Paraguay –  transportation

Airplane: Flights save time, but are more expensive than buses. Transportes Aéreos Mercosur (TAM) flies daily to Buenos Aires, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz (Bolivia), Santiago, Citade del Este and Sao Paulo. The Bolivian airline LAB connects La Paz and Santa Cruz with Asunción. Varig offers daily flights toRio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Foz de Iguazu. The Brazilian company Gol flies between Asuncion, Buenos Aires and Brasilia.

According to naturegnosis, boats travel along the Rio Paraguay between Asuncion and cities in central Paraguay.

Rail: There is no significant passenger transport by rail in Paraguay.

Car: The most important cities in Paraguay can be reached via good roads, but only about 10% of the roads are asphalted. In bad weather, unpaved roads may be closed. An expressway runs between Asunción and the Iguazú waterfalls.

A rental vehicle is especially worthwhile if you are traveling with several travelers. Even if buses go to most places in Paraguay, you are of course more flexible in your own vehicle. Offers (including from National Car Rental) start from US $ 35 per day (excluding additional costs), and discounts are available for longer periods.

A national or international driver’s license must be presented when renting.

Bus: In Paraguay, buses dominate public transport. Tickets are cheap and connections are usually reliable. Travel to Bolivia from the Brazilian or Argentine border takes 30 hours or less.
No bus travels the entire route without stopping several times to pick up additional passengers or freight.
The standard of buses in Paraguay is different. “Servicio removido” means that the bus can be stopped on the street, “servicio directo” only stops at fixed stops, “comun” are simple buses that stop at fewer stops, “ejecutivo” are fast luxury buses with toilets and drinks and videos. It is best to travel during the day. Larger cities have central bus terminals. For better seats you have to buy the tickets early.

Taxi: Most taxis are metered. Between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. and on Sundays and public holidays, a surcharge of 30% is charged.

Paraguay – money

Local currency: Guaraní. The Guaraní was originally divided into 100 centimos, but due to high inflation these are no longer in use.

Currency abbreviation: PG, PYG

Banknotes are invalue issued from 1,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000 and 100,000 PG, coins worth 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 PG.

Currency Exchange: Exchange offices (casas de cambio) are common throughout the country. The exchange offices andBanksexchange cash and sometimes travelers checks. US dollars can be exchanged throughout the country without any problems (but no 100 dollar notes from the CB series from 2001 and D from 2003, banks do not accept them either). US dollars are accepted across the country, and prices for high-value imported goods such as automobiles, cameras or PCs are often quoted in US dollars.

Exchange rate guarani

Currency converter at OANDA

Credit Cards: one payment withCredit card is only possible in Asunción and Ciudad del Este and here only in better hotels, restaurants and some shops.

ATMs: With common credit cards, such as Mastercard, Visa, American Express and also EC bank cards, you can withdraw cash at ATMs in Asunción, Encarnación and Ciudad del Este, but there is often a maximum withdrawal limit. At some machines you have the choice whether you want to receive guaraníes or US dollars. Smaller cities also have ATMs, but these usually do not accept international cards.

Travelers checks should be made out in US dollars; there is usually a 3 – 5% fee for exchanges. In some cases, the original purchase receipt must be shown.

Foreign exchange regulations: Cash may only be imported up to the equivalent of US $ 10,000.

Bank opening hours: Mon – Fri 8.45 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.

Health and Diseases in Paraguay

Vaccination protection

No vaccinations are required when traveling in Paraguay. The Federal Foreign Office’s health service will provide vaccination protection against yellow fever, tetanus and diphtheria, possibly hepatitis A and whooping cough (pertussis), for longer periodsstay (more than 4 weeks) and / or special exposure, protection against hepatitis B, typhoid and rabies is recommended.

If you are coming from a yellow fever endemic area, you must be able to prove that you have a valid yellow fever vaccination, the vaccination must have taken place at least 10 days prior to entry and must not have been more than 10 years ago. Yellow fever also occurs in Paraguay, so the yellow fever vaccination certificate may also be required for (on) travel.

Furthermore, the standard vaccinations for children and adults should be according to the recommendations from the Robert Koch Institute to be up to date.

Dengue fever

In the period between November and April, infections from dengue fever are more common. Consistent mosquito repellent is the only way to reduce the risk of dengue; there is no vaccination against dengue. Dengue fever is one of the common viral infections brought to Germany by German travelers returning to Germany.

Malaria

The risk of infection from malaria is low in Paraguay. Most infections by the nocturnal Anpheles mosquito take place from October to May (for example at the Iguazu waterfalls). The capital Asuncion is malaria free. In Paraguay, only the less severe malaria form Malaria tertiana (caused by Plasmodium vivax) occurs. If you have a fever, you should consider getting a malaria infection and see a doctor.

Drug malaria prophylaxis does not make sense in Paraguay. For longer stays in malaria areas, it is recommended to take a dose of chloroquine (e.g. Resochin®) with you for emergency self-treatment. An experienced tropical or travel doctor can advise you on the choice of medication, their intolerance and side effects and personal adjustment.

In addition to malaria, mosquitoes transmit other infectious diseases, which is recommended as preventive protection when traveling in Paraguay

• wear light-colored clothing covering the whole body (long trousers and shirts). This both during the day (dengue) and in the evening (malaria).
• Regularly apply insect repellent to all exposed parts of the body
• to use a mosquito net in the regions mentioned above

HIV / AIDS

The risk of a life-threatening infection with HIV / AIDS always arises from sexual contact and drug use (for example unclean cannulas or syringes or cannulas). The use of condoms is therefore always recommended, especially with casual acquaintances.

Diarrhea and cholera

Most diarrheal illnesses can be prevented with proper drinking water and food hygiene.

Some basic rules

Never drink tap water but, for example, bottled water. If bottled water is not available, filter and disinfect water or boil it off. Also use drinking water to brush your teeth or wash the dishes. Peel, boil or disinfect food. Make sure that no flies get to your food.

Medical supplies

Medical care in the country is much worse than in Europe. In rural Paraguay in particular, medical care is often inadequate from a technical, technical and hygienic point of view. It is therefore strongly recommended that you have adequate health insurance and reliable travel repatriation insurance. A tropical or travel doctor can advise you on equipping your first-aid kit.

Medical treatment and hospital stays are sometimes considerably more expensive in Paraguay than in Germany. German health insurances often do not pay these costs or only partially. It is therefore strongly recommended that you consult the responsible health insurance provider before taking out health insurance or starting your journey. For treatment costs in Paraguay, the patient usually has to show up.

Before traveling to Paraguay, you should seek advice from a tropical / travel doctor.

In addition to my general disclaimer, please note the following important note:

A guarantee for the correctness and completeness of the medical information and liability for any damage that may occur cannot be assumed. You stay responsible for your healthy.