10 hour layover in Bogota

[Tartegogo]

For those who have tried that:

Would it be worth getting out of the airport and visiting the city? 

The airport seems very close to the center.

But mainly my question is about:

- is the immigration process in Colombia (in and out) so painful that it kills the opportunity? 

- can I just leave my luggage in their transit system and I don’t have to pick it up at the carrousel even if I leave the airport, or is this breaking some sort of rule? 

Thanks!

[trzinko]

airport is close, immigration is fast.

 

however 10 hours is little, and i have no idea what to do with luggage....   if you check to final destination, which is not in colombia, luggage will stay in transit system.

i have done 3 internal flights in colombia in 2016. on any one of them luggage came 1 flight later, and it was delivered to my hotel.  but it arrived.

 

[tassojunior]

St Moritz and Babylon saunas are close to each other. I'd say best 2. 

Find out how early you can check bag onto next flight and most airports/airline baggage offices have baggage hold.

If it's sight seeing do not miss the Gold Museum, 1000's of solid gold pre-Columbian art pieces. Amazing. Also Botero museum nearby. 

[Riobard]

Tartegogo, I suggest you specify:

1) Is your final destination elsewhere in Colombia or is it International?

2) Is your flight that follows the layover period, whether domestic or international, booked on the same airline (or a codeshare) with one provider, or is it an independently booked flight?

I have read that, unlike other countries in the region, your baggage may be sent directly through to the domestic flight to the final Colombian destination. But you clear customs at your initial point of landing. 

Your baggage must be cleared at customs at point of landing for some connections to Colombian destinations, eg Armenia.

[Tartegogo]

1) Final dest is Rio

2) Same airline  for both flights (avianca) and it would be just one single booking.

That is, if I actually book this flight.

32 minutes ago, Riobard said:

Tartegogo, I suggest you specify:

1) Is your final destination elsewhere in Colombia or is it International?

2) Is your flight that follows the layover period, whether domestic or international, booked on the same airline (or a codeshare) with one provider, or is it an independently booked flight?

I have read that, unlike other countries in the region, your baggage may be sent directly through to the domestic flight to the final Colombian destination. But you clear customs at your initial point of landing. 

Your baggage must be cleared at customs at point of landing for some connections to Colombian destinations, eg Armenia.

 

[Riobard]

My sense is your checked bags will stay with Avianca and transfer through to Brasil, but I suggest you verify with the airline. 

If you leave the airport, with your carryon carried by you thru Bogota excursion, or stowed at the airport ... obviously verify terminals and stow at the departure terminal for Rio, though likely the same ... I believe you will complete customs form and clear customs but ask for a transit stamp in your passport. Maybe even craft a brief planned excursion itinerary, if grilled. 

I think without the transit designation you may have to pay, in COP cash or debit/credit, an additional airport tax when you return for your Rio flight. You will need to clear customs to board since you officially entered Colombia. The officers may want to rifle through your carryon items. Then likely another queue for security, etc. 

Ideally, you will have your Rio leg tickets issued at US check-in but sometimes a long layover will require the boarding pass step at Avianca counter in Bogota. 

Your available unencumbered time in Bogota is obviously whittled down by the transit requirements and degree of local traffic congestion if peak rush-hour etc. 

[Riobard]

Storage: T1, 1st floor, next to Hertz

[numazu]

5 hours ago, Tartegogo said:

Would it be worth getting out of the airport and visiting the city? 

Of course its worth it, but depends on what you're going to do. What times were you thinking? Is it for saunas or tourism? An Uber to La Candelaria will get you to Plaza Bolivar, Museo de Oro and the other nice museums.  It is the old part of Bogota so its nice to walk around. From there you can take a short taxi ride to the teleferico station to go up Monserrate. Probably a 2 hour visit overall in Monserrate if you don't stay long. Nice views, some shops to buy some recuerdos. Worth the $7 roundtrip ticket on the cable car.

I have not been to the saunas so can't comment on that.

5 hours ago, Tartegogo said:

The airport seems very close to the center.

Close-ish I guess.  These were my Uber rides from last April and this month from the airport to north of Chapinero:

Both were around 45 minutes to get to Chapinero. One in the morning during rush hour, another in the middle of the afternoon, both weekdays.

5 hours ago, Tartegogo said:

- is the immigration process in Colombia (in and out) so painful that it kills the opportunity? 

It is painful compared to other countries, but in my experience, Bogota has the fastest immigration line among the Colombian airports I've been to. My longest wait was 30 minutes one time (3 international arrivals all queued up), but I've done it some times in just 5 minutes (usually coming from Biz class so in front of plane and rushed to the "Extranjeros" line before all the other gringos). 

The security and immigration at departures though, has consistently been a wait for me. Sometimes it takes an hour to get through the line to immigration and security.  My average has been 30 minutes.

Medellin to me is the absolute worst. The smaller airports Cartagena and Baranquilla also have long wait times through immigration.  I don't know why it takes so long. I never spend longer than 15 seconds with an immigration officer.

I've had two instances where I left the airport during a long layover in Bogota.  One was a 12 hour overnight layover which I just basically got a hotel in Chapinero and went to gay bars and used the room for hooking up. Another during the day and did some shopping and had a meal with a friend. Both times I did not have to pay an airport tax, and I did not have the transit designation in my passport stamp. Your mileage may vary though. I've seen on TripAdvisor some who were in transit and did not pay airport tax, but others were asked to pay it, and had to have the airline intervene on their behalf to show proof they were only there less than 24 hours and therefore were in transit.

I found this in their website.  It says if in transit no need to pay the tax, but unsure if this only means if you stay airside, or if it is also applicable if you leave the airport. I haven't had to pay Airport Tax in my Avianca flights, but I guess based on the online forums, your mileage may vary. 

[Tartegogo]

Thanks guys. 

My question was about the hassle, the process and how many free hours I would end up enjoying in the city center, not whether Bogota itself is worth it. That, I know. 

From what you say it looks like I could end up with a little bit more than 5:30 hours in the city, versus 4:30 hours in the process (Uber, security, immigration, waiting at the gate, etc  )

Seems worth it. 

[Riobard]

I would do it, for sure. But I would complete Montserrat first, as lineups and whether both funicular and cable-car are operational may vary. Once out of the way it may be easier to gauge the remaining sights' time management. 

I may have misrepresented the transit designation after reading a few reports about it. It is not a special stamp. It is a regular immigration entry stamp that the customs officer can subsequently write "transit" over with a pen. Maybe the officer "conveniently" or innocently neglects this step at times, so I would personally underscore my transit status and demonstrate the brevity of country entry, as well as emphasize (when entering Colombia) being an international as opposed to domestic passenger upon return for the next flight. 

I am thinking myself of breaking up a flight to Brasil by stopover in Bogota in the future. Just for sightseeing, one or two nights lodgings, and to spare the onerous flight duration otherwise typically endured. But likely two unrelated return flight segments, two independent carriers. 

[numazu]

1 hour ago, Tartegogo said:

Thanks guys. 

My question was about the hassle, the process and how many free hours I would end up enjoying in the city center, not whether Bogota itself is worth it. That, I know. 

From what you say it looks like I could end up with a little bit more than 5:30 hours in the city, versus 4:30 hours in the process (Uber, security, immigration, waiting at the gate, etc  )

Seems worth it. 

Oh yeah, definitely doable.  What's funny is that 5 hours is usually my average time in a typical day that I use for tourist activities in Colombia: wake up late morning after a night at the clubs, eat breakfast, then head over to whatever sites the city offers, and then after 5 hours or so of ubering, sight-seeing, souvenir shopping and coffee breaks at Juan Valdez,  we then have a late lunch in the late afternoon, before heading back to the hotel to have sex and have a disco nap before going out at night again.

[tassojunior]

Be aware Avianca Brazil is not the same as the traditional Avianca which is a top-class airline. Not sure which this flight to Rio would be. Avianca Brazil was an established but not very good airline Avianca bought or franchised. 

The Gold Museum and Botero Museum in Candelaria take the least time and are the main two "must--does unique to Bogota.  I passed on Montserrat as it takes too long and I've been up hundreds of mountains. Candelaria to the gay Chaperniro saunas is actually a fast straight trip up the main street of Bogota and both Babylon and St Moritz are on it a block or two apart. They're day saunas mostly but probably open late. 

[Walker]

On 8/29/2018 at 11:16 AM, numazu1 said:

 

Close-ish I guess.  These were my Uber rides from last April and this month from the airport to north of Chapinero:

Both were around 45 minutes to get to Chapinero. One in the morning during rush hour, another in the middle of the afternoon, both weekdays.

 

Based on my one and only experience at Bogota airport last year, getting Uber there was not an easy task.  Uber was not legal in Colombia when I visited last year. In fact when I hired Uber later on in the city, every drive asked me to sit in the front to avoid harassment by policemen or whoever.  Situations may have changed now.  But last year I saw most Colombians at BOG airport hired taxi (private or shared) outside of the arrival halls.  Unlike MEX airport where you can see tons of people standing outside arrival hall, checking their Uber apps on the phones, nobody at BOG does this.  I tried to get an Uber at BOG, but did not know where to meet Uber car and Uber App did not give you any instruction at BOG.  I supposed I had to walk to a parking lot or some side street to meet the driver because Uber was not legal and needed to operate under the table.  Anyway, I requested Uber and the driver called, but spoke no English.  After a couple attempts, I gave up and just hired a taxi like everyone else did.  Of course taxi was much more expensive than Uber, but still reasonable.   The Uber situation at BOG airport may have changed now, but you still need to be able to speak Espanol if Uber driver calls you. 

[Riobard]

Über does not have a legal 'blessing' in Colombia, but it thrives in a "grey" area because the authorities can not hassle each driver each time. They avoid confrontation in the airport vehicle queues, particularly for arrival pickup, with licensed taxis, etc. Über does not indicate a particular terminal door. That would just become a target. My understanding is they usually pick you up in the parking lot across from the terminal exit.

This has happened to me in other locations. The most complicated and longest walk to the car was in Puerto Vallarta, including an overpass foot bridge to the other side of the highway. You need to use the message function on the app, and possibly google translate. If a driver calls me, I make sure I have learned the relevant phrase "I will text you a message because I am English". Because you need to find their license plate and they need to spot you, I also make sure to wear a clue such as a red baseball cap or turn on a pocket flashlight at night, and message them that info.

[Riobard]

PS: I don't think it will bankrupt anybody to take a taxi leaving the airport, and then use Über locally while there and to return to the airport. 

[Uqtyang]

Just remembered the extreme long line of security and immigration after checking in.  No priority lines either no matter what class you travel.  I suggest you  Leave an extra hour when you come back to the airport after your in the city.