There are three places in La Paz where you can catch a bus headed to Copacabana: the main bus terminal, the cemetery, or in El Alto. See detailed information on each option below.
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IMPORTANT INFO ABOUT THE TRIP TO COPACABANA:
Once you have boarded a bus or van to Copacabana, about three or four hours into the journey, the road ends and you have to hop on a boat. All of sudden, the vehicle will come to an abrupt stop and you'll notice that you're looking at a big body of water instead of a road and the driver may likely say something unintelligible and may repeat this until everyone gets off the bus. Get off the bus, and take a good look at the vehicle you just got off of because you're going to have to find it again on the other side of the lake. Now head to the right, and you'll see a small ticket office not far in the distance. There pay two bolivianos (around a quarter, U.S.) and then follow the pier toward the motorboat. If this sounds like too much work, you can pretty much just follow everyone else. (When in doubt, act like a sheep.) Meanwhile, your bus or van will get on its own large, vehicle-sized boat. Your bus or van will meet you on the other side of the lake for you to continue your journey. Since you're going to be getting off your bus or van, your luggage may be a source of concern. The best thing to do is plan for this ahead of time. You don't want to take anything with you on the motorboats other than a wallet, purse or laptop (basically lightweight valuables). You should check all of your other luggage ahead of time so that no one snags your backpack off of your seat while you're crossing the lake. However, to be perfectly honest, I've left stuff on the bus in the overhead bins and always found it waiting for me when I got back. You'll disembark on a small plaza and the bus will pick you up kitty-corner from there. Again, it might just be easier following the people who seem to know where they're headed. |
GETTING TO COPACABANA FROM THE MAIN BUS TERMINAL
This is the touristy option. Buses leaving from the main terminal are usually filled with gringos. They cost around 50 bolivianos ($7) during the regular season but this price goes up on weekends and holidays. If you choose this option, you'll need to get to the main bus terminal in La Paz.
GETTING TO THE BUS TERMINAL VIA PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. Your first option for getting to the bus terminal is to take a "minibus" (basically a van) that says "Armentia" on the sign in the windshield. A friend of mine from New York recently asked me where to get a bus schedule to understand where each line was headed and my answer is that the only way to know where a bus is going was (1) to ask a friendly stranger or (2) to read the sign tacked onto the windshield. If you plan to take public transportation, both of these are pretty much a necessity.
TO GET TO THE BUS TERMINAL USING A TAXI. Tell your cab driver, La terminal de buses en La Paz. It shouldn't cost you more than 20 bolivianos within the city of La Paz. Once you arrive at the terminal, there are several lines that go to Copacabana. They’re toward the back of the bus terminal on both the left and right sides. Titicaca is one of them. In any case, you’ll see signs in their kiosks that say "Copacabana."
GETTING TO THE BUS TERMINAL VIA PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. Your first option for getting to the bus terminal is to take a "minibus" (basically a van) that says "Armentia" on the sign in the windshield. A friend of mine from New York recently asked me where to get a bus schedule to understand where each line was headed and my answer is that the only way to know where a bus is going was (1) to ask a friendly stranger or (2) to read the sign tacked onto the windshield. If you plan to take public transportation, both of these are pretty much a necessity.
TO GET TO THE BUS TERMINAL USING A TAXI. Tell your cab driver, La terminal de buses en La Paz. It shouldn't cost you more than 20 bolivianos within the city of La Paz. Once you arrive at the terminal, there are several lines that go to Copacabana. They’re toward the back of the bus terminal on both the left and right sides. Titicaca is one of them. In any case, you’ll see signs in their kiosks that say "Copacabana."
FROM THE CEMETERY
Although it may sound creepy, this is where Bolivians and many tourists catch the bus. You tell your cab driver, El cementerio. La parada para Copacabana. If you're brave and want to take public transportation to the Copacabana bus stop, look for the signs in the front of the buses and collective vans that say "Cementerio." Then tell the driver, "Me puede avisar cuando lleguemos al cementerio?" He should let you know when you've arrived. Get off and head toward the right or ask a kind stranger, "La parada para Copacabana?"
From the cemetery bus stop, you have two options for getting to Copacabana, the buses and minibuses. There will surely be someone with a clipboard shouting "Copacabana" but before agreeing to buy a ticket, see if there's a van (minibus) available first. Seriously, these hawkers can be really agressive, but I've seen many foreign tourists argee to the first person who shows up with a clipboard and regret it later. Hold off and see if a minibus is there first. This will shave an hour off your trip and you'll have so much less hassle. I cannot tell you how awful the bus drivers have been to me. They have kicked me off the bus only to leave me abandoned five minutes later. They have also sold me a ticket only to tell me that someone else bought my ticket at the next bus stop. I'm not saying not to go to Copacabana. I'm simply saying that if you can take a van ("minibus") versus a bus, by all means, take that option. (Vans aren't there at all hours, but they are usually an option. If they're not there, it's worth asking. I've never had a problem with the minibus drivers.)
If you take a minibus, the driver will want to put your luggage on top of the van, tying your luggage on the grill on the top of the van with a rope. Although they don't even give you a ticket for your luggage, I've never had any problems with theft or loss. (The one time I kept my package with me was when transporting a computer CPU in a box.) Tickets are usually 20 bolivianos to Copacabana ($3) but prices go up on the weekend and holidays. You might pay as much as 50 bolivianos ($7) per ticket around New Year's or Easter week (Semana Santa).
Prices are usually similar for buses versus minibuses. On the buses, however, you check your suitcase and the guy puts it in the luggage compartment at the bottom of the bus instead of having it stored on a rack on top of the vehicle. Even if you do “check your luggage,” meaning the guy puts it underneath the bus, you won’t get a claim ticket. You just recognize it later when you pick it up in Copacabana. Count on a five-hour bus ride, even if the driver lies and tells you it will only take three hours.
From the cemetery bus stop, you have two options for getting to Copacabana, the buses and minibuses. There will surely be someone with a clipboard shouting "Copacabana" but before agreeing to buy a ticket, see if there's a van (minibus) available first. Seriously, these hawkers can be really agressive, but I've seen many foreign tourists argee to the first person who shows up with a clipboard and regret it later. Hold off and see if a minibus is there first. This will shave an hour off your trip and you'll have so much less hassle. I cannot tell you how awful the bus drivers have been to me. They have kicked me off the bus only to leave me abandoned five minutes later. They have also sold me a ticket only to tell me that someone else bought my ticket at the next bus stop. I'm not saying not to go to Copacabana. I'm simply saying that if you can take a van ("minibus") versus a bus, by all means, take that option. (Vans aren't there at all hours, but they are usually an option. If they're not there, it's worth asking. I've never had a problem with the minibus drivers.)
If you take a minibus, the driver will want to put your luggage on top of the van, tying your luggage on the grill on the top of the van with a rope. Although they don't even give you a ticket for your luggage, I've never had any problems with theft or loss. (The one time I kept my package with me was when transporting a computer CPU in a box.) Tickets are usually 20 bolivianos to Copacabana ($3) but prices go up on the weekend and holidays. You might pay as much as 50 bolivianos ($7) per ticket around New Year's or Easter week (Semana Santa).
Prices are usually similar for buses versus minibuses. On the buses, however, you check your suitcase and the guy puts it in the luggage compartment at the bottom of the bus instead of having it stored on a rack on top of the vehicle. Even if you do “check your luggage,” meaning the guy puts it underneath the bus, you won’t get a claim ticket. You just recognize it later when you pick it up in Copacabana. Count on a five-hour bus ride, even if the driver lies and tells you it will only take three hours.
TAKING THE BUS TO COPACABANA FROM EL ALTO
It's unlikely you'll even be in El Alto, but just in case you are, I wanted to let you know that there is a bus stop for Copacabana here. The Copacabana bus stop in El Alto has buses running till 6.30 pm. If you are already in El Alto (let's say that you decided to go to the mercado 16 de julio, one of the world's largest open-air markets which runs on Thursdays and Sundays, which is probably the only reason you would be in El Alto in the first place) you would tell your cab driver, "La terminal nueva de El Alto."
The advantage of getting on the bus in El Alto is that you’ll slice an hour off your trip to Copacabana. Prices for tickets are comparable to those from the cemetery bus stop, usually around 20 to 30 bolivianos (less than five US dollars), excluding Bolivian holidays.
The advantage of getting on the bus in El Alto is that you’ll slice an hour off your trip to Copacabana. Prices for tickets are comparable to those from the cemetery bus stop, usually around 20 to 30 bolivianos (less than five US dollars), excluding Bolivian holidays.