There are things you don’t want to forget before leaving for Colombia. Important things to do before you leave, documents you absolutely must take, information you need to know to simplify your trip – in short, all the little things that will make your trip to Colombia more enjoyable.
In this post we’re going to share with you the things we think are important not to forget before leaving for Colombia. In other words, we’re going to make a sort of To Do List to help you prepare for your trip and avoid worries… Because we don’t want any worries when we go on a trip… The idea is to leave with peace of mind and to be at peace for the whole trip!
Disclaimer: we apologize in advance for any grammatical or syntactic errors, as our native language is not English (we're a Colombian-French couple), so we hope you'll forgive us and still enjoy the information we share with you! Please note that all the information on our blog is based on our own experience, and is checked and updated regularly.
Documents and formalities not to forget
To do list before your trip to Colombia
The first thing to check before leaving for Colombia is, of course, all the formalities and documents you need to have with you during your trip. We’ve all known someone who realized they’d forgotten their passport when they got to the airport… and we don’t want that to happen to you!
- Have a passport for everyone on the trip (including children!)
- Check the validity of your passport : it must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of travel
- Have a photocopy of your passport
- Driver’s license (if you want to rent a car on site)
- Fill in the online Check-Mig form (from 72 hours before departure)
- Write down the address and telephone number of your arrivalhotel (you’ll be asked for this during the Check-Mig, and you may be asked for the address at customs)
- Take your doctor’s prescriptions if you’re undergoing special treatment
The essentials to pack before you leave
To do list before your trip to Colombia
Packing for Colombia is not the easiest thing in the world. The country has countless climates, from the very cold to the very hot, from the dry to the rainy, in short… you need to take a bit of everything if you want to discover the country’s diversity.
It’s up to you to define your clothing priorities, but from our point of view, there are a few things that are essential to pack for a trip to Colombia:
- Hat / cap: whether at altitude or on the coast, the sun beats down hard in Colombia
- A luggage scale: a lifesaver to avoid paying for excess weight at the airport
- Sun cream: once again, the sun beats down hard, and good sun creams are more expensive in Colombia
- Scarf: useful in the mountains if it’s cold, but especially on long-distance buses, which are highly air-conditioned
- Microfiber towel: doesn’t take up much space in your suitcase, and is extremely useful
- Travel adaptor if needed: check your gears, electrical outlets in Colombia are type C
- A good mosquito repellent: they’re everywhere below 2000m altitude. You can buy them in Colombia.
Good travel insurance for Colombia
To do list before your trip to Colombia
We strongly recommend that you take out travel insurance for your trip to Colombia. Of course, if you buy your plane tickets with your bank card, you’re already partially covered.
But you should be aware that the reimbursement ceilings for this kind of cover are low, much lower than those offered by genuine travel insurance. Added to this is the fact that many small details, such as lost luggage, are not covered by this type of coverage.
If it’s sometimes difficult to choose and find a good repatriation insurance policy for peace of mind when traveling, we think that today, with all the complications we’ve experienced in connection with the Covid epidemic, it’s something to really take into account.
Colombia’s specificities to know before traveling
To do list before your trip to Colombia
Colombia is not European or North American country. Life is very different there, as is the culture, not to mention the geography and the weather… we think it’s important to know a few things before you leave for Colombia:
- WC: In Colombia, toilet paper is not flushed down the toilet, as the drainage systems are not adapted to this. So you’ll always see a small garbage can for your used toilet paper. This is normal, so get used to it from day one!
- Showers: In hot climates, there’s not always hot water in the shower. Most of the time, even in hotels, you’ll only have cold water to shower with. This may come as a surprise, but you’ll find that when it’s 30°C you can do without. Rest assured that in cold regions, most hotels have at least electric showers that heat the water on demand.
- Weather: Although it lies on the equator, Colombia has every kind of climate. This means that it’s not hot everywhere in Colombia. Temperatures are determined by altitude, and in some mountainous regions, such as Bogotá (2600m), it can even get really cold, especially when it rains. Mind you, when the sun comes out, it’s hot!
- Transport: When traveling by land in Colombia, distances are counted in hours, not kilometers. You have to forget your European reflexes. The average speed of a journey is around 30km/h, and travelling 100km can sometimes take several hours.
In conclusion, to prepare for your trip to Colombia, there are a few things you shouldn’t forget. Checking important documents, anticipating the different climates Colombia has to offer, finding out a little about the country you’re going to visit and getting to know its special features that make your trip so charming… these are the little details that will make your stay in Colombia a success!
