Rental
Landing late at Bogotá’s El Dorado Airport: getting your rental car in the small hours
If your flight lands in Bogotá at night: how an after-hours car handover works, where you are met, pico y placa at night and tips for driving in the city after dark.
Short answer: yes, we can hand you the car at El Dorado even if you land in the small hours. Handovers run from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and outside those hours they are arranged over WhatsApp with your flight number. You are met at the usual point: international pier, 2nd floor, exit 1.
This guide explains how a night handover is organized, what to have ready so it takes a few minutes, and what changes when you drive in Bogotá after dark.
How an after-hours handover works
- Book in advance and send us your flight number.
- We arrange the time with that number: if the flight is delayed, let us know and the handover adjusts.
- We confirm on WhatsApp the meeting point and the time.
- You collect the car at the handover point and sign the contract right there.
WhatsApp is answered around the clock, so any change —a diversion, a missed connection, a long delay— is sorted out on the spot.
Where you are met
At El Dorado Airport, international pier, 2nd floor, exit 1 (Muelle Internacional, piso 2, salida 1). It is the same point by day and by night. Once you are through immigration and have your luggage, message us and we will tell you exactly where the person with your car is.
What to have ready for a quick handover
- A valid driver’s license. A foreign license is valid for your first six months in Colombia.
- Your passport.
- A credit card or bank transfer for the deposit, which is 30 % of the rental total and is returned 15 days after you drop the car off.
- A charged phone for the contract, the photos of the car and navigation.
The minimum age to rent is 25. The document details are in our guide to renting a car in Colombia as a foreigner.
Pico y placa: none at night
Bogotá’s pico y placa applies Monday to Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. If you land after 9:00 p.m., you can drive to the hotel with any plate. What you do need to check is the next day: if your plate is restricted that morning, plan to drive before 6:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m. Full details in our guide to pico y placa with a rental car.
Tips for driving in Bogotá at night
- Enter the destination before you set off and keep the phone in a holder. The Colombian data SIM included for customers from abroad is there for this.
- Stick to main roads. For the first drive, prefer big avenues like Calle 26 even if the app suggests a shortcut.
- Doors locked and nothing visible inside the car, especially at traffic lights.
- Enclosed parking. Confirm with the hotel before you arrive that it has parking.
- Keep to the limits even on empty roads: the cameras work around the clock. Our guide to camera fines lists the ones on Calle 26.
Get the car at night or the next day?
If you are leaving Bogotá early the next day —for Villa de Leyva, Zipaquirá or a country house— get the car when you land and head out before the morning traffic. If you are staying in Bogotá and arrive tired, you can take a taxi to the hotel and have the car delivered in the city the next day. Both options are arranged the same way, on WhatsApp.
From the airport to the hotel, step by step: El Dorado Airport to your hotel by car. And the available cars, with their details, are in our fleet.
The figures in this guide were verified against official sources on the update date. Tolls and rates are adjusted every year.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I get the car at El Dorado in the middle of the night?
- Yes. Handovers run from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and outside those hours the car is still delivered: it is arranged over WhatsApp with your flight number.
- Where will I be met if I land at night?
- At El Dorado Airport, international pier, 2nd floor, exit 1 (Muelle Internacional, piso 2, salida 1), the same handover point used during the day. The time is arranged using the flight number you sent us.
- What if my flight is delayed?
- Message us on WhatsApp as soon as you know about the delay —we answer around the clock— and the handover moves to the new arrival time.
- Is there pico y placa at night in Bogotá?
- No. Pico y placa applies Monday to Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. If you land after 9:00 p.m., you can drive with any plate until 6:00 a.m.
- Should I get the car at night or the next day?
- It depends on your plans. If you are leaving Bogotá early or heading somewhere outside the city, get it when you land. If you are staying in Bogotá and you are tired, you can take a taxi to the hotel and have the car delivered in the city the next day.
- What should I have ready for a night handover?
- A valid driver’s license, your passport, a credit card or bank transfer for the deposit, and your flight number sent in advance. Having everything ready keeps the handover to a few minutes.
