Driving in Colombia

Having a car during your visit to Colombia can mean you have more freedom, more spontaneity, and can visit even more of this amazing country. The intercity road network is now largely very safe with well-maintained roads, while driving in major cities is far easier than it has ever been.

That said, there are many factors to consider when working out if driving is right for you. Colombian roads can be dangerous; you need to ensure you follow unique restrictions, have all of the right paperwork and know where you should avoid.

I have lived in Colombia for 15 years and have driven around my home city of Medellin, plus taken long trips around the country. In this article, I will discuss everything you need to know about driving in Colombia.

Driving in Colombia: An Overview

Renting a car gives you a lot of flexibility and is particularly useful to get out to the villages and fincas surrounding major cities.

In Medellin, for example, many thousands of people spend their weekends at “fincas” (farms or rural country houses) over the weekends. There are over a dozen very popular villages that can be reached in under 2 hours by driving, with a range of climates. While it is possible to get there on a bus or with a tour group, these are very safe, well-maintained routes that are easy to drive.

Driving in Colombia also makes it easy to have a flexible schedule when traveling between cities, you can stop off at interesting sites along the way and go with the flow.

Within larger cities, the main roads and highways are relatively easy to navigate with Waze or Google Maps. There are many areas you should avoid, although it is unlikely you would stumble across these if you take the fastest route on your map app.

If you take the wrong turn, however, you could find yourself on a near-vertical incline in a sketchy neighborhood with a bus behind you begging you not to stop your forward momentum, or you are both only going backward. I have lived in Medellín for a long time, and I don’t think I have ever gone a week without seeing at least one crashed car.

Parking in major cities is also quite expensive and in certain areas hard to find. It may cost more to park for 3 hours than it would have cost to get there and back in an Uber. This is a big reason why I often decide against driving in Colombia.

There are certain circumstances when renting a car can really add to the experience, but it is likely in major cities that even if you have a rental car, it will prove easier and more cost-effective to order an Uber.

On long rides between cities, most of the roads you will use are perfectly safe, with some military and police checkpoints along the way. That said, you should always do your research because there are still large areas of the country where illegal armed groups retain a significant level of influence or overall control.

Traveling between cities on a bus means you have fully reclinable seats, Wi-Fi, air conditioning, entertainment systems, food stops, and peace of mind. Buses run regularly between the main routes, and you should be able to sleep the whole way.

It is also important to remember that you will always be expected to overtake what is in front of you by the car behind, or they will be plotting how to overtake you. Unless the road is clear or has 2 lanes, which is very rare, there is no relaxed, carefree cruising.

What documents do I need when driving to Colombia?

To drive in Colombia, you need a valid driving license, passport, and a SOAT certificate (Seguro Obligatorio para Accidentes de Tránsito). SOAT (pronounced So-At) is third-party vehicle insurance and this is the minimum, although it is of course recommended to have something more comprehensive.

The passport may not be requested, but to be able to drive solely using your foreign driving license, you should be able to prove you are visiting on a 90-day tourist visa. If you have a long-term work visa or residency, you are expected to acquire a Colombian license. A photocopy of your passport and the relevant entry stamp should be enough in most instances.

Do I need Colombian car insurance?

When driving in Colombia, you need SOAT (Obligatory Transit Accident Insurance) as a minimum, which protects other drivers in the event of a crash or accident.

Do I need an international driving permit?

If you have proof of entry to the country on a tourist visa valid for 90 days or fewer, plus a valid international driving license, then you do not need an international driving permit.

How do Colombians drive, and how safe are the roads?

After years of driving, I still can’t decide if Colombian drivers are very good or very bad.

The roads are chaotic, people switch lanes constantly, often drivers don’t know what road signs mean, people regularly drive through stop signs, there is a real issue with drunk driving in certain regions, people swerve around potholes, quite a few people have never taken a driving test, and speeding is quite common.

On the other hand, with all that said, there are far fewer accidents than you would expect. Colombian drivers are excellent at improvising solutions, reactions are often razor sharp, they are very good at working their way through very tight streets, clutch control on near-vertical hills is impeccable, and they are very good at reminding the car in front not to drift into the adjoining lane.

Driving in Colombia is very challenging and definitely not for the faint of heart. If you are used to driving in Europe or the US, it will be a bit of a shock.

Military and police checkpoints

When traveling between cities, it is very likely you will be stopped at least once by police or military. They will ask to see identification and usually just give a quick look around the car. You shouldn’t worry about this, and usually you will be on your way again within a couple of minutes if all is in order.

Within cities, the police may also randomly pull over cars to check documents and ensure everything is as it should be. They often do areas such as the 4 Sur bridge in Medellin, where drivers can’t see them in advance and can’t avoid them. They may ask for your ID, license, and SOAT.

General Tips on Renting a Car in Colombia

Choosing the right vehicle for your trip

The type of vehicle you go for will depend on your travel plans. The roads in the areas you are likely to visit in cities, assuming you aren’t planning to ascend the steep, narrow labyrinth of the “popular” neighborhoods on the hills, will usually be well-maintained. Some cities are better than others, but aside from the occasional pothole, you should be able to comfortably get around with any car type.

Roads between major cities are now also mostly smooth, fairly wide, and concrete, which means any vehicle will be fine. If you are looking to head out to beaches, villages, and fincas beyond the major routes, then a 4×4 would be a good option.

In terms of size, again, it depends on what you want to do. If you expect to cross between major cities regularly, then something more spacious may be a comfortable option. That said, within older towns, and neighborhoods, the roads can be very narrow and aren’t built like modern cities.

Think narrow European streets rather than open, wide US cities built for cars.

4x4s have a premium for rental companies, whereas smaller hatchbacks and economy sedan cars are usually similarly priced.

Rental insurance

The rental company should have proof of your SOAT as standard, but you can supplement this with more comprehensive insurance options. Personal accident insurance can cost between US$5 and US$13 per day, supplementary liability protection between US$8 and US$17, while a full damage waiver can be around US$21 per day.

Parking

Malls almost always have multistory parking, and when you are downtown in a city center, you will find privately owned parking areas. These can be underground parking or just an area of land surrounded by a wall with security and a kiosk to pay.

Parking on the street can at times be tricky, but it is what you will be doing in most situations. For European readers, this shouldn’t be too much of a challenge, but I know in the US people may be used to much more space.

Police

Transit Police in Colombia wear fluorescent yellow jackets with dark green pants. As mentioned above, they can set up checkpoints within cities or on major roads between cities.

When you are stopped, they will ask for your photo ID and the photo ID of anyone in the car as well as papers for the vehicle and insurance. Stay calm and friendly, it should just be a couple of minutes before you are on your way.

Pico y Placa

“Pico y Placa”, meaning “peak and plate”, is a system to ease peak hour congestion on the roads in Medellin and Bogota. Between 6 am and 9 am, and then 5 pm and 8pm, only certain vehicles are allowed to drive in major cities.

You can check what days you can drive in Medellin here and in Bogotá here. If you go down to “particulares” it will give a list of numbers that cannot drive on any given day. The numbers refer to the final number on your car number plate.

Police and automatic cameras are placed around the city, registering any cars that break the rules and issuing fines.

Speed Limits

Below is a summary of speed limits when driving in Colombia:

• In either commercial districts of the larger cities or suburban districts, 30 miles per hour
• On an unpaved county road, 35 miles per hour
• On a highway in remote areas, 70 miles per hour
• On an urban freeway or a multi-lane divided highway, 65 miles per hour
• In all other places, 55 miles per hour.

There are fixed speed cameras in major cities, mostly on the larger roads. There are also cameras that record cars going through red lights.

Seat Belts

Seatbelts are mandatory for everyone in a moving car in Colombia. In reality, many people in the backseat won’t wear seatbelts, and you may find taxis that don’t even have them. Despite this, they are obligator,y and the police may check when they stop a car.

Toll Roads

Larger intercity roads may have tolls for certain stretches or when they pass through big tunnels. It is always a good idea to carry a decent amount of cash with you to pay for these.

Between Medellin and Bogota, for example, it takes just over 8 hours and there are 6 tolls which cost a total of 100,500 COP (US$25). You can check how many tolls there are and the cost here.

You should slow down, hand over the cash, and then continue forward when the barrier lifts. Sometimes there are lines to pass the toll, and sellers will be offering drinks and snacks.

You could also sign up for FlyPass, which means the cost is deducted from an account you have to top up, and you don’t have to slow down and pay. This does save some time on waiting in line and means you don’t need cash, although it may not be worth it for a short visit.

Gas Station

At the gas station, pull up to the pump and stay in your car. An attendant will come over and ask how much money you would like, and they will manage the pump. It is possible to pay by cash or by card.

They also have a lot of soft drinks, snacks, and some have a restaurant and a small mini market available.

Driving at Night

You should take extra caution when driving at night, particularly downtown in the center of cities. Many Colombians believe that after 9 pm, you can go through a red light by law to prevent robberies. While this isn’t strictly the case, the police definitely turn a blind eye to that, knowing how dangerous certain areas can be driving late.

Drunk driving is also a major issue in many cities around Colombia, and this is obviously more prevalent at night.

One-way roads

There are some one-way streets in Colombian cities, although they aren’t very typical. You will find many streets which are only wide enough for a single car, and there may be a fair amount of reversing and squeezing through.

One-way streets are called “contravia” and you will see signs.

FAQ: Driving in Colombia