Post: #1

Finally doing it. South America here I come.

Unfortunately it is not the year long adventure that I origonally planned, but hopefully I can get the following break neck tour done on the buses and still see and do a lot of things.

Will study DBIP and the forum a bit for site specifics but would be good to get any advice on slumming it in south america.

Itinerary was as follows:
Arrive in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - July 1st

Sao Paulo - São Paulo, Brazil

Porto Alegre - Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Montevideo, Uruguay

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Mendoza, Argentina

Quilpué, La Granja, Santiago, Chile

Calama, Chile

Santa Cruz, Bolivia

La Paz, Bolivia

Cuzco, Cusco, Peru

Lima, Peru - July 31st

Questions were:
1) Is that a mad itinerary of do you think it can be done and still enjoyed?
2) Do you buy tickets as you go or is there any form of 'season pass'?
3) Not really on a buget but planned to couch surf a fair bit to meet more locals and avoid european in hostels. Is it fairly easy to do CS south america? Got a fairly well developed CS page with a dozen or so decent references.
4)Any other tips from guys who have done break neck tours would be appriated. Do you regret not staying in fewer places for longer times?

Will post a blog on here once I hit the road. Tempted to wear a kilt through out for shits and giggles but may make me even more of a tourist- mugger target.

Cheers
SDK


http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s...787109&z=4

Post: #2

@Sundance

Any particular reason for this itinerary?

This a month long trip?!?! Thats an stupidly insane amount fo countries and cities for only one month!

You should def drop Bolivia, Chile, and Uruguay off this trip.

With only a month most ppl will tell you to stick to one country/ one city. But you could do two countries/cities with a month and still be ALRIGHT.

Id add Colombia to your trip. Any reason why u have excluded it? Hot DTF women, good nightlife, ect.

Here is what id do with one month and if i knew it would be awhile before i would return to south america and if money wasnt a big issue.

Colombia (1week 1city)
Lima, Peru (1week)
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil (1week)
BsAs, Argentina (1week)

Keep in mind this is only with FLYING from spot to spot. And this is still an ambitious itinerary.

Post: #3

I figured with no real internal cheap flights I would basically bus it from Brazil - Peru and I never liked the idea driving through cool places but not getting out to look around and experience them.

But I hear you. I could factor in some internal flights to make it a bit more efficient. Prices I looked at seems expensive, but hey ho like you said wasn't planning on going back to South America for a while. I live in scotland and it is the one contenant I need to check off my list. Not that it matters too much to do that, I honestly have always wanted to go...

Cheers
SDK

Post: #4

If you dont fly than ur gonna HAVE to stick to one country, two max. You just dont have the time to bus it that many miles. Buses move slow in SA with not so great roads. So a 400 mile trip could take all day.

Seriously Id fly in Rio, stay 2 weeks. Then fly to Colombia and stay two weeks. Lima has easy girls and good nightlife but the girls in Colombia look better soo thats why id recommend Colombia first.

Screw Argentina. Girls are way to conservative and dont even get drunk when they go out.

Well hope I could help alil. Have fun bro!

Post: #5

Wow, this is even more ambitious than Dash's trip: /thread-3473.html

This is a month long trip right? Or is July 1st, 2011 to July 31st 2012?

Because if it was a year plus trip, then it might make sense.

I will give you the same advice I gave Dash: shoot the whole month in one spot. Two tops.

But you don't have to take my advice. I am intrigued how this one turns out as well.

Report back for sure.

Post: #6

(01-18-2011 11:05 AM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  Wow, this is even more ambitious than Dash's trip: /thread-3473.html

This is a month long trip right? Or is July 1st, 2011 to July 31st 2012?

Haha, it was meant as one month but I am getting a bit worried that I will end up spending half the month on a bus.

I normally did the whole on the move travelling with a few days here and a few days there. Don't always get the best out of places but have a blast and see a load all the same.

Did anyone have any joy with a LAN Pass?
http://www.lan.com/en_uk/promociones/dat...mapaf.html

Seems a reasonable way to get about. Not ridiculously expensive to....
Thinking Brazil, Argentina and Peru as a minimum.

Post: #7

(01-18-2011 02:28 PM)sundance kid Wrote:  

(01-18-2011 11:05 AM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  Wow, this is even more ambitious than Dash's trip: /thread-3473.html

This is a month long trip right? Or is July 1st, 2011 to July 31st 2012?

Haha, it was meant as one month but I am getting a bit worried that I will end up spending half the month on a bus.

I normally did the whole on the move travelling with a few days here and a few days there. Don't always get the best out of places but have a blast and see a load all the same.

Did anyone have any joy with a LAN Pass?
http://www.lan.com/en_uk/promociones/dat...mapaf.html

Seems a reasonable way to get about. Not ridiculously expensive to....
Thinking Brazil, Argentina and Peru as a minimum.

dont expect to get laid in Argentina with no social circle and little time! id switch that with Colombia for sure, unless u just trying to sight see......

Post: #8

If your goal is just to see as many places as possible, do a lot of sightseeing, and have fun, then your trips sounds reasonable. But a little rushed.

If your goal is to get a girlfriend or a "flag", then you'll need to stay in 1 or 2 close spots the whole month.

Post: #9

(01-18-2011 07:57 AM)sundance kid Wrote:  Santa Cruz, Bolivia

that's the city where i am going to be in july. a few weeks ago i thought about mexico, but i changed my mind.
since no one on this forum seems to have been there http://www.travel-bolivia.com/santa-cruz-bolivia.html, that city is new playground.

i also agree that you have to spend more than a week in a city if you want to do more than sight seeing, thats why i'll be there one month.