Maiquetía's Simón Bolívar Airport has three passenger terminals (Internacional, Nacional and Auxiliar) and is 25 km away from central Caracas via a highway through the coastal mountains. A new road bridge, replacing one that collapsed in 2006, came into service in July 2007, ending months of tortuous journeys to and from the airport. The trip to Caracas should now take around 40 minutes or up to 60-70 minutes during rush hour.
This international airport is served by American Airlines, Aeropostal, Aerolíneas Argentinas, Avianca, Aero República, Alitalia, Air France, Air Canada, Continental, Delta, Iberia, LAN, TACA and Varig among others. Non stop flights are available to and from Miami, New York, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Madrid, Paris, Roma, Milano, Frankfurt, Lisbon, Aruba, Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena de Indias, Panamá City, Lima, Fort de France, Toronto and other cities.
Taxi fares are usually BsF 150 (US$70 at official rate, around US$ 35 at "tourist" rate) to Caracas but there are many unlicensed taxis offering their services and travelers should exercise caution. In particular, it is advised to agree on a price before getting into the taxi, not sharing with anyone other than the driver, with a preference given to the airport's official black Ford Explorer cabs. Check with your hotel to see if they arrange airport pickup - it may need to be booked in advance. There is also a new taxi service that you can book online at .
Please be aware that there is an exit fee of BsF 162.50 that must be paid in cash as the office in charge of collection does not accept credit cards. However there are ATMs, currency exchange houses (charging the official rate) and unofficial brokers willing to provide BsFs at a more advantageous rate.
Rate and comment
