Transfer costs

The conditions surrounding transfer costs and implications thereof

First and foremost

We are first and foremost a tour operator, not a provider of ad-hoc transport services. Whilst we can indeed provide point to point transfers, it is often the case that offering them outside the context of an extended tour does shine a light on their cost.

Picture the scene, you are family of 4 and have spent a large amount on your dream 3 week Colombian odyssey. We promise you that if your 25€ transfer from the airport does not work out as planned then that will be the main thing you remember about your trip.

For this reason, we absolutely cannot compromise the quality of transfers that we offer.

What makes the transfers costly?

• We have strict vehicle standards across the entire country. We use a modern well maintained fleet.
• Despite Colombia having signed numerous free trade agreements over the last few years, there are still high taxes on new vehicles and spares. A Toyota Land Cruiser 150 series costs over 300 million pesos.
• Fuel is not as cheap in Colombia as it might be in your home country.
• Colombia has numerous toll-roads.
• The adage “you get what you pay for” applies to drivers, courteous, professional, dependable and safe drivers do not come cheap.
• Take into account that there is no such thing as a one way transfer. Our drivers have families and we want them and our vehicle back where it started.
• Also take into account that for a lengthy transfer starting early in the morning, our driver might need to travel up the previous evening and stay the night somewhere.

Is your transfer sensible?

There’s a correlation between alarm at the cost of transfers and the feasibility of that transfer. Are you building a logical itinerary? Colombia is not a country that you should think about travelling around overland, it is mountainous and with multiple single-lane congested roads. The most common infeasible transfer is Salento to Jardín.

Some transfers are unavoidable, and even scenic. San Agustín and Villa de Leyva do not have airports, and travelling from Cartagena to Santa Marta and Tayrona along the coast makes much more sense than backtracking via Bogotá on two flights.

If you have contacted us with your own extensive overland itinerary in private transport then it is going to be expensive.

Take our advice

We will always gladly advise regarding itineraries, minimising transfers and how to reduce the impact of their cost.