General Info

[Jericho10]

Thanks LocoGringo and Tom,

I have a timeshare that I exchange to go to various places. I used it to take my novia and her kids to Santa Marta this past summer. (Yes, I had fun w/ her even w/ the kids along.) I plan to use to to try and go to San Andreas, Cartegena, Panama, and maybe some of these other places.

Colombians do not need a Visa to go to Brazil, only certain innoculations required if you have been in Colombia recently. Avianca has flights, use your ff miles and it is nice to have a openminded girlfriend in Brazil. I do not believe that Argentina, Peru or most of the South American countries require a Visa. Barbados also does not require one. Unless you are a diver not a lot to do in San Andres, imho.

[LocoGringo]

Colombians do not need a Visa to go to Brazil, only certain innoculations required if you have been in Colombia recently. Avianca has flights, use your ff miles and it is nice to have a openminded girlfriend in Brazil. I do not believe that Argentina, Peru or most of the South American countries require a Visa. Barbados also does not require one. Unless you are a diver not a lot to do in San Andres, imho.

[Tom 33]

Can anyone provide any info on what countries can Colombians go without a formal Visa, e. G, Panama? By a formal Visa, I mean one that has to be submitted months in advance. I've read that Colombians can go to Panama and purchase something like a tourist visa at the airport. I would like to take my novia on vacation to some nice resort area, or maybe on a cruise. She already has her passport. Thanks for any info.

Go to San Andreas Island. It is just off the coast of Nicaragua, but it is part of Colombia.

[Ted Nugent]

Can anyone help me with a basic issue?

I've always hated cell phones, I still hate cell phones and I always will hate cell phones.

As a pragmatist, however, I finally admit and recognize that a cell phone is nearly a necessity in Colombia.

Amazon.com now offers unlocked cell phones with a 90-day warranty. I want to buy an unlocked cell phone for usage in Colombia.

What type of unlocked cell phone should I buy for usage in Colombia?

What GSM frequency is used in Colombia?

[Jericho10]

Can anyone provide any info on what countries can Colombians go without a formal Visa, e. G, Panama? By a formal Visa, I mean one that has to be submitted months in advance. I've read that Colombians can go to Panama and purchase something like a tourist visa at the airport. I would like to take my novia on vacation to some nice resort area, or maybe on a cruise. She already has her passport. Thanks for any info.

[Kukulkan]

The ATM sets the amount per transaction. However, when there is no cost, the amount per transaction is irrelevant. I can withdraw up to US$500 per day.

Thank's One more time, tom, I gat the same from my bank, I use one time my Mexican Account, ATM, and I get fuck big time, someone, gat the number and password, and they drain about 5 G USD 50, 000. 00 mexican pesos, Thats was 5 years a go, I stick whit the USA Acount, no problem since that F*****G day

Kukulkan

I did get my money back From Banamex

[Bango Cheito]

IMHO you'd have to be crazy to want to drive down there PERIOD. Stick to taxis and public transport.

[SpiderMonkey]

Taxis and buses are cheap. Shipping a car is not. And hassling with aduana is a nightmare. The import tax is punishing.

And Colombia is not yet safe enough for you to be driving all over between cities. How much is your ass worth?

However, there is a bill pending in the Colombian legislature that would eliminate the import tax in your situation. When or if the bill will pass is anyone's guess.

Tom,

Lets not forget that most warrantys are voided when exiting a country. Something to ckeck into gents.

Spider

[Tom 33]

Im thinking about spending next summer in COLOMBIA between MDE and CLO, Is it worth trying to ship my SUV down there? I mean fly to SANTA MARTA or CTG or Baranquilla and pick it up, then drive it from there. Im thinking ALL the $$$ i will be spending on TAXIS and flights or buses will be recouped on the shipping process.. Of course there will be some kind of contract that I will be sending it back upon my departure.. Ive never seen this brought-up here in the forums and if anybody has any link or info, it would be much abliged. Or if its just NOT worth it.. regards!

Taxis and buses are cheap. Shipping a car is not. And hassling with aduana is a nightmare. The import tax is punishing.

And Colombia is not yet safe enough for you to be driving all over between cities. How much is your ass worth?

However, there is a bill pending in the Colombian legislature that would eliminate the import tax in your situation. When or if the bill will pass is anyone's guess.

[Hoof Hunter]

Not worth it. Not much of a decision.

Stick with the basics (taxis/buses/planes). If determined to drive, you can rent there at astronomical rates. Combined, however, still would be a small fraction of what you'll pay trying to ship it to Colombia THEN trying to claim it from customs, both ways. Not even close. Then there's the insurance deal.

It's been discussed many times on the non-monger boards.

Im thinking about spending next summer in COLOMBIA between MDE and CLO, Is it worth trying to ship my SUV down there? I mean fly to SANTA MARTA or CTG or Baranquilla and pick it up, then drive it from there. Im thinking ALL the $$$ i will be spending on TAXIS and flights or buses will be recouped on the shipping process.. Of course there will be some kind of contract that I will be sending it back upon my departure.. Ive never seen this brought-up here in the forums and if anybody has any link or info, it would be much abliged. Or if its just NOT worth it.. regards!

[Tom 33]

How Much Money can you take per transaction?

And how much is the max money you can take each day.

Thanks Tom Tom

Glad to know you are back in pussyland.

Kukulkan

The ATM sets the amount per transaction. However, when there is no cost, the amount per transaction is irrelevant. I can withdraw up to US$500 per day.

[Acuerpado]

I have no experience sending a vehicle from the US to Colombia.

However, I shipped an SUV from Miami to Puerto Barrios, Guatemala 2 years ago. I wouldn't do it again.

Clearing U.S. customs is made infinitely more easy by using the services of shipping agent in the U.S. My vehicle was shipped with Seaboard Marine (www.seaboardmarine.com), which also has routes to Colombia. The actual cost of paying the shipping agent and the shipping company is reasonable. However, in Guatemala i had to pay an exorbitant tax rate before my Chevy cleared customs. If you're going to be in CTG or BAQ anytime soon, i suggest you go to the Seaboard Marine office, make friends with a cute girl that works there, and have her explain the entire process once the vehicle arrives there. That was what I did in Guatemala.

If I ever spend an extended period in Colombia, I'll buy a vehicle there, which will save lots of money and tons of headache.

Hopefully, someone else here will have info on this tax required to bring a foreign vehicle into Colombia.

[MiamiHeatLuver]

Im thinking about spending next summer in COLOMBIA between MDE and CLO, Is it worth trying to ship my SUV down there? I mean fly to SANTA MARTA or CTG or Baranquilla and pick it up, then drive it from there. Im thinking ALL the $$$ i will be spending on TAXIS and flights or buses will be recouped on the shipping process.. Of course there will be some kind of contract that I will be sending it back upon my departure.. Ive never seen this brought-up here in the forums and if anybody has any link or info, it would be much abliged. Or if its just NOT worth it.. regards!

[MiamiHeatLuver]

ok, So after talking to a CITIBANK supervisor on the phone for a half hour and being clear as day with him, he gave me a list of countries that charge a 1% fee for withdrawing money or some branches will charge ZERO fees. He told me it really depends on the branch. SO not believing anything anybody tells me on the phone, I GO IN TO THE BRANCH and wait in line to speak to a Customer service rep, NOW she seems to concur, that it really depends on the individual branch and she is not aware of ANY CITIBANK % hikes in the near future as well. AND this seem to concur with my bank statement where I have withdrawn MANY pesos at the CITIBANK'S on Ave Poblado for NO CHARGE.. the one at the Blockbuster and the one a little North of Oviedo Mall on the main calle Poblado.. NOW she said for sure the best exchange rate always would 9 out of 10 times be at CITIBANK and she could not confirm IF THE EXCHANGE FEE was built into the transaction, but it didnt seem so since the exchange was right on and pretty good!

10-09 ATM CASH WITHDRAWAL
Cra 43 A No1A Sur49 Medel $ 50.20
10-09 ATM CASH WITHDRAWAL
BCO INDUST. COLOMBIANO POBLAD $ 148.65
10-09 ATM CASH WITHDRAWAL
Cra 43 A No1A Sur49 Medel $ 250.82
10-09 ATM CASH WITHDRAWAL
Cra 43 A No1A Sur49 Medel $ 401.64

[Tom 33]

Anyone tried opening a local bank account and using http://xe.com/fx

It wouldn't be worth it for a short term stay, but for more than a couple of weeks, it could be a bit of a winner, you'd just withdraw money from your local card rather than your foreign one.

Don't even think about trying to open a Colombian bank account unless you have a VISA.