{"id":31666,"date":"2018-07-18T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-07-18T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.besabine.com\/travel-transmilenio-public-transport-bogota\/"},"modified":"2026-06-28T10:11:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-28T15:11:09","slug":"travel-transmilenio-public-transport-bogota","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.besabine.com\/en\/travel-transmilenio-public-transport-bogota\/","title":{"rendered":"Mini guide Transmilenio: traveling by public transport in Bogot\u00e1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Taking the bus through Bogot\u00e1: quite an experience. Bogot\u00e1 is the proud owner of the Transmilenio. Or Transmi, as locals call it. However, this “fastest” way of getting around Bogot\u00e1 is immensely unpopular among Bogotans themselves…. <\/p>\n

While you might complain about the weather, in Bogot\u00e1, the Transmilenio is the talk of the town. Late for work? It was the Transmilenio. Late home? Transmilenio. Wallet stolen? Transmilenio. Caught the flu? Transmilenio. Need something to protest about? Block the Transmilenio. Yet, this form of public transport is used by the masses. And yes, I could almost write a book about everything that’s wrong with the Transmilenio, but it’s still quite a good way to discover Bogot\u00e1. And not just for locals. As a traveler, the Transmilenio experience is a fun one. However, a little knowledge about the bus system in Bogot\u00e1 is not a luxury. Are you ready? Hop on!<\/em><\/p>\n

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What is the Transmilenio in Bogot\u00e1?<\/h2>\n
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The Transmilenio is a bus network that belongs to “high-quality public transportation”. It is similar to the subway, but above ground. <\/strong> A network of buses and bus lanes connects many corners of the city. Construction of the Transmilenio began in 1998, and by the year 2000 the first bus connections were a reality. <\/p>\n

First and foremost, Bogotans were pleased with this new system, which meant that instead of a few hours, residents only had to travel one hour to get to work. Until it turned out that this new invention could not handle the huge number of passengers. About 800,000 residents used the Transmilenio in the beginning, but that number has now risen to a whopping 2.5 million a day. There are also nearly 4 million more people living in Bogot\u00e1 now than in 2000. <\/p>\n

Today, the Transmilenio consists of 147 stations, about 115 kilometers of routes, and over 2,000 buses. And more expansion is planned. Maintenance is another story, by the way… In Bogot\u00e1, they are also building a metro, which should be ready in about 1.5 to 2 years.<\/strong><\/p>\n

And did you know there is also a cable car in Bogot\u00e1, called the TransMiCable?<\/strong> Part of the Transmilenio. Read all about the cable car in Bogot\u00e1 here.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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Why travel by public transportation in Bogot\u00e1?<\/h2>\n
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Not particularly optimistic perhaps, nevertheless, traveling by public transportation in Bogot\u00e1 is really not such a bad idea. Why? <\/p>\n

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  • It is much cheaper than the cab;<\/li>\n
  • You have a local experience;<\/li>\n
  • You get free music and singing on the bus;<\/li>\n
  • It can just be much faster than by cab or Uber;<\/li>\n
  • You get to know Bogot\u00e1 much better and in a different way;<\/li>\n
  • You are getting somewhere with the Transmilenio;<\/li>\n
  • Adventure!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Want to really experience Bogot\u00e1? Then get in that Transmilenio! Then only lasts the question: how exactly? <\/p>\n\n\t\t