Huila: from Bogotá to Tatacoa and San Agustín and back
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- In many villages, everyone just walks across the road
Renting a car in Colombia: 7 road trips
Herewith some routes and regions that are very doable and perfect for self-driving.
Road trip Colombia off the beaten path
Cundinamarca and Boyacá in particular are fantastic to visit by car. Check out these complete itineraries Colombia off the beaten path that you can easily drive by car.
The coffee triangle: Manizales – Pereira – Armenia and everything in between
Eje Cafetero is ideal to explore by car and the major roads are in very good condition. Go outside Salento and discover how insanely beautiful this region is. You can also drive to a real Colombian finca to stay with locals instead of in crowded Salento. (Note that many interior roads are not passable or poorly passable with a regular car, a 4wd may be required).
From Bogotá to the spectacular Guavio and back again
Rent a car in Bogotá and take a two- or three-day road trip to the spectacular Guavio and back again. This is an unique area without tourists, but cute typical Colombian villages, insane nature at high altitude and the impressive Lake Guavio instead. The roads on the route are not the best, so take your time and be patient. Arranging a hotel in advance is also a good idea.
Road trip Boyacá: Puente de Boyacá – Villa de Leyva – Lago de Tota
Rent a car in Bogotá and drive first to Villa de Leyva and surrounding areas. On the way, make a stop at Puente de Boyacá. After Villa de Leyva, continue driving north. Here you can choose to really go off the beaten track, staying at, for example Finca Yerbabuena and explore the surrounding countryside and villages (how about Toca: the safest village in Colombia!). Then drive on to Lago de Tota: a remote gem in Colombia. I have been there many times now (always by car) and there is something new to discover each time and therefore perfect for a road trip Colombia. Along the way, don’t forget a real Colombian ruana to take with you from Nobsa!
Santander: Barichara and surrounding areas
Santander is known for its many picturesque villages, extreme sports and beautiful nature. Find a nice hotel in, for example Barichara and explore Santander from there. Drive to villages such as Socorro, Páramo, Charalá, Curití and Zapatoca. Venture on the thrilling ride between San Gil and Bucaramanga or Girón and marvel at the spectacular views of the valley. Excellent to combine with extreme sports such as rafting, paragliding and canyoning.
By car (though a 4×4) you can also travel off the beaten path around Barichara. Like to Jordán, beautiful views, old mines and more. See here nice places off the beaten track in Santander to drive to.
Roadtrip Cundinamarca
Perhaps I like this one the best: discover the unknown Cundinamarca. Indeed, around the corner from Bogotá, this part is massively skipped by foreign travelers. A shame, because there is so much to do! An example of a road trip:
Bogotá – Tobia (and surrounding areas) – San Francisco – Zipaquirá and Nemocón (salt mines) – the lake of Neusa – climbing in Suesca – Sisga and Chocotá – Machetá – Guatavíta and Laguna de Guatavita – Bogotá or on to Guavio.
Huila
From Bogotá to San Agustín and perhaps beyond: an amazing itinerary that takes you past the Tatacoa Desert and San Agustín. Read all about this road trip Colombia here!
Road trip throughout Colombia or just certain regions?
Colombia is not a country to cross completely by car in 3 weeks. If you want to do all of Colombia by car, you will need a few months. The distances are enormous, bad roads, traffic jams, road works and hairpin bends take a long time, you have to pay attention to everything on the road (people crossing, potholes in the road, etc.) and all this makes driving in Colombia very tiring.
In addition, you will pass through unsafe areas if you want to travel all of Colombia by car. Between Medellín and Montería for example. And the road between Cali and the border with Ecuador is not so safe either.
It is therefore advisable to choose to do only a part of Colombia by car. For example, take a road trip Cundinamarca – Boyacá and Santander. Or a road trip from Bogotá to Medellín, the coffee region and back again.
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- The first part of the route to Guavio
Rent a car in Colombia: what kind of car do you need for a roadtrip?
The best car to rent in Colombia depends on exactly where you want to go and how far off the beaten path you want to go. Will you stay on the major roads? Then an ordinary car will suffice. If you go off the main road, then you usually need a 4×4.
A higher car is always handy in Colombia. Outside the highways (and in Bogotá everywhere) there are many holes in the road, with a low car you quickly damage the underside.
On certain routes, many ordinary cars cannot proceed because the roads are impassable. In the vicinity of Lago de Tota, for example, you can encounter this. Like around San Agustín or between San Agustín and Popayán.
So it is best to have an idea beforehand of what you want to visit and whether you like to drive on more remote roads or whether you prefer to stay on the main roads.
Also keep in mind that some mountain roads are very steep. Then it’s nice to have a car that gets you up the mountain easily.
If you want to be sure, rent a high car, a SUV or a car with 4WD at least.
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- At Lake Neusa we got stuck with the Hyundai, fortunately there were bigger cars present that pulled us out
Traffic regulations Colombia
There are a lot of traffic rules in Colombia, only hardly anyone abides them. You will even see the police doing things that really shouldn’t be done. Here are some “rules” you will encounter most often:
- Pssing on the right is quite normal.
- Direction is often not indicated and mirrors seem to be for decoration.
- There are signs for speed, but basically everyone is just doing whatever. Unless checked, but that is almost never outside the bigger cities. Colombians just drive as fast as they can. In major cities, such as Bogotá, speed checks do increase these days. So in Bogotá, it is better to stick to the speed limit.
- Often, whoever drives the hardest has the right of way.
- Usually people do stop at traffic lights.
- Streets have a stop sign if you do not have the right of way. On the other hand: if you do have the advantage, there is no sign. So you have to look for a stop sign on the other street to know if you have the right of way.
- In large cities and towns, when a road has more than one lane, the right lane is used for loading and unloading goods or people. Driving in the left lane is therefore many times faster.
- Giving each other priority in traffic jams, for example, is very difficult; you have to squeeze yourself in between to get somewhere.
- Pedestrians cross everywhere, highway or not.
- In the mountains Colombians drive just like in the city, even heavy trucks overtake each other just before a curve. Tip: Keep your distance, be very patient and wait to overtake until you are 100% sure that you can (sometimes every few kilometers a one-lane road turns into a two-lane road for a few kilometers, where you can overtake safely).
Pico y Placa
In many Colombian cities, they have the rule of Pico y Placa. This means that cars with a certain license plate are not allowed to drive between certain times. What times those are depends on each city. In Bogotá, cars are allowed on the road only a few days a week, depending on the license plate. On days when you are not allowed to drive, that rule applies between 6AM and 9PM.
When you have Pico y Placa in Bogotá you will find on this website. It’s just a little hard to find, so it’s better to Google for: Pico y Placa Bogotá.
Pico y Placa for Medellín can be found here.
How safe is driving in Colombia?
State of the roads
- In many cities and towns, especially in Bogotá, the roads are in poor state. There are many holes and you have to avoid them. This makes driving in Bogotá exhausting: you must not only pay attention to the chaos but also safely avoid the potholes. I would recommend driving as little as possible in Bogotá. Even in many other cities and towns, the roads are not of too good quality.
- The major toll roads are particularly good. Once you pass a toll gate, the roads suddenly become very nice and good.
- Inner roads come in all shapes and sizes. Especially if you have a car, it is fun to go off the main roads. Then you end up on back roads where you often don’t know what to expect. Sandy roads, asphalt, gravel, large boulders, deep potholes and mud puddles after rain. You can encounter it all. Some roads are passable only with a 4WD.
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- The road between San Gil and Bucaramanga
Security in general
When driving in Colombia, it is helpful to also think about safety in general:
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- Basically, you can ride wherever you want, as long as you stay outside the red and orange areas.
- Drive with the doors locked (due to muggings).
- Car mirrors are big business in Colombia and are stolen without mercy if you are just standing at the traffic light or in a traffic jam (in the big cities).
- Most vendors, beggars and performers on the road are honest people, but especially in big cities it happens regularly that you get robbed as soon as you lower your window. Keep this in mind.
- Park (especially in big cities and towns) in a paid parking lot and not just on the street.
- Driving in mountains is sometimes terrifying due to the Colombians’ behavior on the road. And the many hairpin turns with deep chasms. Stay calm and patient and take frequent breaks to maintain your concentration.
- Colombia is anything but flat; if you don’t want to or can’t drive in the mountains, renting a car in Colombia is not the best option for you.
- Try to ride in the dark as little as possible, especially if you are just starting out and still need to get used to the traffic and roads. And yes I do drive in the dark myself, but I drive here regularly and have years of driving experience in Colombia. If you are not used to the Colombian traffic and will be in places you do not know, better avoid the dark;
- In big cities, preferably show valuables as little as possible. For example, put your wallet and camera under your car seat.
- Make sure you always go out with a charged phone and bring a power bank just to be sure.
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- Detours are very common and before you know it you’re in a traffic jam for an hour on a bad mountain road somewhere in the middle of nowhere
Navigation for your road trip Colombia
It is wise to use navigation such as Google Maps or Waze. Keep in mind that there is no Internet or phone coverage in many places outside villages and cities. For that, these tips:
- Plan your route roughly in advance;
- Download the map of Colombia in advance via Google Maps, read here how that works;
- Download the app Maps.me and then the map of Colombia. Not only do you then have the map offline, but you can put all kinds of points on the map to go to, so you know what to do when offline as well.
When I travel abroad myself, I always use a SIM card from Keepgo, with which I have Internet anywhere in the world. Especially when I rent a car, I always make sure I have enough data to never get lost.
It is good to know that there is by no means Internet coverage everywhere in Colombia, even with a map from Keepgo, that is. So it is wise to have all maps offline in advance anyway.
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- Off the beaten path in Boyacá
Renting a car in Colombia: practical information
How and where to rent a car in Colombia and what are the costs?
The most obvious is to rent a car to explore a particular region, and do the rest of the country by bus or plane.
You can rent a car in any large or medium-sized city.
- For example, check out Discover Cars. Discover Cars is a good option to rent a car. If you want a car immediately upon arrival, you can pick it up right from the airport. Discover Cars sometimes also has other pick up locations
- You can also rent a car at Localiza, one of the largest car rental companies in Colombia. This can be useful if you want to rent a car from a location where larger companies, such as Rentalcars, do not have a rental location.
- Or go to Rentalcars, where you will find many car rental companies together.
Renting a car in Colombia is known to be expensive, but in the end it is not that bad. The simplest car for 5 days on weekdays outside the high season you have already for about 130 euros or dollars. A 4WD is obviously more expensive. Note that there may be quite a few additional costs associated with the many toll roads (see below).
Parking
Parking is best done in paid parking lots, only in smaller villages you can sometimes park along the road (as in Sopó, Salento and Barichara, there parking on the street is just fine). You have to always park in reverse and pay by the minute.
Do you need an international driver’s license?
No, you can drive with your foreign license for up to 3 months. However, it can’t hurt to purchase an international driver’s license anyway, just to be on the safe side.
Distances
Colombia is huge and usually you drive between 40 and 80 kilometers per hour. 300 kilometers seems close, but that can take you 8 hours or more. Especially if there are unexpected road works, accidents or traffic jams. Therefore, take enough time for your road trip Colombia.
Tiring
Driving a car in Colombia is exhausting. You have to pay much more attention than in, say, the Netherlands or the US (holes in the road, hairpin turns, barriers, fellow road users driving like idiots, trucks you just can’t get past, etc.). Eight hours here in the car is not like eight hours in Europe or USA. Take lots of breaks and consider overnight stops. Especially if you are the only driver.
Toll roads Colombia
Colombia has many toll roads and this can cost you a lot more money if you travel a lot of miles. On average, you will pay between 10000 and 17000 pesos at a toll gate (peaje), so if you drive for 10 hours and encounter 5 toll gates, you will quickly spend around 15 euros. The advantage is that these roads are very good, with no potholes.
Click here for a list of toll roads in Colombia and associated costs. You have to zoom in the map all the way to see the toll booths. Click on a toll gate for costs.
Stopping along the road
Colombia does not have typical stopping points like you are used to in Europe and the US, for example. Often there are roadside restaurants where you can stop for a while, or on a shortcut where no one is driving, just along the road. Also nice is to drive into a small village along the way to stop in the central square. And, of course, Puente de Boyacá is perfect for taking a break when driving north from Bogotá.
Fueling
Refueling can be done in a surprising number of places. You place the car at a tank and the employee fills up your car. So you don’t have to do anything yourself. You usually pay directly to this person in cash or by credit card.
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- Street in Salento
Renting a car in Colombia: to do or not to do?
I myself love driving in Colombia. Especially outside major cities. Driving in Bogotá is especially stressful. But outside of that, very nice. You have to get used to the way of driving and the different types of roads, but it’s worth it. Stopping along the way and seeing much more, visiting villages where no tourist comes, really going off the beaten path, more flexibility: you can do it by car! Of course, you don’t have to do your entire trip by car; just one region is great, too.
It is not (yet) common for travelers to rent a car in Colombia. Bus transportation is good and cheap, a cab also costs almost nothing and even a car with a private driver is affordable. On top of that, there are also disadvantages to driving a car in Colombia: you have to pay more attention and it takes a lot of energy to drive long distances (and on bad roads), it is more expensive than by bus, there are risks for accidents and damage to the car and driving in Colombia can sometimes be quite scary.
Still, renting a car in Colombia is certainly not to be discouraged, but do prepare well and pay extra attention. Don’t forget the long distances, either. Adapt to the rules of the Colombians and be patient. Get good insurance and don’t drive further if you are tired. There are so many beautiful villages, everywhere you can spend the night to continue the next day. If you don’t dare, better don’t do it. If you do, it is a wonderful and unforgettable experience!
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- Taking a rest on the long and bad road to Lake Guavio
Exploring Colombia by car is amazing. If you dare to rent a car, enjoy the beautiful landscapes, off the beaten path, cute villages and stunning views!
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- Driving in the village of San Francisco
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- Relaxing on a toll road
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- A street in Curití
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- Cows in the middle of the road, quite normal
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- This little road near Guatavita looks harmless, but our car couldn’t go any further because of the rocks and slope, after which we had to drive backwards
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17 comments
Bonjour Sabine
Nous avons prévu un voyage d’un mois en Colombie en août à 6 avec mes 4 enfants qui sont adultes désormais. Je pense louer un gros véhicule 4×4 pour nous 6 en arrivant à Bogota et aller dans le désert de Tacacoa, puis jusqu’a Popayan, Pijao , Salento, finilandia , jerico et Mèdelin tout cela en 15 avec les visites de Bogota et Medelin. Nous prendrons l’avion à Medellin pour Santa Martha et relouerons une voiture pour 7 jours pour faire la route en passant par Tayrona, justqu’a. Carthagene. J’ai bien lu tes recommandations sur les distances et la durée des trajets. Pensent tu que la première partie du voyage est faisable comme indiqué ? Quelle agence de location de voiture peux nous assurer le bon modèle de voiture . Merci de tes conseils . Alain
Bonjour Alain, quel bel itinéraire ! 15 jours pour ce tronçon, c’est très peu quand même. En théorie, c’est faisable, mais vous serez beaucoup dans la voiture et n’aurez pas le temps de voir grand chose. Si vous enlevez Pijao et Jardín de l’itinéraire, c’est déjà plus faisable. De Tatacoa à Popayán, la route est longue. Vous pouvez également choisir de faire une halte à San Agustín. C’est sur l’itinéraire. Ou choisir d’aller de Tatacoa directement à Pijao. C’est une route plus facile à gérer et plus courte. Dans ce cas, c’est encore plus faisable.
Pour de bonnes voitures, consultez Localiza ou Herts.
Amusez-vous bien !
Hi Sabine, I’m planning to rent a car in Bogota for 4 days and go to Villa de Leyeva, then Barichara, and return the car in Bucaramanga Airport.
2 questions: The roads between the mentioned places are ok for the small car like Kia Picanto?
If you can choose 2 nights in Villa de Leyeva and 1 in Barichara, or 1 night in VDL and 2 in Barichara, which option would you choose?
Hi! Yes a small car is perfect for this, if you say on the main roads. There is a lot to do in both Villa and Barichara and surroundings. 2 days is too short, but if you have no other choice than 1 in Villa de Leyva and 2 in Barichara.
Hey Sabine, my boyfriend and I wanted to travel from bogota to Medellin, then Medellin to Barranquilla. How safe is it to travel from Medellin to Barranquilla and back? I was told the roads between Medellin and Montería were not safe.
Hi Lizzy, great plans you have! The road between Medellín and Montería has indeed some insecure parts with guerrilla activity. I know that lots of militaries are present in those parts, so probably nothing will happen. But there is a slight risk, generally more for private cars than for buses. If you do drive this part, ONLY do it in daylight, so between 6AM and 6PM. It is also a very high altitude part, with a high mountainous range. It can be very cloudy there and traffic moves slow due to trucks that go very slow. Keep that in mind. If you want to be more safe, than I suggest you rent a car in Medellín to explore that part of Colombia, then fly to Montería / Barranquilla / Santa Marta / Cartagena and rent a car over there again to explore that region.
Hi Sabine, I’m doing a road trip for 12 days in late April/May. I know it’ll likely be wet, but I’ll be taking that into account. I’m a very experienced driver in all types of situations and I know patience will be key here. I’m also Australian, so long distances are normal. The trip is: D1 Bogota-Zipaquira, D2 Zipaquira-Villa de Leyva, D3 around Villa de Leyva, D4 Villa de Leyva-Medellin, D 5 Around Medellin, D6 Medellin-Guatape & return, D7 Medellin-Salento, D8 Salento-Montenegro, D9 & 10 around Quindio, D11 Montenegro-Ibaque, D12 Ibaque-Bogota.
Any thoughts?
Hi Roy, That sounds like a great trip. It’s a bit tight planned, because driving in Colombia is a bit exhausting, but if you are used to that it would be fine. Do you have any specific questions?
Hi Sabine, what a fabulous website this is! I’m trying to work out how easy it is to hire a car from one place and deliver to another. I know that it is possible to pick up in Bogota and drop off in Medellin but wondering whether it is possible to pick up in Bucaramanga and drop off in Bogota? Do you know? Thanks, Richard
Hi Richard, that is certainly a possibility. Just look at for example Rentalcars, there you can find cars from Bucaramanga to Bogotá. Or try Localiza. Generally it’s possible from and to all bigger cities.
Hi Sabine. My husband and I are arriving in Medellin in January 2024. We will spend 5 nights in Medellin and then plan to rent a car for another 8 days to travel to Rio Claro, Manizales, Salento, and Jardin. I’m nervous about this driving part of the trip. The U.S. State Dept rates Colombia a “Level 3: Reconsider Travel” area due to crime, terrorism, and kidnappings. But the border areas seem to be the greatest risks. Do you think the places we plan to go are safe to drive to? Thanks!
Hi Nikki, great plan you have! Good news: that part of Colombia is safe for driving. In terms of crime. Driving in Colombia is not like in the US or Europe, so you will have to be way more carefull. A lot of curves and trucks who pass in a curve, that kind of things. But besides that, it’s a safe part.
That said, in 8 days from Medellín to Rio Claro to Manizales, Salento and Jardin: it’s not possible. The distances are huge and due to the curves and road conditions, you will drive slow. This route is only possible if you stay just 1 day at every place and drive every other day to the next. But that is really not recommended. It may be possible when you skip Salento, because that’s a very large drive from Medellín. And even more so from Jardin. My advice is to look again very good at your itinerary and make some changes, so you will have a good time those 8 days, and not be very tired of only driving around.
Have a good trip!
Hi Sabine, great info here. We are arriving in Medellin and will have 2 weeks to spend in Colombia and are planing rent a car. We’d like a bit of beach time and some time hiking off some beaten paths. 😀.
Do you any suggestions for an itinerary handy?
Thanks
Christian
Sorry, correction, we’d be flying into Cartagena.
Hi Christian, thank you for your message! If you fly into Cartagena you could rent a car and see the northern coast. You can do hiking near Minca, or for example the Ciudad Perdida. Thats a 4 or 5 day group hike. If you want more hiking and off the beaten path, I recommend for example Santander and Boyacá. If you have 2 weeks, you could stay 5 or 7 days at the beach/north coast, and then fly into Bucaramanga. Rent a car over there and discover Barichara and Lago de Tota. There are some great hikes to do there, like Párama de Ocetá. You’ll love it. The climate is very different over there though, good to know. If you fly back from Cartagena, you could drive to Bogotá and take a flight back to Cartagena. Another option is to fly to Medellín and rent a car there. There are some great places to go there, like Jardín and many more. I just stayed very off the beathen path in an eco lodge near Cocorná. The article will be here soon. If you like nature and off the beaten path, that’s your spot! I hope this helps you a bit finding a good itinerary. By the way, I DON’T recommend driving from Cartagena to anywhere south. Always take a flight.
I’m flying into Medellín and then driving to an Airbnb in Guarne. Then for three days I have to drive to an event in Copacabana that starts at 11 and ends at 6. Then I’m going to piedra el peñol & staying there one night so that the next day I can spend walking around the town and the rock. That evening I have to drive back to Medellín for a flight at 1 am. Should I rent a car or use taxis & drivers?
Hi Michelle, you could rent a car, but I should first find out if the neigborhood you are going to is safe and if the event has sufficient and protected parking. I understand you are going to drive in the evening to El Peñol. The roads are not well lightend and a lot of curves. If you don’t mind that, you could do it. I think I should take taxi’s or the bus to get around. Or drive to El Peñol the next day after the event.