Travel and hotels 

Bogota in brief

Bogotá is the metropolitan center of Colombia, with a total population of nearly 10 million people. It is a vibrant and diverse city with a lot to offer in terms of historical sites, museums, markets, shopping, cafés, restaurants and nightlife.

The city was founded in the 1530s by the Spanish conquerors, right at the heart of one of the most important indigenous cultures that dominated the area at the time. The architecture of the city center (La Candelaria) still maintains a lot of the colonial charm, mixed with neoclassical and modern buildings. It is beautifully bordered by green mountains (the cerros) that shelter the city to the east.

Bogotá is located 2,640mt (8,675ft) above sea level. Its weather is pleasant and cool all year round (50°F/10°C-68°F/20°C). It can rain during any month of the year, so having an umbrella with you can be useful as well as dressing in layers.

 Transport information

Air travel

The International Airport of El Dorado (BOG) serves the city of Bogotá and was renovated recently. It is located in the west of the city, only 13 miles from the city center where Universidad de los Andes is located. www.eldorado.aero/en/

Transportation to and from the airport
The best way to travel to and from the airport is a taxi cab. Make sure to use a taxi service authorized by the airport. As soon as you go through customs in the airport, you will find booths with Taxi signs. You can go to one of those and tell them where you are going. They will give you a ticket with the price. Then you can catch the taxi with the name of that company outside in the curb. You can also request a safe taxi using the APPs “Uber”, “Tappsi” or “Easy Tappsi”. These APPs use only registered taxis and confirm the plates of the taxi that will pick you up.
Taxis to and from the airport can cost between $20,000 and $40,000 Colombian pesos, depending on the area of the city where you are going.
Your hotel can help you arrange a taxi service back to the airport on your departure date. Ask them about the appropriate time to leave the hotel in order to get to the airport in time. Arrive at the airport 3 hour prior to the time of your flight for international flights, and 1.5 hours for national flights.

Local transport in Bogota
Bogotá has a public transportation system that includes TransMilenio (the main mass transit system, which works like a subway but is run by red buses in an exclusive lane at street level), and SITP buses (blue and orange buses without an exclusive lane). TransMilenio and SITP buses use fare cards (“Tarjeta tu llave” or “Tarjeta cliente frecuente”) that you have to buy in advance. A trip TransMilenio is $2,000 and a trip in a SITP bus is $1,700. For more information about each option you can go to the following links:
TransMilenio: http://www.transmilenio.gov.co/
SITP: http://www.sitp.gov.co/
You can also download the APP “Moovit”, which helps you find the possible ways to get to your destination by giving you information about public transportation routes, stops and schedules, as well as alternative ways to move around the city.

For those staying at hotels in the north of the city near carrera séptima (Av. 7), the best SITP route to get to Universidad de los Andes is orange bus 18-3.

Taxis are another good way to move around the city. We recommend you do not get a taxi directly in the street but instead have your hotel arrange for a taxi or use one of the following APP services:
“Uber”: it allows you to order a trip with registered private cars that drive passengers to their destinations. You don’t have to pay the driver directly. Instead, the APP charges your credit card directly.
“Tappsi” or “Easy Taxi”: these apps help you order a registered yellow taxi from your current location. The APP confirms the plates of the taxi that will pick you up.

Traffic in Bogotá can be very heavy, especially during rush hour. Keep this in mind when planning your itineraries.

  Hotel areas (downtown and north)

The conference will be held at the Universidad de los Andes, located in downtown Bogotá and the historic center of the city (La Candelaria neighbourhood).  In this area visitors can find the most important museums, churches, government offices and tourist attractions. All hotels recommended in this zone are located within walking distance from the University campus.  This area, however, is a little lonely at night and visitors should be careful when taking evening strolls.

Many of Bogotá’s visitors stay in the northern part of town around Zona G and Zona T, areas known for their variety of commercial establishments and restaurants.  They provide easy access to a wide choice of food and shopping alternatives, both during the day and at night, while still offering easy access to the University´s facilities through taxicabs and public transportation.

You are welcome to choose an alternative to any of the hotels suggested below.