Entry requirements | Organizing your trip | Visiting | Eating | Paying | Speaking |

Entry requirements

Passport and visa service

Visa Information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (in Spanish)

Diplomatic representations

List of Embassies

For more information

Embassy of Venezuela in Greece
19, Marathonodromon str
154 52 P Psychico
Phone: 2106729169, 2106721274
Fax: 2106727464
emvenath@hol.gr

Organizing your trip

Means of transport recommended in town

Recommendation

A bus network covers all the cities in the country. Most buses are air-conditioned and comfortable. There are also metros in several cities. Taxis are a practical means of transport but as a security measure it is recommended that you order one by telephone. In most districts it is not advisable to go out on foot. For the last few years, Venezuela has seen its crime rate rise considerably. Kidnappings, hold-ups and all sorts of agression have multiplied. You should always make inquiries before you go into a new district. Travel agencies on the spot are best placed to tell you what parts of the city are dangerous or practicable.

Maps of urban networks

Maporama
Mapblast
UT Library on line

Means of transport recommended in the rest of the country

Recommendation

The road network is widespread but badly maintained. It is better to rent a pick-up truck to avoid being stuck on muddy or uneven roads. The bus is the most commonly used means of transport. There is a small railway network, especially for transporting goods. Many cities are accessible by airplane, but there are numerous areas that can only be reached by vehicle. To move around the islands off the coast or around the Orinoco, the "lancha", a small motor boat, is a fast and pleasant means of transport. On the whole, the means of transport are inexpensive, especially the car, given the low cost of fuel.

Rail companies

IAFE: State Railway Institute

Flight from Greece

No aircraft company operates direct flight from Athens to Caracas. Different aircraft companies offer air connections between Greece and Venezuela. Some european companies such as Air France, Lufthansa and Alitalia operate regular flights from Athens to Caracas. To find out air connections from Greece to Venezuela click here

Traveling by yourself

Recommendation

There are many car hire companies: you can rent a car or order a taxi on arrival at Caracas airport. Travel agencies and hotels also offer this type of service. Regarding security, you should always lock your car doors from the inside and preferably not drive at night. Avoid wearing jewelry or showy accessories and do not carry your passport with you.

Road maps

Interactive map
Map

Find an itinerary

Visiting

Different forms of tourism

Historical

The city of Caracas must be visited, even though a big part of the old centre was destroyed by the earthquake in 1812; however, the Cathedral, the "Panteon Nacional" (in Spanish) and the Parliament were saved. To find out about all the capital's tourist sites, visit the  Caracas Virtual website.

Cultural

There are museums of contemporary art and pre-Columbian art. The artistic centers website, lists Venezuelan museums: see Museos de Venezuela.

Nature

There are many, very diversified flora and fauna in Venezuela. There are many protected parks: list of parks. Large parts of the Orinoco remain wild and there are excursions of several days to explore the surrounding area. The Salto Angel is the highest waterfall in the world. The landscape is very diversified: the Caribbean coast, the wide open spaces of the "llano" (the plains), the mountains and the jungle.

Religious

There are many churches and cathedrals built by Spanish settlers as soon as they arrived: see the list of churches and cathedrals

Beach

All of Venezuela's Caribbean coast, as well as several islands, are known for the beauty of their beaches. The island of Margarita is very popular. Morrocoy is known for its small protected islands which you can only go to by small boat. See the link about the islands.

Outdoor activities

There are many sports facilities in the country's large cities. Baseball, horseriding and dance are favorite Venezuelan activities.

 See this link.

Tourism organizations

Venezuelian Tourism Board

Eating

Food specialties

Venezuelan food is famous for being very aromatic. Most dishes are indeed sprinkled with saffron and cumin on top.
Local culinary specialties:
Tequenos: fried cheese fritters
Arepas: traditional bread made of fried corn flour.
Tostadas: plantain which has been cut into sections and fried, ofen served with cheese.
Guasacaca: avocado-based sauce
Pabellón criollo: minced meat served with fried plantain, rice and black beans.
Hallaca: Christmas and New Year's Day dish: pork, beef, ham and green peppers sprinkled with corn flour on top, which is then used as a stuffing in banana skins.
Parrilla criolla: barbecued marinaded beef.
Puree de apio: Venezuelan puree.

Drinks

Venezuela produces a renowned brown rum. Coffee is drunk very strong and very sweet. Batidos are excellent fruit juices. Chicha is a sweet drink made from a rice paste and cinnamon.

Dietary restrictions

No specific culinary restrictions in Venezuela.

Paying

Domestic currency

Venezuelan Bolivar

ISO Code

VEF

To obtain domestic currency

The currency is the bolivar or VEB. It is easy to change euros or dollars into local currency.

Possible means of payment

Credit cards are taken almost everywhere, except in rural areas or in small shops where it is best to have cash on you.

Exchange rate on

Automatic Teller Machines (ATM)

To find out the locations of ATMs in in Venezuela, click on the link to your credit card: Visa, Mastercard or American Express

Speaking

Official language

Spanish.

Other languages spoken

English, French, German and Portuguese are also spoken by some sections of the population.

Business language

Even if English is used, it is still strongly advisable to speak Spanish. Most of the population does not speak English and all official documents must be drawn up in Spanish.

Getting some knowledge

See the following link.

Free translation tools

Systran - Free French-Spanish-French translation of texts and web pages
Diccionarios.com - Free Spanish-Catalan-English-French Dictionary
Word Reference -
sensagent - Free Greek-Spanish-Greek dictionary
hexagone - Not Free Greek-Spanish-Greek translator

We can translate your foreign-language documents.

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Last updates: May 2012