A2 · Buses, terminals and border crossings
On the road
Overland travel in South America runs on buses, and the vocabulary is not the one you learned for airports. This is what you need at a terminal, on an overnight bus and at a border post.
Practise these
Buying the ticket
¿A qué hora sale el próximo a Cusco?
What time is the next one to Cusco?
Un pasaje a Arequipa, por favor.
One ticket to Arequipa, please.
El pasaje is the ticket. El boleto also works; el billete is Spain only.
¿Cuánto demora?
How long does it take?
Demorar is the normal verb across the Andes. In Argentina you would hear ¿cuánto tarda?
¿Es directo o hace paradas?
Is it direct or does it stop?
¿Tiene cama o semicama?South America
Is it a full-flat or a reclining seat?
On long routes cama reclines almost flat and costs more. Semicama is the middle option.
Ventana, si hay.
A window seat if there is one.
Asking for ventana or pasillo is normal and free.
¿De qué andén sale?
Which platform does it leave from?
At the terminal
el terminal terrestrePeru
the bus station
The full name in Peru and Ecuador. Everyone shortens it to el terminal.
la boletería
the ticket office
¿Dónde dejo el equipaje?
Where do I leave my luggage?
Me dan un ticket para la maleta.
They give you a tag for the suitcase.
Keep it. You will not get the bag back without it.
¿Hay que pagar el uso del terminal?Andes
Is there a terminal fee?
A small separate fee at many Peruvian and Bolivian terminals. It surprises everyone once.
On the bus
¿Está ocupado este asiento?
Is this seat taken?
¿Me cambia de asiento, por favor?
Could you swap seats with me?
Voy hasta el final.
I'm going all the way to the end of the line.
Baje en el próximo paradero.Andes
Get off at the next stop.
El paradero in Peru, Chile and Colombia. Argentina says la parada.
Avíseme cuando lleguemos, por favor.
Let me know when we get there, please.
Very common on night buses. People do actually wake you up.
Crossing a border
¿Dónde sello el pasaporte?
Where do I get my passport stamped?
¿Cuántos días me dan?
How many days do they give you?
The stamp does not always give the maximum. Worth asking before you walk away.
Voy de turismo, dos semanas.
I'm here as a tourist, for two weeks.
¿Hay que pagar tasa de salida?
Is there an exit fee?
21 expressions in this pack