Getting around Colombia without a car: buses, metro and ride-hailing

When I lived and worked in Colombia, I rarely missed having a car. The big cities have mass transit systems that carry millions of people, intercity buses reach almost every town, and domestic flights connect the regions separated by the Andes. This guide explains how each option works and what to set up when you arrive.

Bogota: TransMilenio and the SITP

Bogota's public transport runs as an integrated system called the SITP (Sistema Integrado de Transporte Público). Its backbone is TransMilenio, a bus rapid transit network with dedicated lanes and enclosed stations along the main avenues. Feeder and neighbourhood routes, now branded TransMiZonal, run on regular streets and stop at marked "paraderos."

Points that matter for newcomers:

• Operating hours. TransMilenio's website lists trunk-line hours of 04:00 to 23:00 Monday to Friday, 05:00 to 23:00 on Saturday and 05:00 to 22:00 on Sundays and holidays, noting they are subject to change.
• Payment. You pay with a rechargeable "tullave" card at station gates and on buses. Cards can be recharged at stations and points of sale, and the TransMilenio site offers web recharge and a balance check.
• Planning. TransMilenio's route finder and its TransMiApp show routes and stations. Routes have letter and number codes, and the same corridor can have local and express services that skip stations, so check the code before boarding.
• Fleet. TransMilenio says its system now runs 1,633 fully electric buses across 10 electric depots.
• Changes. The system publishes frequent operational changes, such as route renamings and temporary station closures, on its website.
• Contact. TransMilenio lists line 195 for 24-hour service.

At rush hour the trunk lines are very crowded. Keep your phone and wallet in front pockets or a zipped bag, and wear your backpack on your chest in packed stations. Bogota also has a large network of bike lanes (ciclorrutas), and TransMilenio runs a TransMiBici bike-parking service at some stations.

Medellin: the Metro system

Medellin's Metro is the country's only urban rail metro and the core of an integrated system that includes Metrocable gondola lines, the Ayacucho tram and feeder buses. The Metro de Medellin website shows a live status board for each line (lettered and numbered lines such as A, B, H, J, K, L, M, P, T, O, 1 and 2) as normal, restricted or not operating.

You pay with a Cívica card, which works across the integrated system. The Metro site explains fares, hours, maps and rules, and its App Cívica lets you manage the card from your phone. The site also explains how to get a personalised Cívica card.

The Metrocable lines are worth a ride even if you have no errand. They were built to connect hillside neighbourhoods to the valley floor and give a clear view of how the city is laid out.

Other cities

Cali has the MIO bus rapid transit system, Barranquilla has Transmetro, and Cartagena has Transcaribe. They work on the same principle as TransMilenio: trunk lines with stations and a prepaid card. In smaller cities, private buses and "busetas" are the norm. You pay the driver in cash, and stops are wherever someone flags the bus down.

Taxis and ride-hailing

Taxis are plentiful and generally inexpensive compared with the US. In Bogota and some other cities, fares are calculated with units on a meter that the driver converts with a printed table, and surcharges apply at night, on holidays and for airport trips. Ask the driver to use the meter or agree on the fare before setting off.

A common habit among residents, and one I followed, is to avoid hailing taxis on the street and instead request one through an app or by phone from a known company. Many residents use ride-hailing apps for the same reason, since the app records the driver, the car and the route.

Ride-hailing apps operate widely in Colombian cities, but their legal status has been contested for years, and the national rules for private vehicles carrying paying passengers are set by the Ministry of Transport. In practice, drivers sometimes ask you to sit in front. Taxi apps that dispatch licensed yellow taxis are a fully regulated alternative.

Intercity buses

Long-distance buses leave from municipal bus terminals ("terminales de transporte") in every major city. Several companies serve the main routes, from large coaches to small vans. You buy tickets at the company's window in the terminal or online. A few habits help:

• Buy from a company window inside the terminal, not from people approaching you in the hall.
• Bring a jacket. Coaches are often air-conditioned to cold temperatures, and mountain routes cross high passes.
• Expect long journey times. Mountain roads are winding, and landslides or roadworks can close a route for hours during rainy seasons.
• Keep valuables on you rather than in overhead racks.

The Ministry of Transport and Invías publish information on the national road network, and the National Police lists #767 as its road safety line if something happens on the road.

Domestic flights

Because the Andes split the country into separate regions, flying is often the practical way to travel long distances. A trip that takes a day by bus can be under an hour by plane. The Aeronáutica Civil, Colombia's civil aviation authority, reports that 39.4 million passengers travelled by air in Colombia between January and August 2026, which gives a sense of how central flying is to getting around.

Bogota's El Dorado is the main hub, with frequent flights to Medellin, Cali, Cartagena, Barranquilla, Santa Marta, Bucaramanga, Pereira and smaller cities. Carry your passport or Cédula de Extranjería for domestic flights, since airlines check identification at check-in and boarding.

Walking and cycling

Many neighbourhoods are pleasant to walk, especially in Medellin's El Poblado and Laureles and in Bogota's Chapinero and Usaquén. On Sundays and holidays, Bogota closes major roads to cars in the morning for the Ciclovía, and thousands of people walk, run and cycle along them. Medellin and other cities run similar programmes.

At night, short trips are usually safer by app taxi than on foot, especially in areas you do not know.

Setting up when you arrive

1. Get a tullave card in Bogota or a Cívica card in Medellin at a station.
2. Install the transit app for your city and a trusted taxi or ride-hailing app.
3. Save line 123 for emergencies in your phone.
4. If you will be outside the big cities often, read the guide on driving with a US license before renting a car.

Common questions

How do I pay for TransMilenio in Bogota? With a rechargeable tullave card at station gates and on buses. You can recharge at stations and points of sale, and TransMilenio's website offers web recharge and a balance check.

What are TransMilenio's operating hours? TransMilenio lists trunk-line hours of 04:00 to 23:00 on weekdays, 05:00 to 23:00 on Saturdays and 05:00 to 22:00 on Sundays and holidays, subject to change.

Which card do I need for the Medellin Metro? The Cívica card, which works across the Metro, Metrocable, tram and integrated buses. The Metro de Medellín website explains fares, hours and how to get one.

Are taxis safe in Colombia? A common habit among residents is to avoid hailing taxis on the street and to request one by app or phone from a known company, so the driver and route are recorded.