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To make your visit to Medellin easier, this practical information page is dedicated to giving facts in conjunction with my personal experience. Below you will find practical information on the following topics:
· Currency · Water · Spanish For most countries in Europe and from the U.S., you get a tourist visa for 60 days or less when entering Colombia. I strongly urge you to have a return ticket or you may be refused entry. Extensions may be granted at the DAS (Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad) Extranjeria. There is an exit tax of up to US$53 when leaving by plane. Please check with the Colombian consulate or embassy in your own country to ensure that you do not need a visa. As far as practical information goes, and due to large currency fluctuations, this part needs special attention so please bare with me... As most are aware, the US Dollar (USD) had been depreciating for some time now and in conjunction with the appreciation of the COP through increased foreign investment, this has lead to a double whammy where the COP has become relatively more expensive for foreigners traveling to Colombia. As of June 25, 2008, 1 US$ = 1748 COP This figure will be updated intermittently. (I recommend the following site for daily figures: http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic) On Friday, June 20th, 2008, BancoRepublica (Central bank of Colombia) committed to buying 20 million USD per day. This has since Friday already caused the COP to weaken by 70 pesos. It will be interesting to see how the COP develops against the USD over the next months. For comparisons sake, the 2006 figures were: US$1 = 2300 COP EUR 1 = 3000 COP Bancolombia is the biggest bank in Colombia. It merged with Conavi in 2005 giving it a market share of 22%. I recommend using Bancolombia ATMs because they tend to be the most reliable. In my experience, using a foreign debit or credit card to take out cash always works. Note that other bank's ATMs tend to be fine, it's simply that my experience with Bancolombia is better. Depending on the part of town, the reliability of ATMs varies in that they may be empty for example. Taking money out at a mall or somewhere safe during the day is recommended. Use common sense and don't flaunt the cash. How much you need per person really depends on your budget but I will attempt to give some indication (not including accommodation) A backpacker will get far with say, 30.000,- COP/ day. A budget traveler with 30.000 to 100.000,- COP/ day. Beyond that, same as anywhere, they skies the limit! With more than 100.000,-/ day per person you will eat and drink like a king. (Well, almost) One final word of advice. Carry small denominations. Taxis especially can give you a hard time if you hand them a 20 or 50.000 COP bill. A few coins in your pocket can be very handy. (Coming soon) 110 Volts/ 60 Hz.Plugs are U.S. type. (2 pin and 3 pin earth/ grounded) Buy adapters prior to arriving to avoid much unnecessary hassle. I recommend unplugging computers from the mains during electrical storms. Average temperatures: Day: 82 F/ 27C Night: 62F/ 16C The rest of the year tends to be very sunny with the odd refreshing shower. In Medellin, the day is warm and comfortable. It can get fairly warm, especially in the center of the city between 1pm and 3/4pm when it can be nice to relax by the pool. Because of the altitude it tends to cool down to comfortable sleeping temperatures by the time you go to bed. Comfortable light cotton clothing is ideal. Short sleeved shirts and pants will cover just about any situation. Dress up if you want for dinner. Smart casual does the job. Be cool, be hip, be sophisticated but you will probably stand out a little more here. Shorts and sandals should suffice most of the time, but personally I dress up a little more. At night you may want a thin outer jacket/ sweater or similar. Jewelry. My suggestion is to go easy on the diamonds, especially if you're in one of the poorer parts of town. The minimum salary here is about US$200/ month so you get the idea. Why invite problems? · Day trips and clothing The exception. If you're driving into the hills you can easily climb to 2500m (8200 feet) and even at this latitude it gets cooler. Midday temperatures are fresh and comfortable but the night can fall to only a few degrees above freezing. Rental car, buses, taxis and the Metro…, walking? · Rental cars Gives you greater freedom but driving in Medellin takes some skill. Having driven both here and Rome, I would take Rome any day. You get the picture. · Buses Cheap. Noisy and take time. Hmmm. Each to his or her own. · Taxis Also very cheap. Minimum is 3200 COP or US$1.40. For US$5 you can drive across town. I recommend this form of travel unless you live here. (In which case buy a car) It is recommended to book taxis through your hotel. Ask them for info. I often hail cabs and take a good look at the driver before getting in. Use your judgment but if in doubt don't get in. I will mention that I have never had a problem. Don't bother haggling over a few pesos though, it's not worth it. Do however, insist that the meter is running. · The Metro Cheap & extremely clean. It runs over ground and is an excellent way of seeing the city. Recommended experience. Beyond that, it doesn't branch out beyond its + shape running North/ South & East/ West so you may need to get a taxi to get to where you're going. · Walking? Well, yes. Still works. Seriously though, early in the morning when the temperatures are nice and cool it's a pleasant way of taking in the atmosphere and getting a closer look at things. People often greet you and there is an abundance of places to stop for a coffee or refreshment. Especially in the center, it's a good way of seeing the sights. I find myself walking more and more the longer I live here. Clearly it's a big city so I keep it local. Excellent! Some of the best in South America. Drink it to your heart´s content! That's it. Nice and simple. Enjoy. GMT -5 hours.(EST) Eastern Standard Time In other words; same as New York in the winter or:5 hours behind London in winter. ie. London = 6pm; Medellin is 1pm. I hope the practical information on this page will be useful to you.
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