Colombia: main airports

Colombia requires preparation, but the main tourist cities (Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena, the Coffee Region) are generally accessible with the usual precautions of a large Latin American city: avoid displaying valuables, do not take unofficial taxis off the street, be wary of scams and theft in crowded areas. Some rural areas of the country, particularly border zones and remote regions, remain affected by the presence of illegal armed groups and kidnapping risk: always find out about the specific itinerary before leaving established tourist routes. San Andrés and the main cities are generally calmer than the rest of the country.

The currency is the Colombian peso (COP); it is not possible to pay directly in euros or dollars in most situations: withdrawing from an ATM with a card enabled for foreign withdrawals is generally the most practical method. Credit cards are widely accepted in cities. Uber operates (in a regulatory grey area but widespread) together with InDriver in the main cities; official taxis generally need to be called via dedicated apps (Tappsi, among others) rather than hailed on the street. For connectivity, the operators Claro, Movistar and Tigo sell prepaid SIM cards. For driving, an International Driving Permit (IDP) is generally also required alongside the national one.