Tips for beginners on a 3-month trip to South America

Hello,

For a trip of this scale, do you think a travel agency is useful, or is it better to organize it yourself? If so, which ones would you recommend for a tight budget? We were possibly considering G Adventures for certain parts of the trip. Do you have any feedback or experiences to share?

A travel agency is absolutely not necessary. Once you're there, for certain parts of the country or sites that are hard to access without a vehicle, you’ll find plenty of local agencies that can organize a "Tour" for one or several days.

For luggage, would you recommend a small rolling suitcase or a large backpack?

Rolling suitcases are for old folks! Unless you’re renting a vehicle in each country. Why a large backpack? Wouldn’t a medium-sized one be enough? When traveling without a rental vehicle, you need to pack light. Lighter means more mobility. Unless you’re comfortable carrying 20 kg or more on your back because you’re used to high-mountain trekking, a 12 kg backpack is more than enough. I’ve crossed Europe and Asia using public transport and then hiked the Himalayas with much less.

About payments: Is it easy to pay by card, or is cash mostly needed? If everything is paid in cash, how do you manage the budget? Do you need to ask for transfers through an intermediary (like Western Union, for example)? Currency exchange: Is it easy to exchange money on the spot? Which places are best to do this? Regarding costs, what would be a monthly budget for average travelers?

There are plenty of options, and opinions vary... Personally, I always carry cash. Rarely more than 500 €. Of course, you risk theft, but I’ve never had that problem. Cash can be really useful sometimes! For example, if an ATM doesn’t return your card. It’s rare, but it happens. It happened to me once, and when it’s a Friday night, you have to wait until Monday to get your card back! I use a bank card from an online bank that’s free and has no foreign withdrawal fees (Fortuneo). I top up my Fortuneo account as needed from my main account and pay for almost everything with the Fortuneo card (Mastercard). No fees! (Unlike traditional bank cards.) Argentina has been dealing with runaway inflation for a few years now... People who’ve been there recently will give you better advice on managing your money and budget for that country.

Is it easy to find hotels/hostels on the spot, or is it better to book a few days/weeks in advance (especially in high season)?

Apart from a few exceptions and short-term stays, I haven’t booked anything in over 50 years of traveling. For the past few years, I’ve booked a hotel only on the day I arrive in a country, especially if I’m getting in late. I’ve never had trouble finding accommodation, except once with my family (wife and kids) in Madrid because of exceptional festive events. With apps like Booking.com and others, you can always book with free late cancellation, which gives you flexibility in case of unexpected changes—there can be plenty on a long trip! Check in advance (on Booking, Rough Guide, Lonely Planet, etc.) and note down possible addresses for each stop, as well as the (very few) recommendations you’ll get here. Paper guides haven’t been updated in ages, and their addresses are often outdated.

Same question for buses: Can you find tickets the same day, or do you need to book a few days/weeks (or even months) in advance for certain routes? Any recommendations for reliable companies between these countries and within each one?

If you’re given reliable company addresses, book short-term for your first few legs. After that, with experience, you’ll see for yourself that it’s very easy without needing to book too far in advance.

How do you handle mobile networks, especially between different countries? Do you need a SIM card per country? Are there plans that cover multiple countries? Are eSIMs available? How do you actually do it? Thanks in advance for your tips and experiences! We’re open to all the great tips, hacks, or pitfalls to avoid.

Since this is specific to each country and I visited these places before mobile phones existed, I can’t give country-by-country advice. But I’m sure others will!

One question: Are you planning to go to Peru without passing through Bolivia? That would be a shame! Brazil: Foz da Iguaçu/ towards Pantanal/ Campo Grande/ Corumbá. Then Bolivia towards Santa Cruz (Misiones)................Towards Lake Titicaca (Copacabana), entering Peru: Puno. It’s also a shame to skip Colombia—a great country with so much variety! Costa Rica? Meh, a pretty bland country with no real culture... Just paid parks where you’ve had to queue at the entrance for the past decade (or so I’ve read).

Hello,

1. Travel agency

Not necessary. Sometimes useful on the spot for a very specific excursion that’s hard to do alone, especially if you don’t have a car or the gear (tent, stove, etc.).

A small rolling suitcase or a large backpack

Unless you’re doing multi-day trekking, go for the small suitcase. Soft and waterproof.

Between a big suitcase and a small backpack, the small backpack wins...

Is it easy to pay by card, or is cash mostly needed?

Pay by card where possible. Withdraw cash with your card in mid-sized or larger cities for places where cards aren’t widely accepted. Bring two cards, one from each network (Mastercard + Visa), from online banks that don’t charge fees (Fortuneo, for example).

Argentina is a special case. Check closer to your trip to see what options are available at the time (when I looked into it, it was Western Union).

Regarding costs, what’s a typical monthly budget for average travelers?

Budgets vary as much as travelers do. Chile is pretty expensive, Costa Rica too. Peru isn’t too bad, Brazil is mid-range to slightly higher. Southern Argentina is pricey. Excursions can get expensive (especially Machu Picchu and Chile).

Is it easy to find hotels/hostels on the spot, or is it better to book a few days/weeks in advance (especially in high season)?

Book well in advance if you want to stay in a very specific place or where options are extremely limited.

Otherwise, book a little ahead for highly touristy spots to avoid ending up somewhere no one wants to go—especially if your budget is tight.

Can you find tickets the same day, or should you plan a few days/weeks (or even months) ahead for certain routes?

You *must* book the train ticket to Machu Picchu way in advance. Same for the entrance ticket to the site.

Check flight prices for the same route—they can vary.

You don’t necessarily need to book months ahead, but planning your transport from one stop to the next when you arrive seems like a smart move.

For the SIM card, I use the same one as in France and get an extension.

Hi, thank you so much for your detailed reply!

The situation in Argentina is indeed a bit tricky and seems unique when it comes to withdrawing money. I’ll look into it more.

Huge thanks for the Lonely Planet site—I had no idea it existed!

I think we’ll book accommodations in some strategic spots, and we’ll figure out the rest as we go.

To answer your questions, yes, we’re planning to explore a bit of Bolivia and visit Lake Titicaca. As I mentioned earlier, our itinerary isn’t set in stone yet, and we’re really excited to consider your suggestions. I agree with your take on Costa Rica—I’ve read some not-so-great things about it too. That said, people also say the nature there is absolutely stunning, with tons of endemic species.

Hi there,

A huge thank you to you too for your reply—it’s been super helpful!

We had no idea Chile was known for being expensive, so thanks for pointing that out. Extending a French SIM card internationally is a clever idea. That said, since I have a Swiss number, international plans for me are just way too pricey.

If anyone has another solution, we’re all ears!

Thanks so much for your tips on planning and transport—it’s really helping us out! !

It can be a hassle to get a SIM card in every country.

Maybe look for a global solution that doesn’t necessarily have to be from Switzerland.

Speaking of data, downloading an offline map of the countries you’ll be visiting beforehand is a huge plus.

Personally, I use Maps.me. It’s great for hiking too.