Bolivia was, without a doubt, the cheapest country in Latin America, with many prices comparable to Asia. However, as the country becomes more modern and the boosting economy continues the prices too are going up. We were staying with family in La Paz, and therefore can not give information on accommodation for this part of our trip. However, the excursions we did from La Paz are all detailed below.
 

Visas

We didn’t need a Visa to enter Bolivia, and the immigration process was very quick.

Visa information on Bolivia can be found on this link.

 

Accommodation

We stayed with family during our time in La Paz, but stayed near Lake Titicaca and Uyuni (Salt Flats) on the usual tourist trail.

We had private rooms in both of these hotels, and were in one of the most luxurious hotels we have stayed in on the whole trip in La Isla del Sol (near Copacabana).

 

The prices below are in EUR per night, total price for two people sharing.  

€24 in Isla del Sol for a large double room in a hotel (breakfast included). This was a wonderful, luxurious hotel with an ensuite bathroom and a rustic feel.

We chose to stay here due to being short on time, and opting for this nicer part of the Lake and Island as opposed to staying in a budget hostel in Copacabana.
€14 in Uyuni for a small double room with an ensuite bathroom in a fairly normal hotel. This was simply an overnight stop before continuing to the Salt Flats. 

 

Food and Drink

The food in local restaurants in La Paz is fairly mediocre, although there are more "high end" restaurants for those willing to pay more. A set menu for lunch costs around 15/Bs (Bolivianos) in the centre and is filling enough for one person or even two if you're not especially hungry. Menus that cost a little less or a lot more can be found if you look around. Creamy soups are usually served as a "starter" with mains of roast chicken or beef with rice. There are a lot of pies made with minced beef, such as the popular tender corn pie, Pastel de Choclo. Courgettes or Zucchini also make an appearance on many menus.

 

Excursions

Apart from the fantastic museums in the Paz: the Museum of Contemporary Art as well as the MUSEF Museum of Ethnology and Folklore, the main excursions that we did were:

 

- La Paz to Copacabana / La Isla del Sol €24 per person

We did this excursion without a tour agency, by getting a bus from La Paz to Copacabana and a boat (lancha) from Copacabana to La Isla del Sol. The price above is the cost of transport, as the natural sights that can be seen here are free of charge.

 

- La Paz to Potosí to Uyuni €30 per person

We did this tour through an agent but ended up paying a lot more than everyone else on the same tour, which is why I won't recommended the tour company! The activities included in this price are:

- transport to Potosí

- guided tour through the Silver mines

- "Casa de la Moneda" or The Coin Museum

- One way bus to Uyuni, which was our next destination.

 

- Uyuni and the Salt Flats to Chile (San Pedro de la Atacama) €100 - €115

This is a must do tour in Bolivia, and was definitely worth the money, as we went from Uyuni to the train cemetry and then on to see the the Salt Flats, about 5 different lakes, geyshers and many more sights that are out of this world. We realised after we had been on this three day tour that it should cost between 700 - 800/Bs even though we paid more. It's best to hire this in Uyuni, where many tour agents will keep going lower to get your custom and "fill up" another tour. The costs above include accommodation for 3 nights, food and drink as well as transport in a jeep from Uyuni to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile, stopping at immigration and all of the sites on the way. Additional costs to bear in mind are:

Entrance to Salt Flats: 30/Bs.

Tax for Isla del Salar: 150/Bs.

In the absence of a recommended tour guide, here is the link to the WikiTravel website about the Uyuni Salt Flats that is pretty spot on.

 

Transport

In La Paz, there are four different modes of transport; these are listed below in order of cost.

- taxis: there is no metre, but prices are negotiated with the driver before jumping in. 

- trufis: (shared taxis that are more economical than a taxi) They can be recognised by the coloured flags on the front of the car, which indicate where in the city they are going.

- colectivos / micros: these are shared minibuses that have the destination on the windscreen and can be tracked down anywhere, easily. They are generally the best way to travel around on a budget.

- buses: the big, public buses are very cheap, but also very slow. The saving of a few bolivianos is probably not worth the time lost, unless of course you're travelling a very short distance and want to experience this mode of transport!

 

As in most Latin American countries, there is a very good intercity bus network in Bolivia with most touristic cities being connected by direct transport routes. Buses in Bolivia generally felt safe, although it's still a good idea to be on guard and always sleep with your valuables on your person or as close to you as possible. A lot of buses can be bought online, in advance, with the option to pick up tickets at the station. This is a good website for purchasing long distance buses in Bolivia.
 

The costs to get to other cities can be found in the Excursions section.

 

Money makes the world go round

The national currency is the Boliviano (BOB). The exchange rate when we visited Bolivia was about 9 BOB for 1 euro.
 

So how much?!
Visas: €0 (See link at top of page to see if a Visa is necessary for your country).
Accommodation: €19 a night on average(for two people sharing) see more detailed breakdown and accommodation section above.
Food and drink: €10 a day (per person) eating out in very low key, normal restaurants. 
Transport: €50 per person in total during 18 days of public transport and tours - see specific routes above.