South America

Hi, I’ve booked a cruise on the Stella Australis for early February 2026. Departure from Punta Arenas, arrival in Ushuaia in 5 days with 4 nights on board, and stops (zodiac landings). Has anyone already done this cruise or hung out… way down there? What I’m wondering is what kind of clothes to bring, since I’ll need to gear up. Thanks in advance for your tips. Xabi.

Hi there, we're heading to Antarctica in February for the trip of a lifetime! After spending 3 weeks on the boat, we'd love some advice on how to extend our trip. We were thinking of staying in Buenos Aires, which we’ll have visited on the way there. So we’re considering exploring the areas around the capital. Any ideas for a week of discoveries? Thanks so much for your input!

Hi there,

I’m planning a trip to Argentina where I’ll be arriving at Buenos Aires EZE airport. I’ve seen that there are buses to the city center, but you need a card to board them. Does anyone know the name of the card, and if so, where can I buy it? Thanks, and have a great day!

Yesterday, President Macron visited Salvador da Bahia. Alongside the obligatory political visit and meeting with all the local bigwigs (the mayor, the governor, and the Minister of Culture, Margarete Menezes), he also took the time to visit museums like the MAM (Museum of Modern Art) and the Museu Afro Brasileiro… for those looking for something to do :/

Local info link: https://atarde.com.br/politica/visita-historica-de-macron-fortalece-lacos-entre-bahia-e-franca-1367267

Tropical greetings from Salvador,

@ivanbahiaguide

Hi! We’re planning to spend a month (February or March 2026) in southern Chile, starting from Santiago (Lake District, Torres del Paine Park, Punta Arenas). Can we do this itinerary by car, or do we need to take internal flights? Has anyone done this trip and can give us some tips? Thanks! Fabienne and Jérôme

Hi, Does anyone know where to exchange money on a Sunday at the best rate in Arica, please? We arrived last night and don’t have any pesos! Thanks in advance. Brigitte

Hi there, I’m planning a trip to Colombia this summer. I’ve been reading a lot about safety in Colombia—everything and its opposite. For those of you who know Colombia, currently, would you say it’s a country where you can travel safely? I don’t plan on going to narco or paramilitary zones. What about the political situation? I’m traveling as a couple, without any tour organization. I just signed up and I’m still figuring out how this forum works—I didn’t know where to look for answers. Thanks.

Hello everyone, I'm just starting to plan a two-week trip I'd like to take with my wife in early May. This trip would include the Atacama Desert, which I was lucky enough to visit alone once and would love to experience again with her. But I'd like to add one or two other places to visit, keeping in mind that we're much more into nature than cities. I was thinking about part of adjacent Bolivia... but since we'll have already seen quite a few stunning high-altitude lakes around Atacama, what would be some interesting and very different spots? We would have loved to include Peru as well, but it might be tricky to combine in just two weeks. I'll go through the many posts on this forum, but if any of you have some tempting ideas for this time of year (late April - early May), I'm all ears. Thanks! :)

Hi there, I’m reposting this because the two replies to my question were really nice, but one was from someone who traveled to Colombia five years ago, and the other from someone who’s never been. Plus, my question got buried in a completely off-topic discussion. To clarify, I’d love **RECENT** info on safety in Colombia right now. So, here it is again.

I’m planning a trip to Colombia this summer. I’ve read a lot about safety there—everything and its opposite. You, Colombia experts, after your recent return from Colombia, would you say it’s a country where you can travel safely today? We don’t plan to visit narco or paramilitary zones. What about the current political situation? We’re traveling as a couple, without a tour. Thanks for your replies.

Hey there!

I only found two really old discussions on this topic, and the links are dead, so here’s a new thread.

I’m getting back from Bahía Solano this Saturday and haven’t planned anything from the 25th (I’ll be in Medellín). I’m traveling with my 9-year-old son… and I figure, if we’re gonna get caught in the rain here, we might as well do it somewhere nice… I’m thinking about spending a week or so in the archipelago, but I can’t really tell what the weather’s like this time of year—is it just a few showers here and there, with life going on as usual, and we can still swim, snorkel between rain, read quietly… or is it really non-stop downpours?

Any cool alternatives you’d recommend?

Hi, I’m heading to Brazil soon and wanted to know the price of drinks in restaurants/hotels—like wine, beers, or cocktails—just to budget. Also, is there any risk with ice cubes? Thanks!

Hello, We’re planning our first trip to Brazil from October 10 to November 7, 2025. We’re a couple traveling with light backpacks using local transport. Here’s our planned route: Arrival in Rio de Janeiro, 5 days, Tiradentes, Ouro Preto, Belo Horizonte, 7 days, Flight from Belo Horizonte to Recife, Recife, Olinda, 4 days, Maceió, Penedo, 3 days, Aracaju, 3 days, Salvador de Bahia and surrounding areas, 5 days Departure from Salvador de Bahia to Paris

Thanks in advance for any feedback you can share!

Of course, everything is flexible except for our arrival in Rio and departure from Salvador de Bahia.

Could you also recommend a neighborhood to stay in Rio? Alod

Hi there!

I’m heading to Morro de São Paulo in the first half of September.

I’ll spend a day in Bahia and then take the fast ferry to Morro from the Terminal Turístico Náutico. I’ve heard this ferry can be canceled depending on sea conditions. Locals from Bahia, can you tell me if cancellations are common in early September or if it’s usually not a big deal?

After Morro, I’ll spend a few days in Boipeba.

My question is about the return trip to Bahia to catch my flight home.

Is it better to go back through Morro to take the ferry in the opposite direction, or can I leave directly from Boipeba to Bahia?

I want to avoid long trips and bus rides.

If there’s no way around a road trip, I could take a taxi, Uber, or something similar.

Obrigado pela ajuda for helping me optimize my route: Bahia → Morro / Boipeba → Bahia! :)

We’re just back from a 2-week tour of the Northeast; we booked our flight tickets ourselves and landed in Fortaleza. From there, we used an agency to handle our circuit all the way to São Luís. It was an incredible adventure—flawless organization, no hiccups, and landscapes that felt like another planet. We rarely use agencies, but we don’t regret it at all. Given all the 4x4s, buggies, and boats we took, it would’ve been impossible to do it on our own, at least for the full route we covered. Our wishes were respected, the accommodations matched our requests, and we had a fantastic French-speaking guide for the last 5 days. If you’d like more details, just ask!

Hi there,

Assuming our flight takes off, we’re leaving on September 10th... On the 30th, we need to go to Valparaiso by bus—round trip in one day. I tried booking tickets on either Turbus or Pullman from the Alameda station, but neither site lets us enter our nationality because it’s not listed in the dropdown. Is it really necessary to book the bus tickets online, or can we just grab them the morning of—or even 48 hours ahead at the station? Thanks! Odile

hi everyone, I just got back from 3 weeks in Paraguay. If you'd like any info, feel free to ask!

Hello, We’re arriving at Rio Galeão on October 10th at 4:40 PM. We’ve booked a hotel near Ipanema. I’ve seen there are several options to get to Ipanema—bus plus metro, taxis—but I haven’t found any shuttle bus. Could you tell me if one exists and, if so, where to catch it at the airport? Thanks in advance

Hello everyone, This coming November, I’ll be joining my family who lives in Villarrica, and I’d love to take the opportunity to climb the volcano. I’ve been dreaming of doing it with my 16-year-old little brother, who’s in excellent physical shape and very athletic. However, after checking out the "reputable" booking sites, I noticed that most guides systematically refuse anyone under 18, with no possibility of an exception—even though I’d be fully prepared to take full responsibility. I think that’s really too bad. Do any of you know if there are any serious agencies or guides who accept young people who are at least 16? Your feedback or recommendations would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much! 😊

hi there I’m thinking of heading to northeastern Brazil in January or February—I don’t really have a choice with the dates. Apparently, it rains a lot during that time. Is it really a big issue for traveling? Are these tropical downpours—heavy but brief—or more of a continuous rain? I’m especially curious about the stops in Lençóis, Atins, and Parnaíba. For Lençóis, I know the lagoons are almost empty at this time of year. I’ll also be passing through São Luís, Jericoacoara, Fortaleza, Olinda/Recife, and Salvador da Bahia, and before heading back to Europe, I’ll visit the Iguaçu Falls. What do you think? Thanks in advance for your reply. Best regards

Bonjour, Allant 15 jours en Guyane en mars prochain, je me demande si je dois mettre Saul dans mes priorités au vu de la distance. Nous avons une location sur 2 semaines aux environs de Cayenne ; en comptant une journée pour aller, une autre pour le retour, cela fait 3 jours... Ne vaut il pas mieux pour cette 1 ère découverte, se tourner vers d'autres sites? Est ce vraiment si différent, surtout si on reste une journée sur place et qu'on n'est pas grands sportifs? Merci de votre aide.

hi, I'm planning a trip to Peru and Bolivia soon. I'm looking for a local travel agency. Does anyone know of one? Thanks

Hi there, Our departure is coming up soon... Since we’ll be mostly in the San Pedro de Atacama area and Chilean Patagonia, is it better to bring only Chilean pesos or is it wise to also take some US dollars? Thanks! Odile

Hi everyone, We’re a group of 3 friends traveling from Salvador de Bahia to Belém in November for a month. To plan our route, I’d love some tips on the must-see spots. We’ll be traveling by bus and are mostly looking for nature, as well as pretty towns and villages. Your advice will help us avoid missing too many great places. Thanks in advance to all of you! Thierry

Hi everyone, Our travel plans to Brazil in October are moving forward. Now we're looking for the best way to put it all together. Starting from Montpellier, probably connecting through CDG, arriving in Salvador de Bahia, stopping in Belo Horizonte, then a flight to Rio, and the return trip. How can we manage to finalize such a circular flight? Thanks in advance for your tips. Best, Serge

Hi there, We’ll be staying in Salta in September and plan to take the "Tren a las Nubes." Should we book from France, or will it be possible to buy our tickets on the day of departure? Will the price be different? We’re hesitating between the bus-train option from Salta (long trip) or just taking the train from San Antonio de los Cobres, which would mean renting a car to get there. What do you recommend? Thanks for your great tips!

Hi everyone, With a friend, we’re planning a big trip to South America from January to mid-April 2026. Our planned itinerary:

Argentina Chile Brazil (for Rio’s Carnival) Peru Then heading to Costa Rica to wrap up the trip.

We don’t have a precise route yet, but here are the key stops we’d absolutely love to include:

Iguazu Falls (Foz de Iguaçu) Patagonia (especially the Perito Moreno Glacier) Atacama Desert Rio Carnival Machu Picchu

This is our first time taking a trip of this scale, and we’d love some advice from more experienced travelers. To narrow it down, here are the main things we’re worried about:

1. Travel agency

For a trip this big, do you think a travel agency is helpful, or is it better to organize everything ourselves? If so, which ones would you recommend for a tight budget? We were considering G Adventures for parts of the trip. Any feedback on them?

2. Practical tips and money

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

About payments: Is it easy to pay by card, or is cash the way to go? If cash is king, how do you manage your budget—do you use services like Western Union for transfers? Currency exchange: Is it easy to exchange money on the spot? Which places are best for that? For costs, what’s a reasonable monthly budget for average travelers?

3. Accommodation

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

4. Transportation

Same question for buses: Can you buy tickets the same day, or should you book a few days/weeks (or even months) ahead for certain routes? Any recommendations for reliable companies between these countries and within them?

5. Phone service

How do you handle mobile networks, especially when crossing borders? Do you need a SIM card per country? Are there plans that cover multiple countries? Are eSIMs available? What’s the best way to set it up? Thanks in advance for your tips and experiences! We’re all ears for any great tips, hacks, or pitfalls to avoid.

Hello, I’m currently in Belém (Brazil) and I’m planning to take a boat to Manaus (I’ll first go to Santarém in 3 days). I’d love to get some info and contacts in Manaus for hiking, canoe trips, and more. Thanks a bunch!

Hi everyone, I know arachnophobes will get why I’m asking this: is it reasonable to hope to travel for a month in this country without running into a tarantula? And a follow-up question—since I’m traveling with a friend who’s terrified of seeing a snake—do you often come across reptiles? Thanks in advance for your answers!

I’m heading to Argentina for a month in September. Any tips on exchanging money? Can you still exchange currency on the street like before the political events? Thanks for your great tips

Hello everyone, we’re finishing a cruise from Marseille to Valparaiso on the morning of December 23, and we’re flying out of Santiago on the 27th around noon. What do you recommend we visit in such a short time, and how? Do you also have any tips for accommodation? We were thinking of spending 2 days in Valparaiso and 2 days in Santiago. And what about transportation between the two cities? A little detail: We’re an older couple, 80 and 81 years old! We still walk well, but we’re not polyglots. Luckily, we’ll have Google Translate and an eSIM card! This trip is kind of our 60th wedding anniversary. Thanks to everyone. Mado and Maurice.