Bolivia Hop: Review
Internal flights in South America cost a fortune, especially if you book last minute tickets. I had blown up so much cash flying from Brazil to Bolivia that flying internally in Bolivia wasn’t an option for me. There are no train routes in the country for passengers; rail is used to transport minerals. The only option I had was to hop from one place to another by bus, as most tourists do. So, I hopped on a bus…run by Bolivia Hop.
I just did one trip with the bus service of Bolivia Hop, which had two legs – La Paz to Copacabana, followed by Copacabana to Isla del Sol and back. I paid Bs 200 for the round trip, including the bus ride from La Paz to Copacabana and the boat ride to Isla del Sol.
While I chose to come back to Bolivia, most tourists use Bolivia Hop to cross the border to Peru from Copacabana in Bolivia to Puno in Peru, continuing their journey further to Cusco.
I had heard horror stories about buses in Bolivia and hence, I choose to book Bolivia Hop, even though it was a little more expensive than booking various legs with local operators. 
I am so glad that I did… and here are the reasons why I would recommend Bolivia Hop:
1. Few hours in Bolivia, and you will figure out that if you don’t know Spanish, communicating with locals will be a challenge. There is always a guide in the Bolivia Hop bus who knows English very well. This is such a saving grace if you do not know Spanish!
2. When you enter the bus, your guide notes down your tentative plans and gives you a wrist band of a specific colour that indicates your route. All you have to do when you hop on the bus/boat the next time is show your wrist band… no cash transactions required if you are sticking to your destination.
3. Your schedule is flexible. You can simply log into your booking code (which is provided when you make the reservation) and make changes 12 hours prior to the journey.
4. The bus is clean and the seats have seat belts, making you feel safe and secure.
5. They have clean duvet like blankets in case it gets too cold… and that happens ever so often at higher altitudes in Bolivia and Peru.
6. The buses stop every 3 odd hours for a coffee and a toilet break. They also stop at view points for a couple of minutes to let you take pictures.
7. The buses have a video and play movies to keep you entertained during long journeys. I watched Mrs. Doubtfire during the ride.
8. The boats that Bolivia Hop has tied up with are very comfortable and clean. 
There is ample leg room and I slept like a baby while it gently sailed from Copacabana to Isla del Sol.
Bolivia Hop’s motto is Safe-Flexible-Fun… and I was very happy that I had chosen to hop with them!
PS: This wasn’t a free ride! I paid for my ticket … and loved the experience!
I’d be a bit nervy when taking the normal buses around South America too, so the Bolivia Hop sounds ideal! Clean sheets and ample legroom are underrated, haha.
Yep…and in Lat Am, you either fly or take a bus..there are no trains! Bolivia Hop was a great experience!
The bus does look very comfortable and the seats seem yo have lost of leg room. So much better than a cramped flight seat and scenery along the way. Sounds great.
It was…I would have been happy travelling overnight in this bus as well…even though I dot like bus journeys
That wristband would be the limit for me, LOL. But, considering the expensive flight this might be the same thing I would do in this situation. Thanks for sharing practical travel information!
I found the wrist band so comfortable…no worries about taking care of ticket stubs!
This is an interesting idea – I would totally choose this over other bus services so you can be secure and comfortable in your travel. The color-coded wristband is another brilliant idea too. That way it is easier to track the people who are in the same bus!
Yep…and while I was wandering around…I saw people wearing a similar band and simply walked upto them, made new friends and travelled together.
Too bad that the flights are too expensive. The Bolivia Hop sounds like a good alternative. They’re comfy and parts of the ride were thrilling.
So I have made this trip also but in a not so nice way. I booked it through local buses and wow you look like you travelled in luxury compared to me. I think the Bolivia Hop is the best way!
Its great that Bolivia has such a good bus service. Would make life much easier for tourists. The bus service surely makes up for lack of air services in the country.
I love the idea of travelling internally with Bolivia Hop! What a great idea! I didn’t realise how expensive internal flights were until reading your post. Ouch!