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Are you looking for the best way to travel around South America? Well we’ve spent some time in America Sur and have some “best practices” that should make your traveling much, much easier.

In 2004 we spent a month backpacking between Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru. After landing in Santiago, Chile, we were making our way directly to Chile to take advantage of the great exchange rate.

Getting around South America means taking a bus. That’s the “secret”. Get ready to jump from bus terminal to bus terminal. Railroads are more or less non-existent and flights, even when booked in advance, are amazingly expensive. But bus travel in South America can be surprisingly nice. If you (Americans) are used to seeing the less-than-attractive Greyhound buses on the interstate, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the features and quality of the buses that dot the highways of Brazil, Argentina, and Chile (note we didn’t mention all SA countries).

General rule that applies to all bus travel in South America – book your trip as early as you can. Unlike Europe where you can usually hop on a train and go, in South America, buses are the main form of travel and often times congested. How did we learn that lesson? We were able to immediately book a bus ride from Santiago to Mendoza, but ran head into university students on holiday in Argentina (being stranded for 3 days in the Argentine wine country isn’t that bad, though, we must admit!)

Also – book your exit ticket from a city before you leave the bus station upon arrival. Burned several times before learning our lesson, you prevent extra expenses to return to the station solely to buy tickets and also greatly reduce the chance of being stranded.

Alter your eating and drinking habits while on long bus rides. Consider the length of the trip and the, uh hum, “quality” of the bathrooms before you decide to drink another mate. Also, most buses in South America have attendants that will come by with free snacks and drinks on a 2-hour interval. Learn to say NO. Lastly, make sure to hop off the bus whenever it stops. Your legs and back will thank you.

Keep cash on hand. Buses make rest stops frequently but more often than not, they’re in rural areas that take only cash.

Here’s a summary of what you can expect for in terms of bus travel in the major South American countries from Brazil to Chile:

• Argentina: by far the nicest buses in South America, a luxury, double-decker overnight bus from Patagonia to Buenos Aires costs you only $25. Expect LONG rides. Argentina is a large country with a widely distributed population. A trip on a bus between major cities frequently takes 20 hours or more. In Buenos Aires, the bus terminal is near downtown and is massive.
• Chile: orderly and clean is how we would best describe the buses in Chile. Although Argentina seems to take bus travel to an art form, traveling by bus in Chile is easy and comfortable. Be prepared for extremely long trips in Chile. With mainly 3 areas of population density (north in Arica, central in Santiago and south in Puerto Montt), all trips are extremely long.
• Brazil: not quite as nice as Argentina, buses in Brazil are fairly homogeneous in quality and are a comfortable way to get around. Similar to Argentina and Chile, make sure you buy your ticket early, as buses are often congested. Buses often stop in major bus terminals for quick bites of soldades (tasty, fried snacks) so be prepared to jump off, use the bathroom and make your purchases.
• Bolivia: Wow, another world, and we’re not just talking about the extreme landscape and altitude. If you’re arriving by plane from one of the above countries, as we did, you’ll be surprised by how different and less organizes the transportation system is. Within the city of La Paz, you can find the bus terminal a short walk from the main capital square. Make sure to BOOK EARLY, especially for bus rides to Cuzco. Make sure you arrive early to hop on the bus, as they normally overbook seats. Expect the driver to stop frequently for “extracurricular” ridership, as it’s fairly common in Brazil, Peru and Bolivia.
• Peru: Slightly better than the quality of travel in Bolivia, there’s still a chance you’ll have a chicken on your bus. The most noticeable thing about travel in Peru, mainly true in the eastern part of the country, is the sparseness of population and distance between stops. Make sure you buy food and drink whenever possible, as you may find yourself hungry otherwise. Bus travel in and out of Cuzco is one of the toughest areas in South America to navigate. Be extra vigilant

Language help. Here’s “Bus station” in the languages of South America:

• Spanish – Retiro
• Portuguese – Rodoviaria

Security: Be attentive to your luggage, but avoid becoming paranoid. Luggage on and off the buses is most often controlled by the driver or another attendant, and you’re usually given a slip to retrieve your luggage upon arrival.

This should be sufficient preparation for your trip to South America. As a place that doesn’t really abide by strict schedules, make sure you remain patient and roll with the punches. Blessed with amazing food and gorgeous vistas, travel by bus in South America is an amazing experience.

Salude!
Travel Relic