Discussions Lapresse2 took part in

Need your advice—this is a bit urgent! 😅

I’m leaving in 1 month for 7 months in South America (mainly Argentina, with a quick stop in Chile and Bolivia). I still haven’t decided on: 👉 Travel insurance. 👉 The best bank card for abroad.

I’m a bit behind schedule and would really love your feedback: 👉 Which insurance do you recommend (reliability in case of trouble)? 👉 Which bank do you use while traveling to avoid fees (mainly in Argentina)? Boursorama? 👉 Any idea about fees with Western Union?

For now, I’m planning to bring as much cash as possible to avoid fees and exchange money locally. My bank (La Poste) gave me a Visa Premier for insurance/repatriation, but after reading the terms, I see it’s limited to 180 consecutive days—so 6 months, not 7.

Thanks in advance for your tips—it’ll help me make a decision quickly! :)

Hi, Does anyone know how late the buses run from Cusco Airport to the city center? I land at 9:30 PM, plus time to clear customs, pick up my luggage, and exchange some money—figure an extra 30 to 45 minutes. Though, come to think of it, I still have 5 sols from last time—maybe that’ll be enough for the bus? Thanks. Brigitte

I’m taking a month-long trip to northern Argentina throughout September. Buenos Aires, Iguazu, Salta, Humahuaca, Cafayate, and if time allows, La Rioja. I’m unsure about what clothes to pack. What are the temperatures like in September? Thanks for your great tips! Dominerja

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, I’m planning a trip to Peru and have estimated how many days I’ll spend in each place. Any advice on must-see sights and tourist traps to avoid? September–October

5 days in Lima

Bus: 07:00→13:30 or 06:00 to 09:30 (express) (3 hr 30 min journey) 3 days in Paracas (beach)

3 days in Nazca

3 days in Arequipa

3 days in Puno (Lake Titicaca)

5 days in Cusco

Thanks in advance

hi everyone, I’m just back from a 5-week trip to Argentina’s Northwest and San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. This was my second visit to the area—20 years apart—and my third trip to Argentina overall. still just as stunning! this time I explored the El Peñón and Antofagasta de la Sierra region in Catamarca province; I can’t recommend it enough. the road from Cafayate is good—easy in a Renault Logan—and once you’re there you’ve got 4x4 excursions and hikes. way fewer tourists than around Salta, and the landscapes are totally different. happy travels!

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

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 there, We’ll be in Argentina for 24 days starting mid-September 2025. I’m not sure where to go for this time of year—is Patagonia doable? Iguazu without a doubt, Salta, Peninsula Valdes to see the wildlife? Can we see penguins at that time? We love hiking, thanks for your tips!

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

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?

Alright, this year, we're heading back to South America!

The initial plan was to retrace the route we imagined in the summer of 2020: a trip to northern Argentina starting from Córdoba.

Unfortunately, the flight to Córdoba no longer exists, and airfares to Javier Milei’s country are both outrageously priced and involve multiple layovers.

So, I tweaked Google Flights every which way and finally found a flight within my budget—departing from Clermont-Ferrand!

Not to Argentina, though...

Our transatlantic flight will cross the snow-capped Andes, landing in Santiago, Chile, with a return from Lima!

In between, two domestic flights and a big road trip loop starting from the coastal city of Arica to explore the treasures of northern Chile.

Our mode of transport: a pseudo 4x4 that won’t take us through sand dunes or devilish tracks but will let us tackle the entire secondary network, including unpaved main roads, while still being insured.

Is the suitcase packed with all-season clothes?

Are the driver’s license and passport ready?

Bank cards and a few euros too?

Off we go for just over 3 weeks of southern wanderings!



--/--

To keep all my esteemed readers on track, here are a few maps outlining the Arica-Arica loop!

1- From Arica to San Pedro de Atacama via Pica and the Salar de Huasco

2- Around San Pedro



3- From San Pedro to Cariquima



4- From Cariquima to Putre



5 - From Putre to Arica



Gas stations in this part of Chile are located in Arica, Iquique, Pozo Almonte, Pica, Calama, and San Pedro de Atacama.

Je part bientôt pour le Pérou. Je me demandais quelle plats typique ou fusion perouvian manger pour chaque moment de la journée. Petit dejeuner. Dejeuner et diner

When I set off for Bolivia, like many Europeans, I was full of illusions (fed by the propaganda of President Evo Morales, a would-be dictator with limited intelligence). I quickly became disillusioned—everything there seems to be built on lies: political disaster, ecological disaster, economic disaster despite drug trafficking and smuggling with China, dietary disaster, intellectual disaster... Its only saving grace is being a vast, sparsely populated country, so nature lovers can still find rich, relatively untouched landscapes far from human settlements (but for how long?)

Where humans dominate, the disaster worsens year by year: water, soil, and air are contaminated, meat is pumped full of hormones, GMOs are everywhere, fish are loaded with lead and mercury (thousands of tons of waste are dumped into Lake Titicaca on both the Bolivian and Peruvian sides), and the food is ultra-artificial (all the additives banned in Europe are abundant there). For example, out of 50 fruit yogurts, only two actually contain fruit... In short, don’t expect to go there for a health retreat.

As for its capital, even though you’ll see "wonderful" written everywhere, the city is ugly, extremely polluted, and not particularly interesting. But since few Bolivians leave Bolivia and the public education system is one of the dumbest in the world, they don’t care. A stupid law decreeing that taxes are only paid once construction is finished means thousands of buildings will never be completed... Anyway, you’ve probably gathered by now that it’s not worth wasting too much time there. If you decide to go to Bolivia, it’s best to know what you’re getting into...

So what should you do? A stop in Copacabana is pleasant, as is one in Tiwanaku. A stay in Samaipata is nice, and the cities of Sucre and Potosí still have charm. The Uyuni salt flats are also worth seeing. Venture off the beaten path, even if transportation is complicated and sometimes dangerous.

Don’t be surprised by the omnipresent police (many of whom are corrupt) and military, or by the almost daily protests... These are just some of Bolivia’s characteristics. But when you pass through quickly, you tend to see what you want to see.

On the gastronomy front, aside from the fact that in many places the food is a cocktail of pesticides, GMOs, heavy metals, and dangerous additives—all washed down with plenty of Coca-Cola—don’t expect refined cuisine... That said, like everywhere, you’ll find kind people (though relationships are often superficial) and stunning landscapes. There you go—just offering a different perspective from the dazzled accounts of tourists who only scratch the surface without understanding the harsh realities. And I haven’t even touched on the administrations, social disparities, the TIPNIS conflict, disappearances (girls for prostitution and boys for organ trafficking), etc...

Bonjour Ayant un T4 Syncro, je suis à la recherche de retours de séjour en van (et non gros camping-car) aux Baléares. ...Minorque ou Majorque … Nous avons l'habitude de faire du camping "sauvage" en alternance avec nuit en camping. Départ Barcelone Recherchons des endroits rustiques et calmes … loin de la foule et des endroits branchés. Si vous avez quelques bons plans … merci d'avance !! C B

J'ai récemment passé deux semaines au Perou réparties entre le lac Titi caca, Machu Pichu et Lima. Le lac m'intéressait surtout pour ses îles flottantes , ses habitants et leur mode de vie. J'en suis reparti un peu insatisfait et même pas mal déçu. Pourquoi? P.C.Q. CE MODE DE VIE EST EN VOIE DE DISPARITION. Notre guide ne lui donnait pas plus de deux générations encore et ce dernier souffle se résume à recevoir les touristes et à leur expliquer leur mode de vie ancestral. Les jeunes ont quitté le navire et vivent maintenant à Puno où les conditions de vie sont de loin supérieures. Les habitants des îles n'utilisent plus leurs bateaux en joncs qui ne servent plus qu'à trimbaler les touristes en soif d'exotisme. L'artisanat vendu sur les îles comme étant des créations originales de chaque famille, on peut la retrouver dans quantité de boutiques à Puno à 30%'moins chère. Est-ce à dire qu'il ne faut plus y aller, alors là il faut y réfléchir comme il faut. Sans contredit le tourisme a permis à cette population de se sortir de sa misère sordide, de s'offrir le minimum vital tant en santé qu'en éducation. Cependant le prix à payer est la disparition d'une culture vivante au profit d'une culture factice. À vous de décider et choisir

Bonjour, voici le squelette final de notre voyage en Septembre/Octobre du Nord au Sud du Pérou :

je precise que nous arriverons de Guayaquil en Equateur, et repartirons de La paz en Bolivie 5 semaines plus tard.

- 1jour : de Quayaquil à vilcamba : vilcamba (le bus passe par Cuenca, un arret d'une nuit a Cuenca peut-il etre interessant ?) Sachant que Cuenca - Vilcamba en bus c'est 1h30 seulement.

Nous privilegions cette frontiere pour plusieurs raisons : les plages de mancora et autours ne nous interesse pas, nous voulons nous rendre a kuelap et Chachapoyas au debut du parcours.

- 2jour : Vilcamba - 3jour : Vilcamba - Jaen via San ignacio : 1j de transport - 4 jour : Jaen - Chachapoyas - 5 et 6 jour Chachapoyas : Kuelap, Catarata de Gacta - 7 jour : Chachapoyas - Celendin : surtout pour la route incroyable; 1j de transport; 8H30 - 8 jour Celendin - trujillo via Cajamarca; 1jour de transport. 3h30+6h - 9-10-11-12 : un peu de repos et de surf à Huanchaco + site chan chan - 13 jour : Huanchaco - Caraz via Chimbote. 1j de transport 2h+7H. belle route. - 14-15-16-17 : Caraz et Huaraz. pas encore sur quelle ville pour dormir. Caraz semble mieux pour les randos Laguna Paron, 69, LLanganuco. Huaraz est mieux pour Chavin de Huantar et laguna Churrup ? ou 3nuits à l'un, 2 nuits a l'autre ?

La commence pas mal de route de Huaraz à Cuzco !! Sachant que l'on ne souhaite pas forcement passer par Lima. - 17 Huaraz- Huanuco : 1j de transport. 10h via la Union. - 18 Huanuco - Huancayo : 6h - 19 : Huancayo : le marché, la ville. - 20 : Huancao - Ayacucho : 1j de transport : 8H. Cité Andine. - 21 : Ayacucho - Cuzco en bus de nuit 14h à 16h, sauf si vous nous dites que les paysages vallent le coup de jour ! - 22-23-24-25-26 : Cuzco, les sites sur place, le MachuPicchu.

- 27 : Cuzco-Arequipa en bus de nuit (apparemment paysage pas dingue sur cette partie) 10h. - 28-29-30-31 : Arequipa - 32-33-34 : Arequipa - Puno puis Lac Titicaca coté Bolivien. (combien de jours ? 2? 3?) - 35-36 : La Paz.

Grosse interrogation N°1 : entre Huaraz et Cusco ca fait long quand même !! Mais point non négligeable : au moins en arrivant a Cusco pas besoin d'acclimation puisque nous n'aurons pas quitté les hauteurs... Grosse interrogation N°2 : entre Cuzco et Arequipa : ne peut-on pas s'arreter avant et se rendre directement vers le canyon de Colca ? Pour Chivay ou Cabanaconde par exemple ?

Bon c'est un trajet un peu athypique, mais qui traverse vraiment le pays du Nord au Sud sans reprendre l'avion. Par contre, un peu serré le timing non ? Ça ne laisse pas beaucoup de place a l'improvisation et pas beaucoup de marge de manœuvre..

Merci pour vos remarques et avis eclairés !

Julien et Pauline

Bonjour,

Qui pourrait me conseiller pour le trajet OLLANTAYTAMBO-MACHU PICCHU et me dire quelle compagnie propose le meilleur rapport qualité-prix ?

Nous logeons à AGUAS CALIENTES le 27 juin, et il nous faudra acheter nos billets de bus en arrivant. Si nous arrivons par un train en soirée, pourrons nous acheter facilement nos billets de bus pour monter au MACHU PICCHU, le lendemain matin ?

Merci par avance pour votre aide.

Christine

Bonjour, Je pars au Pérou dans quelques semaines, et j'aimerais bien visiter une plantation/coopérative de café ou de cacao. Je ne trouve aucune information au sujet de ces cultures qui existent pourtant si j'en crois mon chocolat et mon café péruviens et équitables :) J'imagine que les gens qui travaillent au musée du cacao de Cusco pourront me renseigner, mais j'aimerais intégrer cette viste dans mon itinéraire avant de partir, histoire de prévoir la demi-journée ou la journée nécessaire à cette visite. Merci :)

Salut tout le monde !

Je ne suis ni de sa famille ni de sa maison d'édition, je suis en préparation d'un voyage au Pérou en mai prochain et j'ai cherché le livre de Vincent Geus assez longtemps, trouvable à des prix délirants sur le Net, donc je me permets de vous l'indiquer : son livre "treks au Pérou" a été réédité, chez Glénat, pour la somme de 23 euros.

Matthieu