South America - everywhere!

amz5

Hi,
I'm taking a career break, and I want to travel around S. America for some of the trip...maybe for 4 months.

I've been trying to decide where I want to go...and it seems like I want to go everywhere...

Machu Picchu,
salt plains in Bolivia (and lots more in Bolivia)
Argentina- glacier park
Chile- tierra del fuego...
Buenos Aires
Iguazu Falls, Rio de Janeiro

Has anyone gone right around S. America like this, where's best to start off, how will I get around, what am I leaving out...? I'm not a very experienced traveller, but I'm hoping to learn quickly. I'm not sure if I'm giving this enough time, and I'm heading to trailfinders soon to try to figure out my plans, but I'd love some advice with no vested interest who have done a similar trip before. Thanks a million in advance

I've looked at some of the previous threads about S. America, and found them really helpful, but I guess, I feel this takes things from another angle!

RATM

You won't get around the whole of South America in 4 months, way too big for that kind of travel, unless you plan on flying most places and not staying for long. However if Brazil, Argentina, Chile, peru & Bolivia are the only countries you want to see then you can do it in 4 months but it would be moving a bit fast ( at least for my liking )
Travel on buses in S.A. can be painfully slow, especially in mountainous countries like Bolivia and Peru.

Maybe pick a route that will allow you to fly into one city and out of another. Like fly into Rio, go down past iguassu into Argentina, from there head west to Chile before crossing into Bolivia & Peru and fly home/onwards from Lima.

Personally Im spending the summer in Peru, Bolivia and Argentina for 3 months and Im even wondering is that enough time.

Mewzel

4 months may be a rush to see ALL of south america, but i reckon you could get in brazil, argentina, chile, bolivia and peru in 4 months.
we're in south america now, and have been for a month. my main recommendation would be to have basic spanish at least, makes it much easier!
flying into Rio and out of Lima might be a good idea. we flew into santiago and are due to fly out of rio and it made it quite difficult to get a good route.

if you get a lonely planet for south america there is suggested routes and itineraries for different lengths of time in it, that might be a help to you.

darrenh

i'm currently 1.5 months in to my 3 months in SA.

im travelling brazil, argentina, uruguay, bolivia, peru and chile. if you work out route you would like to take, you can see all the main things no problem in 4 months. i spent a lot in patagonia but i assume you will be here in the winter so there is no point going there other than maybe bariloche. we spent 8 days between rio and iguasu but brazil is another journey. we will have spent over a month in argentina as well. 1 day in colonia is enough.
so far we've gone: rio-iguasu-BA-Colonia(uruguay)-ushuaia-el calafate-el chalten-el bolson-bariloche-mendoza.

next up is salta and across to san pedro(chile)-salt flats-potosi-la paz-rurre-Puno(peru)-arequpia-ica-huacchina-cusco and then down through chile to santiago for 10 days.

we've spent minimum 3 days in each place and sometimes that is more than enough. we spend 5 days on average. the route we are taking is pretty much a beaten track and you will find many people who you end up travelling with. we dont have set amount of days worked out for each place and you can get plenty of advice of what to do while on the road.
check my blogs if you want any ideas. www.mytb.org/Wanderly-Wagon
any other questions, just ask.

amz5

Thanks a million, that's really helpful I love the tried and tested route. I'll get a lonely planet so too, I've always thought they were the best guide...can't wait, anything to get out of Ireland!!