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About Venezuela

FLIGHTS TO AND FROM VENEZUELA

CAR RENTALS

There are plenty of Car rentals in Venezuela and we list a few well known here:

  1. www.budget.com.ve
  2. www.hertz.com.ve
  3. www.avis.com.ve

Please observe

  • There are no car rentals in the Choroní area. The closest is in Maracay.
  • The traffic is quite dense and driving style aggressive so be careful when renting a car in Venezuela. We do not recommend renting a car for driving in Caracas if you don't know the area well. Caracas has massive traffic jams and is dangerous.
  • If you decide to rent a car you will be positively surprised by the price of gas. Price is the cheapest in the world and you can fill your car up for less than 10 BsF.

TIPS/SERVICE CHARGES

In some restaurants a service tax will be included, usually 10%.

Apart from that tips for different kinds of services are like anywhere else -give what you feel is appropriate.

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY & SAFETY

Venezuela can unfortunately be very dangerous in some areas. Our general recommendation is to be careful at the airport since robberies do occur and people are scammed for money when exchanging on the black market. 

We also recommend avoiding Caracas. In all honesty this is not where the treasures of the beautiful Venezuela lay but if you really want to go there -be careful and choose official taxis which are among the safest ways of getting around in Caracas and they are fairly cheap as well. Make sure to agree on price before the trip as there are no taximeters.

See to stripping yourself on valuables before going out and also make sure that you know where you are going. Also other cities can be dangerous, however not to the extent Caracas is, so take as a rule to be careful and carry minimal valuables when going out.

LANGUAGE

As in most of South America, Spanish is the predominant language here. Even though some speak good English it is more the exception than the rule. So bring your Spanish dictionary and get into practicing your Spanish. If not you might be amazed of how far you can get using your arms and hands!Restaurants often have menus in English. This is also holds for the better restaurants in the Choroní area.

VISA REQUIREMENTS

Here you can read about which nationalities need Visa and you can also download a list with contact details to the embassies and consulates in Venezuela. To be certain we also recommend talking to Venezuelan embassy in your country since sometimes even official web pages are not fully updated.

TIME ZONE

Time zone is UTC (London Mean Time) -4.30 and do not observe daylight savings time.

COUNTRY CODE

The telephone country code of Venezuela is 58.

DRIVING

You drive on the right side of the road

ELECTRICITY

The electricity is 120 Volts, 60Hz and if you travel to Venezuela with a device that does not accept 120 Volts at 60 Hertz, you will need a voltage converter. The general plug in Venezuela is a flat blade type (the same type as in the US)

CURRENCY & MONEY EXCHANGE

  • The currency in Venezuela is Bolivar Fuerte (BsF) which is the new currency imposed a few years ago. What happened than was that three zeros were cut as compared to the old Bolivar. Many people however still use the old way of expressing prices so at times things can seem very expensive.
  • The official exchange rate is 4.30 BsF to the USD. Since this rate is fixed and the supply of USD in Venezuela is restricted by the authorities, a black market has emerged with other exchange rates than the official.   

INTERNET & TELEPHONE

You will find Internet cafes in cities and in tourist areas. Many mobile phones do not work here in Venezuela (check with your operator at home to find out) but there are many places where you can make cheap national and international calls. Among them is Simón Bolivar International Airport.

VACCINATION & HEALTH CARE

  • There is no one way that is recommended on how to vaccinate before coming to Venezuela. We recommend that you advise a doctor or vaccination clinic at home.
  • The healthcare system in Venezuela is among the best developed in Latin America. Generally speaking the private clinics are better but they are also more expensive. Don't forget to have a good healthcare insurance and bring a copyof the insurance to show in the clinics.

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