Car hire and driving in San Cristóbal
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In Venezuela traffic drives on the right. Picking up at SVZ means 24 km (15 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648920 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q533806.
Drives from San Cristóbal
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Cristóbal to Cúcuta | Colombia | 34 km (21 mi) | about 31 min |
| San Cristóbal to El Vigía | Venezuela | 114 km (71 mi) | about 1 h 44 min |
| San Cristóbal to Bucaramanga | Colombia | 121 km (75 mi) | about 1 h 50 min |
| San Cristóbal to Floridablanca | Colombia | 122 km (76 mi) | about 1 h 52 min |
| San Cristóbal to Piedecuesta | Colombia | 125 km (77 mi) | about 1 h 54 min |
| San Cristóbal to Girón | Colombia | 129 km (80 mi) | about 1 h 58 min |
| San Cristóbal to Ocaña | Colombia | 134 km (83 mi) | about 2 h 3 min |
| San Cristóbal to Ejido | Venezuela | 140 km (87 mi) | about 2 h 8 min |
| San Cristóbal to San Carlos del Zulia | Venezuela | 141 km (88 mi) | about 2 h 9 min |
| San Cristóbal to Mérida | Venezuela | 148 km (92 mi) | about 2 h 16 min |
| San Cristóbal to Barrancabermeja | Colombia | 195 km (121 mi) | about 2 h 58 min |
| San Cristóbal to Alto Barinas | Venezuela | 240 km (149 mi) | about 3 h 39 min |
| San Cristóbal to Bogotá | Colombia | 406 km (252 mi) | about 6 h 11 min |
| San Cristóbal to Caracas | Venezuela | 661 km (411 mi) | about 10 h 5 min |
| San Cristóbal to Quito | Ecuador | 1,130 km (702 mi) | about 17 h 14 min |
| San Cristóbal to Guayaquil | Ecuador | 1,395 km (867 mi) | about 21 h 17 min |
| San Cristóbal to Cali | Colombia | 676 km (420 mi) | about 10 h 19 min |
| San Cristóbal to Medellín | Colombia | 405 km (252 mi) | about 6 h 11 min |
| San Cristóbal to Maracaibo | Venezuela | 327 km (203 mi) | about 4 h 59 min |
| San Cristóbal to Valencia | Venezuela | 536 km (333 mi) | about 8 h 10 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in San Cristóbal?
The right, as everywhere in Venezuela.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.