South America

Hi, After reading a lot of pretty scary reviews about Retiro bus station in Buenos Aires, does anyone have any experience to share? Is it still doable during the day to catch or arrive from a bus? Is it okay to walk to the metro afterward, or is it better to take a taxi/Uber/something else right away?

Hi everyone,

Next April, I’m planning a trip (the 1st) to Brazil. I’ll have 12 days there (not counting the 13th day for the return). I’ll arrive on 22/04 in the early evening in Rio de Janeiro. The return flight is from São Paulo on 04/05 in the afternoon. I know 12 days is very little for such a big country, which is why I’ll focus on a relatively small area: the southeast (though "small" is relative!). I’ve started mapping out the main stops for my trip, which would be: - Rio de Janeiro: 4 to 5 days? - Ilha Grande and maybe Paraty: 2 to 3 days - Iguazu Falls: Brazilian and Argentinian sides: 2 days - São Paulo: 1 to 2 days

What do you think? Is this reasonable? There are about 250/260 km between Rio and Paraty. I’d like to make the trip by rental car. What do you think? A car is definitely much more practical and faster than the bus. 12/13 days is short—I can’t afford to lose too much time in transit. To get to Ilha Grande, I understand there’s a ferry that shuttles between the mainland and the island. From which city can you take the ferry? Mangaratiba? Conceição de Jacareí? Angra dos Reis? If I arrive by rental car, where can I park it? I think cars are banned on the island, right? That’s where I’m at with my planning. So many questions! 😕 A big thank you to anyone who takes the time to read my post and shares their valuable tips! 🙂

Hi there,

I’m planning a trip to Brazil in October and decided to go through an agency to organize our itinerary. I asked two agencies to put together a circuit with transfers, hotels, organized visits, and one domestic flight. I don’t speak Spanish or Portuguese. 6 nights in Rio 3 nights on Ilha Grande 3 nights in Paraty Domestic flight to Salvador for 3 nights 3 nights in Morro de São Paulo 1 night in Salvador before flying back to France. For this itinerary, I’m going with Tourlane, but I’m still waiting on the second quote from Comptoir des Voyages. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the itinerary and especially on these agencies—thanks for any feedback! 😊

Hi there, Could you let me know if this itinerary is doable: 14/09: Arrival in BA at 9:45 PM 15/09 to 16/09: BA 17/09: Flight to Iguazu early in the morning + visit the falls on the Brazilian side 18/09: Visit the falls on the Argentine side 19/09: Flight to Salta + visit Salta 20/09 to 25/09: Northern + Southern Loop in 6 full days (rental car) 26/09 to 28/09: Tolar Grande 3 days (with an agency) 29/09: Flight to Puerto Madryn (arrival in the evening) 30/09: Valdes Peninsula 01/10: Valdes Peninsula + Punta Tombo + overnight bus to Bariloche 02/10 to 07/10: 6 days to see Bariloche and the surrounding area by car (what are the must-sees?) 08/10: Flight to BA 09/10: Flight to Paris at 2:40 PM

Hi there, I’m not really into architecture, but I’ve always wanted to visit Brasília to see what a modern city built from scratch looks like, and I thought not many people lived there. After doing some research, I realize the city is actually quite crowded. As I’m planning my trip to Brazil, people keep telling me not to go, that I’ll be disappointed and it’s a waste of time.

For those of you who’ve been to Brasília, what do you think? Thanks for your replies. Anne

Hi there,

I’ll be traveling to Peru in August 2025. Unfortunately, I only have 12 days to visit this amazing country. I’m torn between doing a fast-paced trip where I see every sight but don’t really soak it all in, or going for a lighter itinerary that lets me enjoy the moment more.

Right now, I’ve narrowed it down to three options and I’d love to hear your thoughts on which one to pick.

Option 1 August 14, 2025 Flight Canada – Lima Visit Lima Stay in Lima August 15, 2025 Flight Lima – Cusco Visit Cusco Stay in Cusco August 16, 2025 Visit Humantay Lake Stay in Cusco August 17, 2025 Visit Sacred Valley Stay in Ollantaytambo August 18, 2025 Visit Machu Picchu Stay in Ollantaytambo August 19, 2025 Visit Sacred Valley Stay in Cusco August 20, 2025 Visit Rainbow Mountains Stay in Cusco August 21, 2025 Flight Cusco – Lima Bus Lima to Huacachina Stay in Huacachina August 22, 2025 Visit Huacachina Stay in Huacachina August 23, 2025 Visit Paracas Stay in Huacachina August 24, 2025 Bus Huacachina – Lima Visit Lima Stay in Lima August 25, 2025 Flight Lima – Canada

Option 2 August 14, 2025 Flight Canada – Lima Bus Lima – Huacachina Stay in Huacachina August 15, 2025 Visit Huacachina Bus Huacachina – Arequipa Overnight bus August 16, 2025 Visit Arequipa Stay in Arequipa August 17, 2025 Colca Canyon Transfer Arequipa – Puno Stay in Puno August 18, 2025 Visit Lake Titicaca Bus Puno – Cusco (7:00 AM) Overnight bus August 19, 2025 Visit Humantay Lake Stay in Cusco August 20, 2025 Visit Sacred Valley Stay in Ollantaytambo August 21, 2025 Visit Machu Picchu Stay in Ollantaytambo August 22, 2025 Visit Sacred Valley Stay in Cusco August 23, 2025 Visit Rainbow Mountains Stay in Cusco August 24, 2025 Flight Cusco – Lima Visit Lima Stay in Lima August 25, 2025 Flight Lima – Canada

Option 3 August 14, 2025 Flight Canada – Lima Bus Lima – Huacachina Stay in Huacachina August 15, 2025 Visit Huacachina Stay in Huacachina August 16, 2025 Visit Paracas Stay in Paracas August 17, 2025 Bus Paracas – Lima Flight Lima – Cusco Stay in Cusco August 18, 2025 Visit Cusco Stay in Cusco August 19, 2025 Visit Humantay Lake Stay in Cusco August 20, 2025 Visit Sacred Valley Stay in Ollantaytambo August 21, 2025 Visit Machu Picchu Stay in Ollantaytambo August 22, 2025 Visit Sacred Valley Stay in Cusco August 23, 2025 Visit Rainbow Mountains Stay in Cusco August 24, 2025 Flight Cusco – Lima Visit Lima Stay in Lima August 25, 2025 Flight Lima – Canada

Hey hey!

We’re on a 3-month trip through Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, and then southern Brazil.

We’ve been in Ollantaytambo for 2 days now, right at the gateway to Machu Picchu...

Here are a few tips:

To get to Aguas Calientes, there are 2 options: one by train for at least $70 one-way (2h), with lots of departures throughout the day.

The other is by bus—departure in the morning, check with local agencies starting at 10 € (40 soles). The bus ends at Hidroeléctrica, where you’ll have to walk the last 2 hours... We went with option 2 ;) Leaving tomorrow morning.

PS: There’s a great little "bakery" with good prices near the market (croissants, pizza, bread, etc.).

In the Sacred Valley, I’d recommend spending a night or two in Maras—a quiet village where a nice walk will take you to Moray, then another to the Salineras...

Another really cool route to take with stops for pisco (from San Clemente, where colectivos leave) to Cusco, along stunning high-altitude roads... From Pisco to Ayacucho: 5h, then from Ayacucho to Andahuaylas: 5h. Super big local market on Saturdays/Sundays.

Plan for 6-7 hours to finish the trip to Cusco...

Happy travels! !

Hi everyone! I’m looking for accommodation in these three destinations, with a budget of 100 € per person max including breakfast. I’d prefer places by the water for the first two spots and somewhere halfway between the main sights for Iguazu. Could you help me out? Thanks! 😊

hi everyone, where can we buy a GPS for driving in Argentina and which one: Garmin, TomTom?

Good evening, We're leaving from January 26 to February 7 with our two kids, aged 23 and 27. I'm hoping to visit Iguazu, Rio, Ilha Grande, or Cabo Frio. I have a few questions. - Should we visit Rio with a guide, considering we want to explore favelas and hike to reach the main sites? And how many days should we plan for it? - How many days for Ilha Grande, and is the weather favorable during this period? Is it a must-see? - What do you think of Cabo Frio? In terms of organization, is it better to visit Iguazu at the beginning, middle, or end of our stay, departing from São Paulo or Rio? We haven’t bought our flight tickets yet, so I can arrange to arrive or depart from Rio/São Paulo. Thanks so much for sharing your experiences and opinions!

Hello,

For our trip in September 2025 from mid-September to early October (3 weeks), we’ve planned 8 days in San Pedro, then a transit night in Santiago, 8 days in Chilean Patagonia, and 3 days for Santiago/Valparaíso before heading back. Is it possible to easily explore with a rental car from a lodge based in Puerto Natales, including visiting Torres del Paine National Park? Or does that mean too much driving in a day, or would it be better to plan an overnight stay in the park or nearby?

We applied for our international driver’s permit in January 2025 for September, hoping to get it in time—I checked the forum about this. Regarding the car rental, do we really need a credit card (not debit) in the main driver’s name for the deposit?

How far in advance should we book entry tickets to the national parks for this period?

Best regards,

Odile

Hi, I’m planning a trip to Argentina with friends for 21 days. Could you tell me which places are worth spending more time in—or not—since the country is so big?

Hi everyone, We’re heading to Chile and Argentina for 4 weeks (Atacama Desert, Easter Island, and Chilean and Argentine Patagonia). For Patagonia, our itinerary (rental car) is as follows: 1 night in Puerto Natales 2 nights in Torres del Paine.

Then we’ll drive back up to El Chaltén, where we’ll spend 3 nights (fingers crossed the weather lets us do the two hikes we’ve planned). After that, we’re off to El Calafate for 2 nights (Perito Moreno Glacier). Our last day and night in Argentina will be spent at an estancia (Nibepo Aike). This is where I’m wondering: We have to drive in one day from the estancia (1.5 hours of dirt road from El Calafate) all the way to Punta Arenas. On paper, it seems doable. But what’s it like in reality? Is it too long? Thanks for your thoughts and advice—I hope I’ve been clear. Pilar

Hi everyone, I’d love to explore Colombia next winter and, of course, I’m really keen to discover the country’s natural wonders. However, I know that despite impressive progress, there are still security issues in Colombia, and that remote mountainous forest areas were once favored by guerrillas and drug traffickers as hideouts. I assume things are different now. I’m well aware that big cities like Bogota, Medellin, and Cartagena require extra vigilance, but that seems pretty normal in itself.

But I’d like to know if it’s possible—and safe enough—to rent a car and explore the national parks and nature reserves on my own, without a guide (such as Parque Nacional Natural Chingaza, Parque Nacional Natural Páramo de Iguaque, Parque Nacional Natural Serranía de los Yariguíes, Pico Cristóbal Colón, etc.).

Of course, I’m also aware of the dangerous wildlife (pumas, jaguars, snakes, spiders, crocs, etc.), but that’s another story.

Thanks for your replies! :-)

Hi there, I’m planning a 3-week trip to Patagonia and Chile at the end of March. I’m looking for a pretty chill itinerary that isn’t too tiring for health reasons, but still a nice trip... To avoid spending three weeks in the somewhat chilly Patagonia, we’re planning to head up to Valparaíso and the Atacama Desert. Here’s the itinerary: Arrival in Buenos Aires Flight to El Calafate (4 nights) Bus to Puerto Natales (1 night) Torres del Paine (4 nights) Santiago (1 night) (flight from Puerto Natales) Valparaíso (4 nights) San Pedro de Atacama (5 nights) Santiago (1 night) then flight to Paris I’m wondering whether it’s worth going all the way to Ushuaia. Sure, it’s a legendary destination, but is it as impressive as El Calafate and Torres del Paine? The other option would be to cut one night from Torres del Paine, Valparaíso, and San Pedro, and spend 3 nights in Ushuaia instead. Also, I’m a bit confused about whether an international driver’s permit is required to drive in Argentina and Chile. I’ve applied for one, but the processing times are really long, and I probably won’t have it before I leave... Thanks for your feedback, Marc

Hi, I’d like to know if it’s possible to leave luggage at Quito and Baltra airports so I can hike with a lighter load. Could you also share the rates for this service, please? Thanks in advance for your reply.

Hi everyone,

I’m coming back to ask for your valuable advice once again (which has already helped me out multiple times for other trips, thanks! 🙂) for a 3.5-week itinerary in Colombia this January. We’re traveling as a couple, backpacking, and our trip will be by bus only (unless we crack and take a plane once, but we’d prefer to avoid it).

To avoid rushing around and because we want to steer clear of the tourist crowds on the Caribbean coast, we’ve planned a route that might seem a bit off the beaten path. Could you let me know what you think, please?

We land in Bogotá -> Armenia (Cocora Valley) -> Coffee Region -> Medellín -> Guatapé and Jardín -> Capurganá and Sapzurro -> back to Bogotá (or Páramo de Ocetá if we have time).

We’re more drawn to relaxed spots without too many tourists, and we’d really love to swim in a beautiful place (we live in Quebec, and it’s pretty tough to swim in the sea, especially in January!).

Thanks to all of you!

Hi everyone,

I’m planning my trip to Brazil in March 2025 (finally!) and I’d love to hear your thoughts on Ilha Grande and Paraty. We’ll be arriving from Rio and departing from Paraty (heading to São Paulo). How can we best organize these transfers—can we book the different transports on the spot? How much time is ideal to stay in these two places to enjoy them without doing long hikes? Do you have an estimated budget? Thanks for your feedback! Dominique

Hi, We’re considering a discovery trip to Brazil in summer 2025 for a maximum of 3 weeks, transport included. Since the must-see sites are very far apart, we’ve selected the ones that seemed the most spectacular and have little or no equivalent elsewhere in the world. Here’s what we’re thinking: Outbound: 1 day Paris → São Paulo Iguaçu: 2 days Transfer: 1 day via São Paulo or Rio and São Luís Lençóis National Park: 3 days Transfer: 1 day via São Luís Salvador de Bahia: 2 days Transfer: 1 day via Rio Rio: 4 days Return: 1 day What do you think? I was thinking of adding a stop that’s easily accessible without flying from one of the places above. Ilha Grande? Tinharé Island? Any other suggestions? Thanks in advance for your tips! Virginie

Hi everyone, actually I have a 6-month tourist visa for Bolivia, but a friend is telling me I can’t enter Bolivia with this visa. I don’t understand why—he says I need a transit visa instead. Could someone please clarify this for me? I’m really confused.

Hi there, I’m reaching out to get your thoughts on an upcoming trip to Peru. The issue is that I unfortunately don’t have enough time to do everything. I’ve put together four itineraries and would love your feedback on them.

Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 Option 4 Day 1 August 14, 2025 Flight Canada – Lima Bus Lima – Huacachina Accommodation Huacachina Flight Canada – Lima Bus Lima - Huacachina Accommodation Huacachina Flight Canada – Lima Bus Lima - Huacachina Accommodation Huacachina Flight Canada – Lima Bus Lima - Huacachina Accommodation Huacachina Day 2 August 15, 2025 Visit Huacachina Bus Huacachina – Arequipa Overnight bus accommodation Visit Huacachina Accommodation Huacachina Visit Huacachina Accommodation Huacachina Visit Huacachina Bus Huacachina – Arequipa Overnight bus accommodation Day 3 August 16, 2025 Visit Arequipa Accommodation Arequipa Bus Huacachina – Lima Flight Lima – Juliaca Accommodation Puno Visit Paracas Accommodation Paracas Visit Arequipa Accommodation Arequipa Day 4 August 17, 2025 Colca Canyon excursion Transfer Arequipa-Puno Accommodation Puno Visit Lake Titicaca Accommodation Puno Bus Paracas – Lima Flight Lima - Cusco Colca Canyon excursion Accommodation Arequipa Day 5 August 18, 2025 Visit Lake Titicaca Bus Puno-Cusco (7:00 AM) Overnight bus accommodation Bus Puno - Cusco Visit Cusco Accommodation Cusco Visit Cusco Accommodation Cusco Flight Arequipa – Cusco Visit Cusco Accommodation Cusco Day 6 August 19, 2025 Visit Humantay Lake Accommodation Cusco Visit Humantay Lake Accommodation Cusco Visit Humantay Lake Accommodation Cusco Visit Humantay Lake Accommodation Cusco Day 7 August 20, 2025 Visit Sacred Valley Accommodation Ollantaytambo Visit Sacred Valley Accommodation Ollantaytambo Visit Sacred Valley Accommodation Ollantaytambo Visit Sacred Valley Accommodation Ollantaytambo Day 8 August 21, 2025 Visit Machu Picchu Accommodation Ollantaytambo Visit Machu Picchu Accommodation Ollantaytambo Visit Machu Picchu Accommodation Ollantaytambo Visit Machu Picchu Accommodation Ollantaytambo Day 9 August 22, 2025 Bus Ollantaytambo - Cusco Visit Sacred Valley Accommodation Cusco Bus Ollantaytambo - Cusco Visit Sacred Valley Accommodation Cusco Bus Ollantaytambo - Cusco Visit Sacred Valley Accommodation Cusco Bus Ollantaytambo - Cusco Visit Sacred Valley Accommodation Cusco Day 10 August 23, 2025 Bus Cusco – Vinicunca Visit Rainbow Mountain Accommodation Cusco Bus Cusco – Vinicunca Visit Rainbow Mountain Accommodation Cusco Bus Cusco – Vinicunca Visit Rainbow Mountain Accommodation Cusco Bus Cusco – Vinicunca Visit Rainbow Mountain Accommodation Cusco Day 11 August 24, 2025 Flight Cusco – Lima Visit Lima Accommodation Lima Flight Cusco – Lima Visit Lima Accommodation Lima Flight Cusco – Lima Visit Lima Accommodation Lima Flight Cusco – Lima Visit Lima Accommodation Lima Day 12 August 25, 2025 Flight Lima - Canada Flight Lima - Canada Flight Lima - Canada Flight Lima - Canada

Hi everyone, On August 15th, we’ll be flying from São Paulo to Salvador de Bahia (which airline should we choose?) to spend about ten days there. Since we haven’t had a vacation in two years, we’d like to avoid spending too much time on the road and instead discover some picturesque spots that aren’t too crowded with tourists... Any tips? We’re already planning to spend 2-3 days in Salvador, and then what? I think two other nearby destinations where we could wander around would be ideal: Praia do Forte, Itaparica, Loreto de São Paulo, Cachoeira, or any other must-see places? Thanks for your help

Hi everyone! My partner and I are heading to Argentina for a 3-week trip at the end of January, and we’d love to know which of these options is best: - Exchanging euros to pesos directly once we’re there - Exchanging euros to USD here in France and bringing the USD to swap for pesos as soon as we arrive in Argentina, since we’ve seen a lot of advice about bringing USD.

Another question: how much cash should we bring for 3 weeks in Argentina?

Thanks so much for your help! Looking forward to your tips! Yannick

Hi, I read on a blog that for long overnight trips, there’s a "cama" category and even "cama VIP". I’m planning a Santa Marta/Bucaramanga route, but I can’t find this option on the bus company websites. Has anyone already done this route, and under what conditions? Thanks for your feedback!

Hello, We're a family with three boys aged 8 to 14, and we'll be in Brazil next April. We land at GRU around 4 PM on a Saturday and want to head straight to Paraty. I've seen several options:

Private taxi: Do you have any contacts for private drivers or companies that could transport all five of us directly from the airport and that I can book in advance? I’ve already reached out to a few, but the rates are really high.

Uber: I tested the app from France, but it doesn’t offer vehicles for 5 people (Uber XL). Is that the case locally too, or is it because I’m testing from France?

99app: I couldn’t install the app from France to test it.

Bus: Take a bus from the bus station, either directly in the evening (departures around 9 PM and 10:30 PM—7-hour trip) or the next morning. This isn’t my preferred option because I’d either have to take a late bus right after we arrive (and I’m not sure how safe the area is at night, based on what I’ve read) or book a hotel to go the next morning and lose a night.

Thanks for your help.

Hi, I’d like to meet a Mapuche community in the Lake District during my upcoming trip to Chile. I’ve been given several offers, but the prices are way too high (nearly 1100 € for 2 days/3 nights). Even though the advertised program sounds interesting, I’m hoping there are other ways to connect with a Mapuche community. I’m open to any ideas on the topic! Best, Jamet JC

Hi, I booked a car with Sixt from Temuco to Puerto Montt from 01/27/25 to 02/17/25. On Saturday, I got an email canceling the reservation. But the reservation is still showing up on the website (as of this morning at 9:30 AM). Can’t reach Sixt Chile. Sixt France is also in the dark (they can’t contact Chile either). Has anyone heard anything about this?

Hi there, I just wanted to warn those who want to reach the beaches of Tayrona Park by lancha. If you're not a fan of thrills or prone to seasickness, opt for the car instead. We did this 40-minute lancha trip to Playa Cristal, with rough seas and huge waves that nearly capsized the boat several times. And we arrived at Playa Cristal completely soaked—though that wasn’t too bad, really...

Anyway, the beaches and the park are amazing.

Hi, I’d love to spend a night in the park to enjoy it without rushing, but I’m shocked by the prices and the poor quality of the accommodations I’ve found on Booking. Are there any other more reasonable options on-site (aside from tents and hammocks, which aren’t for us...)? Also, is it risky not to book ahead for a trip in March? Thanks for your feedback!

Hi there, Not wanting to go through a traditional travel agency—often based in France and only offering "items pulled from an internet catalog"—I’ve decided to plan this trip to Chile on my own this year, in March-April. However, I’m overwhelmed by the number of options online. I’ll be staying in San Pedro de Atacama for 4 nights. I’d love to explore San Pedro de Atacama and its surroundings. Since I won’t have a vehicle, I’ll likely need to rely on group transfers. What do you recommend as must-see places and activities? And most importantly, which trustworthy providers should I turn to? Thanks in advance! Jamet JC