The Best Bus Companies of Bolivia, All the Facts Services & Details

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The best bus companies of Bolivia, a complete guide and review
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Last Updated on February 15, 2025

While Bolivia has over 20 bus companies offering travel throughout the country, only a handful provide services that meet higher standards. Many companies are inefficient and pose increased risks. For example, they may not depart on time, offer lower safety standards, have fewer routes, and experience more accidents. However, some bus companies stand out for their superior service.

Three bus companies can be considered the best in Bolivia for cross-country travel: 1) Bolivar, 2) Trans Copacabana S.A., and 3) Trans Copacabana M.E.M. 1. These companies have fewer accidents, more extensive route networks, are safer, and are favored by many Bolivians and tourists.

Here, we’ll present the top three bus companies in Bolivia. We’ll provide details on why they’re considered the best and why many people, both within and outside the country, prefer them. Additionally, we’ll offer tips on how to choose the best bus company yourself and list other companies that specifically serve the route to Oruro City.

The Top 3 Bus Companies for Traveling Around Bolivia

Bolivia has regulations for bus companies, preventing them from setting prices above or below certain limits. These policies have negatively impacted fair market competition, *ultimately diminishing the quality of service provided by most companies*. Despite this, three companies still stand out as providing good service in Bolivia, as we’ll discuss below.

1) Bolivar

This is by far the best company in Bolivia for intercity and inter-regional travel. It’s the preferred choice for most middle- and high-income Bolivians, *and also for the majority of tourists visiting our country*. This company is large, with hundreds of buses that regularly travel between numerous destinations, primarily connecting major cities but also serving other locations.

Bolivar bus company agency in La Paz bus station Bolivia
Bolivar bus company agency at the La Paz bus station, Bolivia.

On a typical day, several buses from this company depart from the bus station almost every half hour, heading to various destinations, usually other major Bolivian cities. Therefore, with this bus company, *you’ll have the option to depart from your current major city approximately every half hour*.

Bolivar is currently the best bus company operating in Bolivia because:

  • It has a lower accident rate than average.
  • It has newer buses, offering greater comfort.
  • It covers numerous routes, primarily between major cities.
  • It departs almost every half hour to principal destinations.
  • It’s slightly safer than other bus companies.
  • It departs and arrives on time.

Destinations Covered

The cities and destinations served by this bus company in Bolivia are (*round trip*):

  • La Paz – Cochabamba
  • La Paz – Santa Cruz
  • La Paz – Potosí
  • La Paz – Sucre
  • Cochabamba – Santa Cruz
  • Cochabamba – Potosí
  • Cochabamba – Sucre
  • Santa Cruz – Trinidad
  • Santa Cruz – Yacuiba
  • Santa Cruz – Sucre

You can find more information about the routes covered by this bus company here:

Unfortunately, the Bolivar bus company doesn’t offer online or advance ticket purchases.

Other Aspects

Bolivar is typically slightly more expensive than other bus companies in Bolivia (around 20% to 30% more expensive). However, in general, a one-way trip between most cities will cost between $7 and $25 with this company, for nearly all currently available destinations.

Furthermore, *it’s very common to see tourists and foreigners traveling with this company*. As mentioned earlier, Bolivians from the middle and upper classes typically travel with Bolivar.

2) Trans Copacabana S.A.

This is the second-best Bolivian bus company, in our opinion, *and also the largest as a single company*. *It offers the widest selection of routes and destinations*. It’s also a very well-known bus company used by many tourists and high-income Bolivians.

Trans Copacabana SA bus company agency in La Paz bus station Bolivia
Trans Copacabana S.A. bus company agency at the La Paz bus station, Bolivia.

This bus fleet also provides its customers with greater comfort, a lower accident rate, newer buses, and significantly more routes than most other companies operating in this field in Bolivia. *We frequently observe many tourists using Trans Copacabana S.A.* It has hundreds of buses available and departure times filling each half hour.

Destinations Covered

The cities and destinations served by this bus company in Bolivia are (*round trip*):

  • La Paz – Cochabamba
  • La Paz – Santa Cruz
  • La Paz – Sucre
  • La Paz – Potosí
  • La Paz – Tarija
  • Cochabamba – Santa Cruz
  • Cochabamba – Oruro
  • Cochabamba – Sucre
  • Cochabamba – Potosí
  • Cochabamba – Tarija
  • Santa Cruz – Oruro
  • Santa Cruz – Trinidad
  • Santa Cruz – Yacuiba

You can view all the routes and destinations available for Trans Copacabana S.A. here (Spanish):

You can also purchase your ticket online with a credit or debit card in advance with this bus company. To do so, simply follow the link above (Spanish), choose your destination, enter your personal information, and pay for the tickets.

Other Aspects

This bus company is slightly less expensive than Bolivar, charging from $5 to $20 for a one-way trip on most of its routes. Therefore, considering the average prices it charges, this bus company offers the best services you can find in the industry.

It’s worth noting that this bus company (Trans Copacabana S.A.) and the next one (Trans Copacabana M.E.M. 1) are separate companies with completely different owners. *They are only related by their names*.

3) Trans Copacabana M.E.M. 1

In our opinion (having traveled extensively in Bolivia and observed many aspects of these companies), this is the third-best bus company. We can say that it’s also a go-to choice for Bolivians, but it’s not the preferred company for tourists; we haven’t observed many traveling with it.

Trans Copacabana MEM 1 bus company agency in La Paz bus station Bolivia
Trans Copacabana M.E.M. 1 bus company agency at the La Paz bus station, Bolivia.

However, it offers considerable comfort, a limited number of destinations, a reasonable number of departure times, and modern buses of various types. Perhaps over time, due to its name, this bus company has gained more popularity, ultimately becoming as reputable as Trans Copacabana S.A.

Importantly, this bus company, like the two previously mentioned, has a lower-than-average accident rate.

Destinations Covered

The cities and destinations served by this bus company in Bolivia are (*round trip*):

  • La Paz – Cochabamba
  • La Paz – Santa Cruz
  • La Paz – Sucre
  • La Paz – Potosí
  • Cochabamba – Santa Cruz
  • Santa Cruz – Oruro

You can view all the routes and destinations available for Trans Copacabana M.E.M. 1 here (Spanish):

You can also purchase your ticket online with a credit or debit card in advance with this bus company. To do so, simply follow the link above (Spanish), click on “Comprar Pasajes” (Buy Tickets), fill in your personal information, and pay for the tickets.

Other Aspects

This company is also slightly less expensive than Bolivar and has nearly the same prices as most other bus companies in Bolivia, offering fares ranging from $5 to $20 for most of its routes. However, it provides better service, several routes, newer buses, and adequate comfort.

The “Trans Copacabana” name has been used by two bus companies in Bolivia. We don’t know the reason for this, perhaps because it’s a catchy, memorable name. *However, at least the two bus companies using this name are also two of the best available in the country*.

Best Bus Companies for Traveling to Oruro

You might have noticed that the bus companies mentioned above don’t cover the La Paz – Oruro route.

This is not a coincidence. It’s because Oruro is a relatively small city and also very close to La Paz. Therefore, *only a few bus companies have specialized* *in serving this route*, which, by the way, takes approximately 3 hours of travel by land.

Currently, only two reasonably good bus companies serve this route: Naser and Imperial, operating from La Paz to Oruro and vice versa.

A) Naser

Naser offers various destinations and isn’t the best option for traveling across Bolivia, *but it is the best option for traveling between La Paz and Oruro*. This is a decent company that will provide a good travel experience between the two cities, with relatively modern buses and several departure times.

You can learn more about Trans Naser here (Spanish):

For traveling on this route, it will typically charge between $4 and $7 for a one-way ticket. However, when the Oruro Carnival is approaching, prices will increase to between $7 and even $15 for a one-way ticket.

B) Imperial Potosí

Another bus company that primarily offers routes to and from Potosí, *but it also has numerous departure times between La Paz and Oruro*. It can provide reasonably good services and comfortable buses for the three-hour journey between these two cities. It’s worth mentioning that this bus company is less well-known and less frequently used than Naser.

You can learn more about Imperial Potosí here (Spanish):

This bus company will charge nearly the same as Naser for traveling the La Paz – Oruro route, between $3 and $7 for most of the year for a one-way ticket, and between $7 and $15 when Oruro’s Carnival is approaching.

Bus Companies That Shouldn’t Be Your First Choice

The following Bolivian bus companies are not highly recommended. *Only travel with them if the options we recommend above are unavailable*:

  • Cosmos
  • Bolivia (bus company)
  • Urus
  • El Dorado
  • Naser (for travels other than to and from Oruro)

Why Aren’t These Good Options?

Well, *primarily because they generally have more accidents*, lower-quality travel conditions, less comfort, older buses, and inconsistent departure times. The customer service you receive is also typically not the best. Over the past few years, they have lost market share to companies like Bolivar and Trans Copacabana.

They also offer fewer routes and fewer departure times. However, they charge only slightly less than the better companies mentioned earlier.

How to Choose a Bus Company in Bolivia

Next, we’ll provide some tips for independently choosing the best bus companies available in a given location in Bolivia.

Indicators of a Good Bus Company

You should always look for clues indicating whether a bus company offers good services. These positive signs include:

  • It has numerous departure times to many destinations.
  • Its office is located very near the entrance of the bus station.
  • Many tourists are purchasing tickets and waiting in line.
  • Its buses appear new and more modern than those of other companies.
  • It’s typically more crowded than its competitors.

Indicators of a Poor Bus Company

A poor bus company typically exhibits certain characteristics that suggest it won’t provide good service:

  • Its office is located in an inaccessible area within the bus station.
  • It doesn’t offer many destinations or departure times.
  • You don’t see any tourists purchasing tickets from this company.
  • Its buses appear old and not well-maintained.
  • Its offices appear poorly maintained and more empty than those of competitors.

Conclusions:

In this guide on the best bus companies for traveling within and across Bolivia, you’ve learned that only three bus companies stand out: Bolivar, Trans Copacabana S.A., and Trans Copacabana M.E.M. 1.

You’ve seen that Bolivar is currently the best bus company in the country, with the most modern buses, fewer accidents, and numerous routes to choose from. Additionally, most tourists and high-income Bolivians use this company to travel between Bolivia’s major cities. You’ve also learned that it charges slightly more, from 20% to 30% higher.

Furthermore, you’ve seen that Trans Copacabana S.A. is the company with the highest number of routes and destinations available for travel within Bolivia. It’s also very comfortable, has new buses, and experiences fewer accidents, but with average prices. Additionally, Trans Copacabana M.E.M. 1 has fewer routes but offers nearly the same quality of travel services as the other two.

Finally, you’ve learned that for travel between La Paz and Oruro, you have two good options: Naser and Imperial Potosí. Additionally, you should always look for certain positive and negative indicators that signal whether a company will provide good service, depending on the condition of its buses, the location of its offices, the number of tourists waiting there, and other clues.

We hope this information has been helpful. If you’d like to learn more about the safest bus companies for traveling in Bolivia, please visit our dedicated guide where we discuss this aspect of bus company services in detail: The safest bus companies in Bolivia: All you need to know.

CasasenBolivia.com, information on living, working, investing, and traveling in Bolivia.

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