Hi everyone,
My partner and I are planning a trip to Brazil in October for 15 to 20 days. I spent some time in Brazil years ago while collaborating with the University of Lavras (MG). Now, I’d love to introduce my partner to the country. My initial plan is Rio (4 days), Bahia—which I’ve never visited—(4 days), Belo Horizonte to catch up with old friends and explore the surrounding areas (Tiradentes and Ouro Preto), then... and back. I’m really counting on your advice to help shape this trip. We’re not backpackers anymore!
Thanks in advance.
Best regards,
Serge Rambal - Montpellier
Hi there,
I’m planning a road trip in a rental car in Paraguay. During this trip, I’d also like to cross the border to visit Iguazu Falls (both the Argentine and Brazilian sides), which are just a few kilometers from the Paraguayan border. The issue is that rental car agencies don’t allow crossing borders.
So my question is: is it easy, possible, and safe to leave the rental car for 2 or 3 days in Paraguay and cross the border from Ciudad del Este? What’s the best way to get around (bus, taxi)?
Thanks for your help
Hi everyone, we’re planning to spend 2 months in Colombia (February–March), and the current events have us wondering about safety.
Do you have any updates, or have you just come back that might reassure us?
Thanks!
We’re planning a trip to Brazil in March 2026, just the two of us, for 10 days without using an agency.
Rio, the falls, and Bahia too.
How can we get around there? Train? Car rental? Plane?
Are the roads easy to drive on?
Is Rio safe to explore on our own?
We’d love any travel journals with ideas for places to see, as well as books to help us plan the whole trip.
Thanks in advance for all your tips!
See you soon,
cheers
Hello,
On our way back from Punta Arenas, we’ll be staying in Santiago for 4 days before heading home.
Could you recommend any places to stay and neighborhoods in Santiago that are budget-friendly, please?
We’d also like to visit Valparaíso despite some safety concerns. Is it better to hire a guide or book a organized tour from Santiago? Or can we plan it independently?
Can this be done in a day?
Thanks,
Odile
Hi there, we’ll have 15 days total, which means 13 days of travel on the ground. We’re planning to visit Brazil during the second half of July. I’m not naive enough to think we can see a huge chunk of Brazil in such a short time, so I’m focusing on a specific area to make it relaxed and enjoyable.
We’re flying out of Madrid. I was thinking of spending 3 or 4 days in Rio, 3 days in Iguazu (I initially thought one day would be enough, but I’ve read it’s highly recommended to visit the Argentine side as well), 3 or 4 days on Ilha Grande, and 3 days in Paraty. I’m not entirely sure about Ilha Grande in July, but I’m looking for a place to unwind and enjoy the sea (if the water’s good then).
I’ve noticed a lot of people fly into Madrid and return from São Paulo (or vice versa). What’s the advantage of that? It doesn’t seem problematic (based on Google Maps, though I’m no expert) to navigate from Rio. Is there a more efficient order for visits to minimize travel time?
As you can tell, I’m just starting to plan, but I’ll need to book the international flights soon. I’ll probably have more questions for those of you who are patient enough to help! ;)
Hi everyone,
My husband and I are planning to explore Ecuador in the coming year, and to make the most of the trip, we’d like to do it with a rental car. We already have a rough idea of the route we’d take, and I’m reaching out to the community to help us refine this journey. Here’s the plan:
Day 1: Flight to Quito
Days 2 and 3: Exploring Quito
Days 4 and 5: Picking up the rental car and driving to Otavalo and Laguna Cuicocha
Day 6: Drive to Papallacta via Cayambe to enjoy the hot springs in the evening
Days 7 and 8: Drive to Lasso via Malachi – Excursions in Cotopaxi National Park. Laguna Limpiopungo
Days 9 and 10: Laguna Quilotoa
Day 11: Drive to Baños via Latacunga/Ambato to enjoy the hot springs in Baños
Days 12 and 13: Hiking in the Chimborazo Reserve
Day 14: Hiking in Sangay National Park
Day 15: Drive to Guamote to arrive by late afternoon
Day 16: Guamote market in the morning. Drive to Cañar in the afternoon
Day 17: Guided tour of Ingapirca, then drive to Cuenca
Day 18: Visit Cajas National Park early in the morning
Day 19: Exploring Cuenca
Day 20: Returning the rental car and flight to Quito or driving back to Quito (depending on cost)
Day 21: Relaxing in Quito
Day 22: Flight back to France
We won’t be doing any ascents—just hikes in the parks (we’re walkers, but we’re feeling our age and prefer to take it easy now!).
We’d love to hear your thoughts, critiques, or advice...
Thanks in advance. Looking forward to reading your replies!
martine
I’d love to see jaguars in the wild in Brazil. I’ve heard it’s possible in the Pantanal. Do you know any local agencies that offer this kind of excursion, or can we go on our own? I’d also like to get an idea of the price, since French tour operators charge a fortune. Could you share any tips or your own experiences? Thanks in advance!
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?
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! 🙂
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
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
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.
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! 😊
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!
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?
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.
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.
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!).
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
