{"id":1791,"date":"2026-02-22T11:44:45","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T10:44:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/almost-out-of-fuel-in-bolivia-how-to-travel-by-car-during-gasoline-and-diesel-shortages\/"},"modified":"2026-03-23T08:28:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T07:28:11","slug":"almost-out-of-fuel-in-bolivia-how-to-travel-by-car-during-gasoline-and-diesel-shortages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/almost-out-of-fuel-in-bolivia-how-to-travel-by-car-during-gasoline-and-diesel-shortages\/","title":{"rendered":"Almost out of fuel in Bolivia: How to road-trip through a gasoline and diesel shortage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>On our summer 2025 trip to Bolivia, it didn\u2019t take long to learn that fuel\u2014both gasoline and diesel\u2014is a real issue. We\u2019d heard about shortages before we flew out, and it wasn\u2019t just rumor: the Hertz rental manager who handed over our car confirmed it as soon as we landed.<\/p>\n\n<p>The shortage was only half the story. Bolivia is vast, and it\u2019s not unusual to drive hundreds of kilometers without seeing a single gas station. That combination\u2014limited supply and long distances\u2014naturally made us wonder how we\u2019d manage to get around by car.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-white ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/almost-out-of-fuel-in-bolivia-how-to-travel-by-car-during-gasoline-and-diesel-shortages\/#When_the_state_sets_prices_it_rarely_ends_well\" >When the state sets prices, it rarely ends well<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/almost-out-of-fuel-in-bolivia-how-to-travel-by-car-during-gasoline-and-diesel-shortages\/#Filling_up_at_the_subsidized_price\" >Filling up at the subsidized price<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/almost-out-of-fuel-in-bolivia-how-to-travel-by-car-during-gasoline-and-diesel-shortages\/#Cheap_yet_unavailable\" >Cheap, yet unavailable<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/almost-out-of-fuel-in-bolivia-how-to-travel-by-car-during-gasoline-and-diesel-shortages\/#The_black_market\" >The black market<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/almost-out-of-fuel-in-bolivia-how-to-travel-by-car-during-gasoline-and-diesel-shortages\/#Jerrycans\" >Jerrycans<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/almost-out-of-fuel-in-bolivia-how-to-travel-by-car-during-gasoline-and-diesel-shortages\/#Where_we_filled_up\" >Where we filled up<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/almost-out-of-fuel-in-bolivia-how-to-travel-by-car-during-gasoline-and-diesel-shortages\/#Refueling_in_cities\" >Refueling in cities<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/almost-out-of-fuel-in-bolivia-how-to-travel-by-car-during-gasoline-and-diesel-shortages\/#Buying_fuel_on_the_black_market\" >Buying fuel on the black market<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/almost-out-of-fuel-in-bolivia-how-to-travel-by-car-during-gasoline-and-diesel-shortages\/#Where_we_came_up_empty\" >Where we came up empty<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/almost-out-of-fuel-in-bolivia-how-to-travel-by-car-during-gasoline-and-diesel-shortages\/#Bottom_line_fortune_favors_the_prepared\" >Bottom line: fortune favors the prepared<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_the_state_sets_prices_it_rarely_ends_well\"><\/span>When the state sets prices, it rarely ends well<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p>The lack of fuel at stations stems from a system in which the Bolivian government has long set fuel prices well below market levels through subsidies. For locals it looks like a perk at first glance\u2014fuel is cheap.<\/p>\n\n<p>The problem starts when the administratively fixed price sits below the real costs of import and distribution. If the state keeps prices artificially low while import and distribution cost more, someone ultimately pays the difference. Either the state budget covers it, or the volumes of imported fuel get cut.<\/p>\n\n<p>Such pricing naturally fuels high demand that distribution can\u2019t sustain in the long run. In 2025 there was added pressure on the country\u2019s foreign reserves and a reliance on imports. If there aren\u2019t enough dollars to buy fuel abroad or deliveries are delayed, there\u2019s simply less fuel\u2014and the result is endless lines at gas stations.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Filling_up_at_the_subsidized_price\"><\/span>Filling up at the subsidized price<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p>The subsidy system was designed for domestic vehicles and local residents. At the pump, staff would enter the license plate to determine the price. We did have a Bolivian plate, but tourists in rental cars are typically not entitled to the subsidy.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_4924-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1388\" style=\"width:480px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_4924-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_4924-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_4924-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_4924-scaled.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_4924-45x60.jpg 45w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>When we picked up the car, the rental manager offered a workaround. He issued a letter stating we were employees of a local Bolivian company\u2014a document that existed solely so we could buy fuel at the local price. In reality, of course, we weren\u2019t employed there.<\/p>\n\n<p>That letter helped us several times at the pump. Its purpose was simply to counter the assumption that we were foreign tourists.<\/p>\n\n<p>This small and, in essence, harmless travel hack saved us a fair amount of money and worked reliably at all official gas stations. Its usefulness faded quickly, though, once our route took us into more remote parts of the country.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Cheap_yet_unavailable\"><\/span>Cheap, yet unavailable<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p>While refueling in bigger cities was straightforward, the trouble started as soon as we reached the more remote, less accessible stretches of the Altiplano. We ran into shuttered stations, restricted opening hours, and queues that meant waiting for hours. Fuel simply wasn\u2019t available\u2014it didn\u2019t matter whether you were local or a visitor.<\/p>\n\n<p>And as so often happens, where the state falls short, the free market steps in\u2014often unflatteringly labeled the black market.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_black_market\"><\/span>The black market<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p>In villages and small towns where fuel wasn\u2019t available, you could sometimes buy it from locals. That meant asking around, waiting, and accepting a price roughly ten times the subsidized rate\u2014about what non-subsidized fuel costs.<\/p>\n\n<p>Naturally, these purchases were often uncertain. In some villages we managed to buy fuel; in others we simply couldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_5186-1-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1387\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_5186-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_5186-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_5186-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_5186-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_5186-1-scaled.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_5186-1-80x60.jpg 80w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Jerrycans\"><\/span>Jerrycans<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p>To function effectively in these conditions and reach truly remote areas, we needed the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/what-to-have-in-the-car-when-traveling-on-the-altiplano\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"187\">right gear<\/a>. The key was carrying enough fuel. That meant not relying on the car\u2019s tank alone, but bringing\u2014in our case\u2014three 20-liter jerrycans. By arrangement, the rental company provided them with the car for a small fee.<\/p>\n\n<p>One caveat: at regular gas stations it wasn\u2019t possible to fill jerrycans directly. We tried, but staff repeatedly refused. If we wanted to top up the cans, we had only two options:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>buy fuel off the books on the black market,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>decant fuel from the car\u2019s tank into the jerrycans and keep returning to gas stations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>Fortunately, we never had to resort to that second option on our journey, which we appreciated\u2014it would have been fairly time-consuming.<\/p>\n\n<p>Overall, the jerrycans gave us real peace of mind. Without them, our trip simply wouldn\u2019t have been possible. The fact that we <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/travelling-with-a-dog-from-the-eu-to-bolivia-what-you-need-to-know-and-what-it-looks-like-in-practice\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1016\">were traveling with a dog<\/a> demanded even better preparation. Sitting for hours in endless lines in the hot sun with a dog in the car was not an option. Nor was running out of fuel in the middle of the Altiplano.<\/p>\n\n<p>For completeness, besides the jerrycans we also carried a siphon hose, a stash of empty plastic bottles to improvise funnels, and a small cloth to strain impurities from the fuel.<\/p>\n\n<p>One more tip: plan any fuel handling ahead of time, don\u2019t do it after dark, and avoid extreme temperatures (both cold and heat). Safety first.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_we_filled_up\"><\/span>Where we filled up<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p>Below is a list of places where we fueled up at regular gas stations, on the black market, and places where we couldn\u2019t get fuel at all. It\u2019s purely for orientation, and conditions change fast. Think of it as a way to gauge the scale of the problem.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Refueling_in_cities\"><\/span>Refueling in cities<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n<p>Refueling in cities like <strong>Santa Cruz de la Sierra<\/strong>, <strong>Tupiza<\/strong>, <strong>Tarija<\/strong>, <strong>Robor\u00e9<\/strong>, <strong>San Crist\u00f3bal<\/strong> and the like was always straightforward. Fuel was available and waits at stations ranged from a few minutes to at most half an hour.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Buying_fuel_on_the_black_market\"><\/span>Buying fuel on the black market<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n<p>We bought black-market fuel fairly often, about as frequently as we used official stations. Here\u2019s where that happened:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Jirira<\/strong> \u2013 a small village on the north shore of the Uyuni salt flat. Finding a seller took a while, but we got there in the end.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tahua<\/strong> \u2013 the capital of the Tahua canton on the north shore of the Uyuni salt flat. Here, a local police officer even lent a hand while we were \u2018refueling.\u2019<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Llica<\/strong> \u2013 a forgotten little town on the northwest edge of the Uyuni salt flat. We were lucky and found a seller right at the town entrance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>San Pedro de Quemes<\/strong> \u2013 the town where we sorted everything: car wash, money exchange, and topping up fuel.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Villa Mar<\/strong> \u2013 a town in southern Bolivia. Here, the shortage was evident even on the black market. We found some fuel, but only a few liters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_5191-EDIT-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1386\" style=\"object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_5191-EDIT-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_5191-EDIT-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_5191-EDIT-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_5191-EDIT-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_5191-EDIT-scaled.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_5191-EDIT-107x60.jpg 107w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_we_came_up_empty\"><\/span>Where we came up empty<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n<p>Despite our best efforts, we also hit places where we couldn\u2019t find fuel at all. These were mainly in the southern Altiplano\u2014for example around Laguna Colorada, near the Aguas Termales Chalviri hot springs, or in the village of Quetena Chico below the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/by-car-to-the-uturuncu-volcano-along-one-of-the-highest-roads-in-the-world\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"193\">Uturuncu<\/a> volcano.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bottom_line_fortune_favors_the_prepared\"><\/span>Bottom line: fortune favors the prepared<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p>Driving around Bolivia during a fuel shortage meant thinking ahead. A route plan alone wasn\u2019t enough. You had to factor in distances, check where stations were open, keep a reserve, and be ready to improvise.<\/p>\n\n<p>The essentials were:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>keep enough fuel in the tank and in jerrycans,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>top up whenever you had the chance,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>never rely on a single specific gas station,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>carry basic gear for handling fuel,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>plan drives with temperature and the dog\u2019s comfort in mind.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>It was more logistically demanding than what we\u2019re used to in Europe. Even so, we never got stranded because of the shortage\u2014we were never stuck without a way to continue.<\/p>\n\n<p>In the end, a simple rule proved true again: fortune favors the prepared. In Bolivia, doubly so.<\/p>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On our summer 2025 trip to Bolivia, it didn\u2019t take long to learn that fuel\u2014both gasoline and diesel\u2014is a real issue. We\u2019d heard about shortages before we flew out, and it wasn\u2019t just rumor: the Hertz rental manager who handed &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1792,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"Fuel shortages in Bolivia: Practical tips for traveling by car \u2022 IBO GUIDE","_seopress_titles_desc":"Fuel shortages in Bolivia. Firsthand experience, the black market, jerrycans, and tips for driving across the country without getting stranded.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[92,94,136,87,132],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1791","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-americas","category-bolivia","category-by-car","category-road-trips","category-with-a-dog","latest_post"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1791","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1791"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1791\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3184,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1791\/revisions\/3184"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1792"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1791"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1791"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibo.guide\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1791"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}