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I will be in Barranquilla in about a week.  I would like to see Cartagena and Santa Marta.  Is it safe to travel to these cities by bus????  Any information would be appreciated!!!

Thanks
Jon

... in response to Travel between Barranquilla and Cartagen..., posted by nrvana on Sep 4, 2001

And it probably still is...but there has been alot of terrorist activity in BQ lately, as in mail bombs and another bomb this week in a barrio close to my girl's.  Makes me think the whole area is getting more active.  I'm sure glad I took care of business and got the heck out of dodge while the gettin' was good!!

Mike

... in response to Travel between Barranquilla and Cartagen..., posted by nrvana on Sep 4, 2001

Ordinarily, I would not recommend overland travel in Colombia.  It is much safer to fly between cities in that country than it is to travel by bus or car.  If you go by land, do not travel at night.

When I visited Cartagena for the first time a year ago, I took a day trip to Santa Marta.  I travelled with a tour group on a tour bus.  We took the toll road between Cartagena and Barranquilla.

I consider the trip between Cartagena and Santa Marta to be safe, as long as you travel during daylight hours, and do so on a tour bus, like I did.

Also, I have known guys who have taxied between Barranquilla and Cartagena, and consider the trip to be safe.  Again, this is a toll road, it is patroled, and there are military check points.

If you go, have a good time.

... in response to Travel between Barranquilla and Cartagen..., posted by nrvana on Sep 4, 2001

Nrvana,

When I was down there in June, I traveled from Barranquilla to Cartagena and back by car(daylight trips). I had been told and reassured by all my friends down there that the road between BAQ and CART is fine. -And according to my very quiet trips, I would agree with them.(have traveled to Cart from BAQ june/2001 & july/2000)

I haven't been to Santa Marta since last summer(2000). Took a car then as well, and my same friends were adamant then that the roads were patroled and safe as well. On the trip to and from Santa Marta, CHP passed us on the road...that's Colombian Highway Patrol. ;)

If you're planning on taking a bus, I'd suggest taking a non-stop bus. The only stops in between would be at the toll booths or by the police. Every time I have been on the road in between BAQ and CART or SM, there were buses pulled over by the police.

Note: When buses get pulled over by the police, or stopped at the toll booths it can be a LOOONG drawn out process if there are many on board the bus and the police decide to run all the ID's through their computer.

Tai

... in response to Travel between Barranquilla and Cartagen..., posted by nrvana on Sep 4, 2001

when i was in cartagena a few months ago, i took a bus to barranquilla and santa marta without any problems. of course i can't say that it'll always be 100% safe but this is what the locals told me. travel between cartagena/barranquilla is safe on the roads as long as it's during the day, BEFORE 5pm, after that you're looking for trouble. between barranquilla/santa marta there's more of a chance of something happening on the roads but same holds true, travel in the daytime, NEVER at night. good luck

... in response to Travel between Barranquilla and Cartagen..., posted by nrvana on Sep 4, 2001

As a general rule, I think it's safer to fly between cities in Colombia than to drive (or ride a bus).  I never folowed the general rules when I was searching in Colombia several years ago, and one time I encountered several armed guerillas in the countryside.  Nothing happened, but I learned my lesson.

... in response to Fly, posted by Patrick on Sep 4, 2001

During the day, it is safe to travel by car or bus on the route connecting Cartagena and Santa Marta, with Barranquilla in the middle. I have done the BAQ to CTG drive about a dozen times in the past year and believe it to be safe (by Colombian standards). I would only do it during daylight hours. In any other area of Colombia, I would only fly between cities.