South & Central America
Highlights - Essential Info - Itineraries
Visa Requirements - Holders of UK passports do not require a visa for entry into Venezuela. A Tourist Card (Tarjeta de ingreso, DEX-2) is given to visitors free of charge by the airline. It must be filled out and shown at Customs who will stamp it and return a copy which must be kept inside the passport for the duration of the trip and returned upon departure from the country. The tourist Card is valid for 90 days and can be extended. You should have a full passport with a minimum of six months validity from the date of your return to the UK.
Health Requirements - There are no mandatory vaccinations required for entry into Venezuela although Tetanus, Typhoid, Polio, Hepatitis A and Meningitis are recommended. A Yellow Fever Certificate is recommended if you travel to the southern Amazon, as the disease is endemic in some areas. It is also compulsory if you continue your travels into Brazil.
Malaria also exists in these parts of Venezuela and it is therefore essential that you seek medical advice with regard to its treatment.
We strongly recommend that you contact your doctor or the MASTA (Medical Advisory Service for Travellers Aboad) Travellers Health Line on 0870 6062782 or their website at www.masta.org for all professional medical advice.
Time - GMT - 4 hours. During BST it is - 5 hours.
Money - The currency of Venezuela is the bolivar. It comprises 50, 100 and 500 bolivar coins with paper notes in denominations of 1000, 2000, 5000, 10,000, 20,000 and 50,000 bolivares.
The most popular foreign currency is the US Dollar. This can easily be exchanged in banks and exchange offices, ‘casa de cambio’ throughout the country. Exchange in the black market will get you a better exchange rate but is illegal.
Credit cards are widely accepted in most tourist destinations. American Express is the best known card, but Mastercard and Visa as well as Diners are also accepted.
Travellers’ cheques are rarely used and difficult to change outside of Caracas. The most convenient brand to use is American Express, but they need to be changed in a bank and these have limited banking hours.
Flights
|
Airline |
Route |
Frequency |
Via |
|
Iberia |
Heathrow/Caracas |
Daily |
Madrid |
|
Lufthansa |
Heathrow/Caracas |
Daily |
Frankfurt |
|
Air France |
Heathrow/Caracas |
Daily |
Paris |
Climate -
Venezuela has a subtropical climate. It experiences two seasons: the “dry” season or summer which is between December and April and the “rainy” season or winter between May and November. The length of the seasons and the amount of rain vary according to the regions and the Amazon, for example, has rain all year round.
Average temperatures tend to vary between 22°C and 30°C throughout the country all year round with the exception of the Andean region, where temperatures can drop to 0°C in winter. Caracas, on the other hand, enjoys a constant spring climate due to the refreshing effect of the Avila National Park.
Please note also that in recent years the traditional seasons in Venezuela, as elsewhere in the world, have become less predictable than before.
When to go – The dry season is the more pleasant time to travel, especially for trekking in the Orinoco Delta, the Llanos or the Andes. However, some sights such as Angel Falls and Canaima for example, are more spectacular during or just after the wet season.
|
Caracas |
||||||||||||
|
|
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
|
Temp (F) |
86 |
86 |
88 |
88 |
90 |
90 |
90 |
91 |
93 |
91 |
90 |
88 |
|
Rain (in) |
1.30 |
0.52 |
0.70 |
1.80 |
2.22 |
2.60 |
2.90 |
2.50 |
2.60 |
2,90 |
2.80 |
2.80 |
|
Merida |
||||||||||||
|
|
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
|
Temp (F) |
76 |
77 |
77 |
77 |
77 |
77 |
77 |
77 |
77 |
77 |
75 |
75 |
|
Rain (in) |
2.10 |
2.30 |
2.80 |
7.10 |
9.20 |
6.50 |
4.90 |
6.2 |
9.10 |
11.10 |
8.00 |
3.10 |
Temp (Fahrenheit) = Average Maximum Temperatures (day)
Rain (inches) = Average Monthly Rainfall
