Should you drive in Bogotá?
For getting around the city itself, most visitors are better off without a car. App taxis are easy to order, and a taxi booked by your hotel is the standard choice after dark.
Bogotá's traffic is heavy, and traffic can double journey times at rush hour. On top of that, pico y placa limits the days and hours when you may drive, and parking at hotels is not always included in the rate.
A car makes sense for road trips. Guatavita, Zipaquirá, Choachí, and the warm towns to the west are about 15 to 53 km (9 to 33 miles) from central Bogotá as the crow flies. With a car, you can stay the night and move between towns.
Getting around the city without a car
Bogotá has several ways to move around that don't involve pico y placa. Most visitors use a mix of them.
- App taxis and ride-hailing: the simplest choice for visitors, door to door, with the route and the fare in the app.
- Taxis booked by your hotel: useful at night and for early trips to El Dorado.
- TransMilenio: the city's bus rapid transit system, with its own lanes on the main avenues. It is fast on long routes and crowded at rush hour.
- Bicycles: Bogotá has a large network of bike lanes, called ciclorrutas, plus the Sunday Ciclovía.
A first metro line is under construction. Until it opens, the roads carry nearly all traffic, which is one more reason pico y placa exists.
Pico y placa in Bogotá, explained
Pico y placa (roughly "peak and plate") is the city's system to reduce traffic. On set days and at set hours, private cars may not drive in the city, depending on the last digit of their license plate.
The rules change from time to time: which digits apply on which days, the hours, and the exemptions. That is why we don't print a schedule here. Check the current rules on the website of the Secretaría de Movilidad, the city's transport department, before you drive.
The city has also offered a paid permit to drive during restricted hours, known as pico y placa solidario. Whether it suits a short visit depends on the current terms, so check them first.
On some long weekends, Bogotá has applied a regional version of the rule to cars entering the city on the last day of the holiday. If you plan to come back on a holiday Monday, check whether it applies and which plates may enter at what time.
Parking at hotels and in the city
Hotel parking in Bogotá is common but not universal. Our list of hotels in Bogotá with parking shows the places where parking is listed, from the airport area to Parque 93.
A listing tells you parking exists, not what it costs or how big the spaces are. Before you book, ask whether parking is free or paid, whether you need to reserve a space, and whether larger cars fit.
Outside hotels, look for a parqueadero (a paid parking lot or garage). Street parking in busy areas is limited, and a guarded lot is the calmer choice for an overnight stop.
Hotels with parking in Bogotá
Hotel Habitel Select is about 2.3 km (1.4 miles) from El Dorado as the crow flies, with parking and a free airport shuttle listed. It has a guest rating of 8.4/10 from more than 6,000 reviews.
Hilton Garden Inn Bogota Airport, about 4.5 km from El Dorado, lists parking and a free airport shuttle, with a guest rating of 8.9/10 from more than 4,000 reviews. Both suit drivers who pick up or drop off a rental car at the airport.
In the north, Hotel Windsor House Inn By GEH Suites is about 0.5 km from Parque 93, with parking, a spa, and a gym. Downtown, ibis Bogota Museo lists parking and a 24-hour front desk, with a guest rating of 8.5/10 from more than 4,000 reviews.
GHL Hotel Capital in Salitre is a 5-star hotel with parking and a free airport shuttle listed, about 6.5 km from El Dorado. Tequendama Suites Bogota, downtown, lists parking and EV charging.
Hotel Windsor House Inn By GEH Suites
Renting a car
The main rental companies have desks at El Dorado, Bogotá's international airport, west of the center. Picking up there lets you start a road trip west or north without driving through the city center.
Ask the rental company which documents they need, including whether they accept your home license, and what insurance is included. Colombia drives on the right, and distances and speed limits are in kilometers and kilometers per hour.
Main roads out of Bogotá have tolls, called peajes. Keep some cash in Colombian pesos (COP) in the car, as some booths only take cash.
If you only need a car for one or two days of a longer trip, rent it for those days. App taxis cover the city, and the car stays out of pico y placa trouble. Our list of hotels near Bogotá airport helps if you pick up the car early in the morning.
Road trips from Bogotá
These are the main road trips, with straight-line distances from central Bogotá to the places to stay we list there. Road distances are longer, and mountain roads take more time per kilometer than the highway.
| Destination | Direction | Straight-line distance | Why go | Places to stay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Calera | East | About 15 km | Viewpoints, glamping | La Calera and Choachí |
| Choachí | East | About 22 to 26 km | Hot springs, hiking | La Calera and Choachí |
| Chía, Cajicá, Zipaquirá | North | About 25 to 43 km | Salt Cathedral, country hotels | Sabana North |
| Guatavita | Northeast | About 39 to 45 km | Lagoon, reservoir, glamping | Guatavita and lakes |
| La Mesa, Anapoima, La Vega | West | About 42 to 53 km | Warm weather, pools | Warm weekend west |
| Fusagasugá | Southwest | About 46 km | A warmer town to the south | Fusagasugá |
Most of the places to stay we list outside the city have parking. La Puerta Rota in Zipaquirá is a 4-star hotel with parking, a hot tub, and EV charging listed. Hotel Sabana Park in Cajicá is a 5-star hotel with parking and a spa, about 29 km from central Bogotá.
Hotel Cordi in Guatavita lists parking and a 24-hour front desk, with a guest rating of 9.1/10 from more than 400 reviews. La Masia Hotel Boutique in Anapoima, about 50 km away, lists parking and a pool.
For ideas per town, read our guides to day trips from Bogotá and glamping near Bogotá, or browse all places to stay around Bogotá.
Driving tips for a first trip
- Leave early. Roads out of the city fill up on Friday afternoons and before long weekends.
- Come back early. Sunday afternoons and holiday Mondays bring the heaviest traffic back into Bogotá.
- Watch for motorcycles. They pass on both sides in slow traffic.
- Drive mountain roads by day. Roads to Choachí and the warm west are winding, and fog and rain can come in fast.
- Mind the Ciclovía. On Sundays and public holidays, main roads close to cars for part of the day.
- Use a navigation app. It shows closures and traffic, but always follow the road signs and traffic police.
