Solo in South America for Six Months - Route/Budget Questions?

NotoriousNidge

Hola!

So I'm planning to head off on a six-month solo trip to South America in a few months.

I've seen lots of different answers re budget and the route, and was hoping to get some recommendations from anyone who has done a similar trip recently.

At the moment I'm thinking about starting in Central America and making my way through South America before ending in Rio.

Below is a very, VERY rough idea the route I'm planning at the moment:


- Columbia (4 Weeks)
- Ecuador (2 Weeks)
- Peru ( 2 Weeks)
- Boliva (4 weeks)
- Chile (3 weeks)
- Argentina (4 weeks)
- Paraguay (2 weeks)
-Brazil (3 weeks)

In terms of activities, I will be hoping to do the usual main attractions (Inca trail etc) and enjoy partying (giggity).

I'm also using Duolingo to try and pick up some Spanish, and thinking about doing a two week immersion program when I arrive.

At the moment my budget is around €7000 (excluding flights). Is that unrealistic?
I don't mind cooking at hostels etc but want to enjoy myself at the same time.

Any advice or recommendations would be much appreciated.

Thank in advance

PM me nudes

The general rule of thumb is between $1,000 and $1,500 a month depending on whether you are staying in hostels or splurging on activities.

PM me nudes

Also check out reddit.com/r/solotravel or reddit.com/r/travel

Both are full of similar questions and advice

NotoriousNidge

Thanks lads!

I think that budget is OK, but was just looking for some reassurances from someone who has done recently.

iusedtoknow

NotoriousNidge wrote: »

Hola!

So I'm planning to head off on a six-month solo trip to South America in a few months.

I've seen lots of different answers re budget and the route, and was hoping to get some recommendations from anyone who has done a similar trip recently.

At the moment I'm thinking about starting in Central America and making my way through South America before ending in Rio.

Below is a very, VERY rough idea the route I'm planning at the moment:


- Columbia (4 Weeks)
- Ecuador (2 Weeks)
- Peru ( 2 Weeks)
- Boliva (4 weeks)
- Chile (3 weeks)
- Argentina (4 weeks)
- Paraguay (2 weeks)
-Brazil (3 weeks)

In terms of activities, I will be hoping to do the usual main attractions (Inca trail etc) and enjoy partying (giggity).

I'm also using Duolingo to try and pick up some Spanish, and thinking about doing a two week immersion program when I arrive.

At the moment my budget is around €7000 (excluding flights). Is that unrealistic?
I don't mind cooking at hostels etc but want to enjoy myself at the same time.

Any advice or recommendations would be much appreciated.

Thank in advance

The budget is OK - but you will still need to stretch things a bit. I've bussed around Argentina and Chile this year. It was fun, and the distances are vast. You need to stretch for the long distance ride. If you are on an overnight, take the "Executivo" seat. Lie flat and breakfast.

We went from Buenos Aires->Ushuaia->Santiago de Chile->Buenos Aires over 6 weeks. It was incredible, and something I would do again in a heartbeat.

Argentina, the economy is in the dogs and you NEED to have US dollars on you. You have to exchange on the grey market on the street (do not get cash from banks except in times of need). The grey market rate is much better than the official rate. You can also ask as your hostel for people that will exchange, you will find yourself going into legit offices where their side businne is grey market.

However...it is a beautiful country and is inhabited by the friendliest, most diverse people you will meet- i had dinner one night with a Xavier Murphy Hernandez and his wife Juana Fenton. Neither spoke english but knew what GAA was, as their family were big into it. You'll equally meet people that speak only welsh and spanish, or german and spanish.

Chile is fun, and pretty much western (same as argentina). It is far more stable and predictable, but as much fun as Argentina.

God...I need to start planning another trip

silja

***** Moving from USA forum to Independent Travel *****

NotoriousNidge

iusedtoknow wrote: »

The budget is OK - but you will still need to stretch things a bit. I've bussed around Argentina and Chile this year. It was fun, and the distances are vast. You need to stretch for the long distance ride. If you are on an overnight, take the "Executivo" seat. Lie flat and breakfast.

We went from Buenos Aires->Ushuaia->Santiago de Chile->Buenos Aires over 6 weeks. It was incredible, and something I would do again in a heartbeat.

Argentina, the economy is in the dogs and you NEED to have US dollars on you. You have to exchange on the grey market on the street (do not get cash from banks except in times of need). The grey market rate is much better than the official rate. You can also ask as your hostel for people that will exchange, you will find yourself going into legit offices where their side businne is grey market.

However...it is a beautiful country and is inhabited by the friendliest, most diverse people you will meet- i had dinner one night with a Xavier Murphy Hernandez and his wife Juana Fenton. Neither spoke english but knew what GAA was, as their family were big into it. You'll equally meet people that speak only welsh and spanish, or german and spanish.

Chile is fun, and pretty much western (same as argentina). It is far more stable and predictable, but as much fun as Argentina.

God...I need to start planning another trip

Thanks for the reply.

Very, very tempted to start in Guatemala and learn Spanish for a couple of weeks. However, it looks like I would need around 6 weeks to travel overland to Panama and then take a boat to Columbia.

When you say stretch things - are you talking about budget or duration of the trip?

Really looking forward to Buenos Aires in particular. Did you speak Spanish yourself?

iusedtoknow

NotoriousNidge wrote: »

Thanks for the reply.

Very, very tempted to start in Guatemala and learn Spanish for a couple of weeks. However, it looks like I would need around 6 weeks to travel overland to Panama and then take a boat to Columbia.

When you say stretch things - are you talking about budget or duration of the trip?

Really looking forward to Buenos Aires in particular. Did you speak Spanish yourself?

Budget. Chile and Argentina can be expensive the further you get away from the main cities, purely because of the cost involved in transporting goods. A good steak down in Ushuaia costs 3 times more than the same in Buenos Aires.
The same with going for the more comfortable bus seat. It makes the world of difference to your trip. We did a 19 hour ride and arrived pretty much refreshed and ready to go. Just be prepared to spend more money when you need to.

I'm fluent in Spanish, the wife is from Spain and I lived there for a number of years. If I were in your shoes, I'd think about learning spanish in Chile or Colombia. It is the "clearest" accent. Guatemala has a very thick accent and you can end up learning more local slang than anything. Fluency in the language definitely makes things easier, however you will always be able to make it work - there is always someone around that speaks some english that can help you out and it won't take away from the trip.

NotoriousNidge

iusedtoknow wrote: »

Budget. Chile and Argentina can be expensive the further you get away from the main cities, purely because of the cost involved in transporting goods. A good steak down in Ushuaia costs 3 times more than the same in Buenos Aires.
The same with going for the more comfortable bus seat. It makes the world of difference to your trip. We did a 19 hour ride and arrived pretty much refreshed and ready to go. Just be prepared to spend more money when you need to.

I'm fluent in Spanish, the wife is from Spain and I lived there for a number of years. If I were in your shoes, I'd think about learning spanish in Chile or Colombia. It is the "clearest" accent. Guatemala has a very thick accent and you can end up learning more local slang than anything. Fluency in the language definitely makes things easier, however you will always be able to make it work - there is always someone around that speaks some english that can help you out and it won't take away from the trip.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm flip flopped between include Central America and after seeing how long it takes to travel, I think I'm better off leaving it for another time.

Instead I like the idea of starting in Columbia and stay there for a month with 1-2 weeks of that learning Spanish.

Even though it it's not an absolute nesscecity I still like the idea of learning Spanish.

5p9arw38djv2b4

Ecuador is cheap for language course, and the Spanish is slow and easy to pick up. Patagonia is v expensive, at least European prices, but northern Argentina isn't too bad just make sure you change blue dollar rate! Try a few bloggers like nomadic matt for good country reviews.

NotoriousNidge

LadyLabyrinth wrote: »

Ecuador is cheap for language course, and the Spanish is slow and easy to pick up. Patagonia is v expensive, at least European prices, but northern Argentina isn't too bad just make sure you change blue dollar rate! Try a few bloggers like nomadic matt for good country reviews.

Cheers! Will check it out.

A lot of American blogs mention onward travel and visas for certain countries.

Presume I should be OK an EU citizen?

EJ Aza

Love Central America - GT and MX are fantastic. Don't forget you can always fly Panama City to Obalidia and then boat to Capurgana and then to Turbo which is cheap but also flights from Panama to Colombia are only about 150$ (it all depends on budget but it can be done). I normally travel cheaply yet get everything I want to done. Approx 1,000-1,500 euro a month but this includes all accom, food, transport, diving, any guides for hiking, canyoning etc. If it was a longer trip I think it would work out cheaper if you are staying in places for a little longer. Have also hitchhiked around Guatemala as well as driven GT, MX and Belize.

Second that re Spanish in GT there is a lot of Mayan words and even different areas in the country have different dialects.

We are heading to Colombia in Dec; a group of us from all over the world that I have met travelling Asia and Central and Europe the last 5/6 years. Haven't been to Colombia yet!

mzungu

NotoriousNidge wrote: »

Cheers! Will check it out.

A lot of American blogs mention onward travel and visas for certain countries.

Presume I should be OK an EU citizen?

Yep, visas for you wont be a problem. If memory serves the vast majority will be free, while US citizens have to pay $100+ for theirs added with a heavy serving of interrogation from border guards into the deal (Bolivia)! Tis handy being Irish, we have no squabbles with any country and get an easy time of it.:D

Bolivia is also dead cheap for Spanish lessons.

If your checking out Machu Picchu, if at all possible leave it until the afternoon. For some bizarre reason there seems to be this mad rush to see it sunrise. Everybody does this and the place is absolutely mobbed. Leave it a while, after lunch preferably and the place will be empty. Much better experience. While on the subject, check out Kuelap in Peru also. Well worth it.

OAOB

mzungu wrote: »

If your checking out Machu Picchu, if at all possible leave it until the afternoon. For some bizarre reason there seems to be this mad rush to see it sunrise. Everybody does this and the place is absolutely mobbed. Leave it a while, after lunch preferably and the place will be empty. Much better experience. While on the subject, check out Kuelap in Peru also. Well worth it.

If you are doing Huaynu Pichu you have to be there early as the only access times are 9am and 11am. This is definitely worth doing. Otherwise i'd agree with you that there is no benefit being there too early

mzungu

OAOB wrote: »

If you are doing Huaynu Pichu you have to be there early as the only access times are 9am and 11am. This is definitely worth doing. Otherwise i'd agree with you that there is no benefit being there too early

Absolutely. Forgot to mention that in the above post

phatkev

+1 for doing Huaynu Picchu, you wont regret it! I got my Spanish lessons in Sucre, Bolivia, dirt cheap and served me well for the rest of the trip! I personally would leave out central America, no point in rushing your trip just to say you seen more places. I also think Peru warrants more than 2 weeks and I'd be spending an awful lot less time than 2 weeks in Paraguay but thats just me!

ViperMAN

Travelled around South America for 5 months this year - started in Rio and finished in Lima (via Ushuaia). You'll have a ball. Here are some of my tips:

• Learn Spanish! Its obvious to say but its a must, you will get much more out of your trip with a decent level. It's not just for tourist stuff (booking, directions, etc) but day to day things - for instance, the amount of times I saw a parade or something on the street and wanted to know what was going on. If I had started Spanish earlier, it would of been good enough to understand someone's reply :rolleyes:
  
• Try to learn some before you leave and then do some while there. I studied in Buenos Aires as I started my trip on that side but someone mentioned Sucre in Bolivia as a great place to learn - it is. There is a hostel called Celtic Cross that gives you some free accommodation when you do courses. Bolivia/Ecuador/Columbia has an easier accent to understand and much cheaper for classes.
  
• South America is huge. I know you already know that but seriously, it is. I completely underestimated how long it took to get from point A to point B.
  
• With this in mind my advice would be to scrap the plan. Honestly, you'll be happier once you realise that the place is frigging huge, that busses don't run every day and other crap goes wrong (for instance, the driest place in the world, the Atacama dessert, flooded when I wanted to go! It bloody flooded!! 17 people died, all roads leading to the North of Chile were closed). So instead of worrying about your schedule, just don't have one. I had a flight in and a flight out. I knew I had 5 months to get to Lima. I picked a few must see places (Rio, Iguazu, Buenos Aires, Patagonia, Salt Flats in Bolivia and Machu Picchu) and decided to just go with the flow. Best decision ever. Even if you plan it, you will change it. Events will conspire against you. Or you will stay in one place longer than expected as you like it so much. Or somebody will tell you about a place that you never heard of that is a must-see.
  
• Buses are the main way to travel in SA and overnighters are really cost-effective. The longest I did was 30 hours...just in Argentina :eek: Its hard to know when to get off sometimes so bring a crappy smartphone and use Google maps to see if you are at your town/city. Also, make sure you prepare for hot and cold conditions on buses. Night buses get really cold with air-conditioning, but you get on the bus at 2pm with shorts and flip flops! Day buses can be roasting - the amount of times I sat on a bus with 40 degree sun hitting the window - its not nice. I starting judging what side of the bus the sun would hit and sat on the opposite side.
  
• Haggle for everything. Busses, accommodation, souvenirs...everything. I started a bidding war in a bus station in Potosi (Bolivia) between two girls trying to sell me a ticket - the price came down to less than a fifth of the price.
  
• On the flip side, expect to be screwed. It will happen, a lot. Its part of travelling, deal with it and enjoy your trip.
  
• You will meet a lot of backpackers. They are great to find out where was good/bad, etc. But don't always take their word for it. Everybody kept telling me that they didn't like Santiago, that I was better off spending a day there and heading for the coast. I went for a few days and really enjoyed it. Its not the nicest city in the world but it has great people and cheap market food.
  
• I will echo the comment about dollars in Argentina. Argentina can be quite expensive so not taking advantage of the Blue Dollar rate is idiotic. When I was there the banks were giving $1 = 8 Pesos but the blue rate was $1 = 13 Pesos. You can check the current rate on Twitter https://twitter.com/dolarblue. You can exchange it anywhere but Buenos Aires will have the best rate. Walk down Florida Street in downtown and you will hear 100s of people shouting "Cambio, Cambio, Cambio" (Change, Change, Change). You go from person to person negotiating the best rate and then the exchange happens, usually in shady places. It feels like you are buying drugs or something but its quite safe (watch out for a dodgy note though). Also, you can take a ferry to Uruguay for a day trip and get US dollars out of the ATMs
  
  The places I loved:
  
• I think Buenos Aires was the best big city (so much to do, soccer games, museums, tango, good bars and even better restaurants for steak + wine).
  
• Best small city would be Florianopolis in Brazil - the city itself in't great but its on an island with some great beaches. North island is party central, 5000 person outdoor nightclubs. South has empty beaches. Great for surfing too.
  
• The best beach outright would have to be on Isla Grande, an island off Brazil. Lopez Mendez beach is on it - by far the best beach I have been on!
  
• Best place I didn't know before I went out was Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonian Chile. Check out their instagram page https://instagram.com/torresdelpainenp/ - breathtaking. 5 days (or an option to do 11) of treking and camping. Difficult, but worth it.
  
• Valparaiso in Chile was the best town. So relaxed and chilled with great cafes and restaurants. A UNESCO heritage site and very colourful. Stick it into google images to check it out.
  
• Uruguay had some of the most laid back places ever. One fishing village called Cabo Polonio was inaccessible by road. You had to get a bus to a nearby town and get off randomly at some gate. A huge 4x4s would take you over sand dunes to the village. There was no electricity - just candles - I think one spot had a generator but it would only be turned on for an hour between 7-8pm. Mad spot!
  
• Salir de Uyuni - must do. Try to do a 3/4 day tour. Worth it.
  
• Isla Grande on Lake Titcacca - breathtaking and not because its at over 4000m above sea level.
  
• Ica/Huacachina - sandboarding fun.
  
• Loved Sucre. Great market and street food. (Try to eat the local food especially in Bolivia/Peru- its dirt cheap and really good. I had one night of sickness from something dodgy but it was worth it for all the excellent street food. Obviously, if you are prone to sickness while eating abroad - be wary. )
  
• Machu Picchu - unbelievable! A place that lives up to its reputation. We were lucky with the weather which made it all the better! Was going to book a 800euro inca trail trip. Luckily I didn't, got a 5 day tour (biking, rafting, ziplining, all food and accom) for $200US when we booked locally.
  
  There are more, but I think I have written enough for now!
  
  Give me a shout if you have any questions.
  

phatkev

ViperMAN wrote: »

[*] The best beach outright would have to be on Isla Grande, an island off Brazil. Lopez Mendez beach is on it - by far the best beach I have been on!

Ah man, its not even the best beach on Ilha Granda, that honor belongs to Parnaioca!!
God I miss Brazil some lot:(
Did you get to Trindade when you were around that area of Brazil?

ViperMAN

phatkev wrote: »

Ah man, its not even the best beach on Ilha Granda, that honor belongs to Parnaioca!!
God I miss Brazil some lot:(
Did you get to Trindade when you were around that area of Brazil?

I had so much fun on Lopez Mendes - perhaps the experience made it better. I enjoyed the trek to get there too.

I was at Trindade - but the weather wasn't great on the day I went. Beautiful spot though. I heard people raving about it though. Loved nearby Partay!

phatkev

ViperMAN wrote: »

I had so much fun on Lopez Mendes - perhaps the experience made it better. I enjoyed the trek to get there too.

I was at Trindade - but the weather wasn't great on the day I went. Beautiful spot though. I heard people raving about it though. Loved nearby Partay!

If I believed in Heaven I think Trindade would be it, went for 3 days and ended up staying for over a month!! Yeah Partay is class too, you wouldn't want to have weak ankles walking the streets though:pac:

ViperMAN

phatkev wrote: »

If I believed in Heaven I think Trindade would be it, went for 3 days and ended up staying for over a month!! Yeah Partay is class too, you wouldn't want to have weak ankles walking the streets though:pac:

Yeah - I heard it was paradise.... and to be fair it was but unfortunately the weather didn't match it while I was there.

As for Pararty - spot on! You'd need your travel insurance around those streets :P

Jesper

I spent over 3 months in SA this year. Here my general thoughts.
Brazil was v good and expensive. Paratay is nice for a visit - hugely touristy. Inle Grande is v nice. I went during a busy week so it was expensive for what I got.
Argentina was a massive let down and a nasty edge appearing in Argentina due to the economy being in such turmoil and such political instability. I spent far to long here but south Argentina was nice and Cordoba in the north. But if you are going in make sure you know about the blue dollar.
Bolivia is amazing and cheap. Spend a long time there.
Peru is amazing and worth a lot longer.
NO one goes to Paraguay. It's meant to be extremely dangerous and ugly.
Colombia is class with the islands especially.
Didn't get to Chile.
Any questions let me know

50Cent0313

Hi,

I’m planning a trip in South America for 6 months. I’m leaving in January. I have a rough route mapped out and haven’t booked anything as I want to keep it as open as possible and just want to figure it out as I go.

I’m starting out in Rio. Heading to Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru. Might try get to Colombia at the end of the trip if I have time. I will be in Peru in June. I think Machu Picchu is very busy around that time of year. Similar to viperman I have been thinking about booking a €800 Inca Trial trek. I’m worried it might be booked out by the time I get there in June. So if I don’t book anything before I go I might miss out. Would most people recommend booking something like the Inca Trail before leaving or will there better alternatives that can be booked when I get there?


@Viperman: What month were you in Peru? Did you just book the 5 day tour when you got there?

solerina

50Cent0313 wrote: »

Hi,

I’m planning a trip in South America for 6 months. I’m leaving in January. I have a rough route mapped out and haven’t booked anything as I want to keep it as open as possible and just want to figure it out as I go.

I’m starting out in Rio. Heading to Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru. Might try get to Colombia at the end of the trip if I have time. I will be in Peru in June. I think Machu Picchu is very busy around that time of year. Similar to viperman I have been thinking about booking a €800 Inca Trial trek. I’m worried it might be booked out by the time I get there in June. So if I don’t book anything before I go I might miss out. Would most people recommend booking something like the Inca Trail before leaving or will there better alternatives that can be booked when I get there?


@Viperman: What month were you in Peru? Did you just book the 5 day tour when you got there?

We booked in advance with G Adventures, it was amazing, we had local guides, porters, cooks etc. The official trail does fill up quickly and you need someone in Cuzco to book for you, with passport details etc. However there are many unofficial trails of various quality available to book when you arrive in Cuzco, beware that many of these end up with you getting a train to MP on the final day, whereas the official trail you walk in via the sun gate usually in time for sunrise.

ViperMAN

50Cent0313 wrote: »

Hi,

I’m planning a trip in South America for 6 months. I’m leaving in January. I have a rough route mapped out and haven’t booked anything as I want to keep it as open as possible and just want to figure it out as I go.

I’m starting out in Rio. Heading to Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru. Might try get to Colombia at the end of the trip if I have time. I will be in Peru in June. I think Machu Picchu is very busy around that time of year. Similar to viperman I have been thinking about booking a €800 Inca Trial trek. I’m worried it might be booked out by the time I get there in June. So if I don’t book anything before I go I might miss out. Would most people recommend booking something like the Inca Trail before leaving or will there better alternatives that can be booked when I get there?


@Viperman: What month were you in Peru? Did you just book the 5 day tour when you got there?

Hi 50Cent0313,

Firstly, 6 months should get you to Columbia also. Everybody travels at different speeds - but I managed to do your route but changing Uruguay for Colombia, in 5 months. You could probably go to Columbia and take in Ecuador and Uruguay also - but again, you might travel slower or more quicker.

As for Machu Picchu - it all depends on if you want to do the actual inca trail. I think this is what catches people out. The thing you really want to see is Machu Picchu and there are many different ways to get there - most people just assume the inca trail is THE way.

You can get a train and a bus up to it with no hiking. You can get a train to the nearby town Aguas Calientes and hike up to MP the following morning. You can bike/raft/zipline/hike to MP in 4 days staying in hostels. You can do the demanding Salkantay trek in 5 days carrying your tent around or you can do the famous inca trail or one of the other trails provided by tours.

What separates the inca trail from the rest is that it goes along the route the incas did hundreds of years ago - making it more sought after and also much, much more expensive. To stop thousands of people destroying the trail everyday, the Peruvian government allows around 200 people to do the trail everyday - tours have to get permits from the government. This drives up cost.

So again, it's up to you. Do you want to do the actual inca trail or could you settle for something else that might be cheaper? The end goal is MP and you will be walking around there with the same experience as everybody else regardless of which option you choose (although inca trailers usually arrive at the sun-gate which is very nice, but anybody already in MP could walk up there later in the day).

My tips:
- If you want to do the inca trail you have to BOOK IT in advance. The permits go like gold-dust that time of the year.
- If doing the inca trail - ensure your tour operator takes your Passport number to get a permit. I booked the inca trail online for 820e - but it had to be cancelled because they didn't get my passport number in time to get a permit.
- If booking another trip - learn Spanish or find someone you can. The ability to haggle in Spanish could save you a fortune.
- There are so many routes and so many ways to make the experience cheaper. Tours can add/remove various parts of the trip to make it cheaper or more comfortable. The train gets you there in comfort and in no time but you could take a car/bus that takes much longer but is cheaper. It all depends on what you want.
- I originally was getting a 4 day trip including all transport, accommodation in hostels, all food, biking, hiking, rafting, zip-lining and tour guide for $US300 with my broken Spanish. I met a Columbian girl who haggled and haggled and got it down to $US230 but with an extra night!
- The extra night I mentioned above is priceless. Everybody is at MP for the sun rising - then explore a bit for a few hours but all the transport leaving around MP is at 1-3PM so everybody must either get a bus down, or hike down, or hike for 3 tours to their leaving point. That means that the place is empty after lunchtime! Getting an extra night in Aguas Calientes (the town at the foot of MP) meant being able to stay and enjoy the place more. Really recommend that.
- It boils down to 200e vs 800e! Both are amazing from what I have heard - I haven't met anybody who paid 800 that said it wasn't worth it. Either way you will have an amazing time.

My trail straddled April and May so I was at a good time. Good weather and less busy. Take that into consideration when looking at the prices above.

And, just to get you excited - here are some of my pictures from the day:

Joemon24

Getting some great info here. Thinking of headin off myself in jan/feb for roughly 5 months. Thinking of flying into colombia and working my way down. Ive never travelled alone before and its probably the one thing holding me back at the moment, anyone have any advice. Is it easy meet people?

OAOB

Joemon24 wrote: »

Getting some great info here. Thinking of headin off myself in jan/feb for roughly 5 months. Thinking of flying into colombia and working my way down. Ive never travelled alone before and its probably the one thing holding me back at the moment, anyone have any advice. Is it easy meet people?

So long as you're willing to make an effort it'll be piss easy to meet people, there's lots of people in the same boat and hostels are excellent over there for having good commune areas. Just don't be shy

Joemon24

OAOB wrote: »

So long as you're willing to make an effort it'll be piss easy to meet people, there's lots of people in the same boat and hostels are excellent over there for having good commune areas. Just don't be shy

Thanks for the advice.

OAOB

Joemon24 wrote: »

Thanks for the advice.

I'm jealous as hell, South America is a brilliant spot. Wish i was going back. Enjoy

MattHelders

Thinking of going to SA on my own next May for 3/4 months. Hoping to start in Colombia and work my way down to Argentina. Just wondering what is the best way to get to Colombia? Looking at skyscanner and one way flights seems to be around €700. Was hoping for something a little bit cheaper

kieran--f

NotoriousNidge wrote: »

Hola!

So I'm planning to head off on a six-month solo trip to South America in a few months.

I've seen lots of different answers re budget and the route, and was hoping to get some recommendations from anyone who has done a similar trip recently.

At the moment I'm thinking about starting in Central America and making my way through South America before ending in Rio.

Below is a very, VERY rough idea the route I'm planning at the moment:


- Columbia (4 Weeks)
- Ecuador (2 Weeks)
- Peru ( 2 Weeks)
- Boliva (4 weeks)
- Chile (3 weeks)
- Argentina (4 weeks)
- Paraguay (2 weeks)
-Brazil (3 weeks)

In terms of activities, I will be hoping to do the usual main attractions (Inca trail etc) and enjoy partying (giggity).

I'm also using Duolingo to try and pick up some Spanish, and thinking about doing a two week immersion program when I arrive.

At the moment my budget is around €7000 (excluding flights). Is that unrealistic?
I don't mind cooking at hostels etc but want to enjoy myself at the same time.

Any advice or recommendations would be much appreciated.

Thank in advance

I'm familiar with South America so il give my 2cents.
Panama to Colombia is a bit tricky and the boats arent cheap. If you fly to Colombia you could start there and its cheap I came down from Miami for 80 dollars so you could do a connection with the US. Other option is flying to Brazil which is like 25 euros from Germany.
You wont need 4 weeks in Colombia really, beside Bogota, Medellin and the Carribean coast there isnt much to visit without entering FARC territory in my opinon.
More than 2 weeks for Ecuador, that place is great. The beaches are practically empty (except Montanita which you will love if you smoke weed) and beautfiul. Quito is a cool city and there some nice junle in Ecuador too.
Peru is cool, probably more than two weeks is neccesary my favuortie town here is Trujillo in the North in the desert. The cultures of Puno and Cusco have unfortunately been sold long ago, bloody Incans selling sunglasses like, I didnt bother with Maccu Picchu couldnt aford it but if you want to check it out people do like it, Im more into the current culture then visiting the ruins of a civilization european raped.
You dont need 4 weeks in Bolivia, really not that much there except the salt desert, nice markets in La Paz and some bad roads.
Argentina is huuuuge, you need to bring cash too, withdraw a couple hundred dollars in ecuador (its their currency) and bring the wad to Argentina. Each dollar is 15 pesos on the street, with your bank card at an atm each euro is 10 pesos.
Chile I cant comment on im going next week though and excited for it.
On your budget just be smart and you will have more than enough. Im writing this in Buenos Aires from a friends house but I can tell you Iv been about 4 to 5 months in SA and defiinetly less than 1000 dollars. Probably like 600. But i hitchhiked in every country here from Colombia only paying once or twice in Bolivia because the people are a bit poorer and there aint many cars. Argentina is the opposite its like Italy or something. Also I sleep outside mostly in my hammock or couchsurf occasionly staying in a hotel.
Usually the little family run hotels are cheaper than hostel and you get your own room and you can know your money is going to genuine locals and not some german dude. For example i had my own room in a hotel in la paz bolivia for 4 dollars, the other tourists go to the wild rover hostel and pay ten dollars then spend the whole time drunk. (dont do that its a waste of time).
An almuerzo (a soup, juice, rice and usually chicken lunch) should cost 2 dollars in colombia, 2 dollars 50 in ecuador, 1 dollar 5 to 2 dollars in peru and 2 dollars in bolivia, not sure about argentina because iv been using my camping stove mostly here.
Dont let the locals overcharge you its racism in my opinion, they will try to in the north of colombia, cusco peru and bolivia.
I found Ecuadorians to be the nicest of all with nice spanish.
In 4 months i have picked up enough spanish to have full conversations but i am speaking every single day when hitchhiking to people. The most important words are, Claro (of course), Cuanto Cuesta (how much cost), rico (rich use it when you like food) and Soy de irlanda (im from ireland but you need to say irrrrlanda and really roll the r or every one thinks you are dutch here because of our accents (Olanda))
Dont drink the tap water in Bolivia!!!!
Vaccines arent really neccesary though you can get yellow fever for free in colombia.
Overall i reccomend backpacking here, people are great and the food is great

NotoriousNidge

kieran--f wrote: »

I'm familiar with South America so il give my 2cents.
Panama to Colombia is a bit tricky and the boats arent cheap. If you fly to Colombia you could start there and its cheap I came down from Miami for 80 dollars so you could do a connection with the US. Other option is flying to Brazil which is like 25 euros from Germany.
You wont need 4 weeks in Colombia really, beside Bogota, Medellin and the Carribean coast there isnt much to visit without entering FARC territory in my opinon.
More than 2 weeks for Ecuador, that place is great. The beaches are practically empty (except Montanita which you will love if you smoke weed) and beautfiul. Quito is a cool city and there some nice junle in Ecuador too.
Peru is cool, probably more than two weeks is neccesary my favuortie town here is Trujillo in the North in the desert. The cultures of Puno and Cusco have unfortunately been sold long ago, bloody Incans selling sunglasses like, I didnt bother with Maccu Picchu couldnt aford it but if you want to check it out people do like it, Im more into the current culture then visiting the ruins of a civilization european raped.
You dont need 4 weeks in Bolivia, really not that much there except the salt desert, nice markets in La Paz and some bad roads.
Argentina is huuuuge, you need to bring cash too, withdraw a couple hundred dollars in ecuador (its their currency) and bring the wad to Argentina. Each dollar is 15 pesos on the street, with your bank card at an atm each euro is 10 pesos.
Chile I cant comment on im going next week though and excited for it.
On your budget just be smart and you will have more than enough. Im writing this in Buenos Aires from a friends house but I can tell you Iv been about 4 to 5 months in SA and defiinetly less than 1000 dollars. Probably like 600. But i hitchhiked in every country here from Colombia only paying once or twice in Bolivia because the people are a bit poorer and there aint many cars. Argentina is the opposite its like Italy or something. Also I sleep outside mostly in my hammock or couchsurf occasionly staying in a hotel.
Usually the little family run hotels are cheaper than hostel and you get your own room and you can know your money is going to genuine locals and not some german dude. For example i had my own room in a hotel in la paz bolivia for 4 dollars, the other tourists go to the wild rover hostel and pay ten dollars then spend the whole time drunk. (dont do that its a waste of time).
An almuerzo (a soup, juice, rice and usually chicken lunch) should cost 2 dollars in colombia, 2 dollars 50 in ecuador, 1 dollar 5 to 2 dollars in peru and 2 dollars in bolivia, not sure about argentina because iv been using my camping stove mostly here.
Dont let the locals overcharge you its racism in my opinion, they will try to in the north of colombia, cusco peru and bolivia.
I found Ecuadorians to be the nicest of all with nice spanish.
In 4 months i have picked up enough spanish to have full conversations but i am speaking every single day when hitchhiking to people. The most important words are, Claro (of course), Cuanto Cuesta (how much cost), rico (rich use it when you like food) and Soy de irlanda (im from ireland but you need to say irrrrlanda and really roll the r or every one thinks you are dutch here because of our accents (Olanda))
Dont drink the tap water in Bolivia!!!!
Vaccines arent really neccesary though you can get yellow fever for free in colombia.
Overall i reccomend backpacking here, people are great and the food is great

Thanks for the response.

I'd prefer to travel slow, which is why I'll probably do a month in Colombia.

Is the hitchhiking at all dangerous? Obviously you're still alive, which is a plus, but I can't imagine doing it on my own. No problem if I had another mate with me.

Were you solo on your trip?

Yeah I was thinking about stopping off in Miami. How many night's did you do there? Is it somewhere worth going as a solo traveller?

NotoriousNidge

ViperMAN wrote: »

Hi 50Cent0313,

My tips:
- If you want to do the inca trail you have to BOOK IT in advance. The permits go like gold-dust that time of the year.
- If doing the inca trail - ensure your tour operator takes your Passport number to get a permit. I booked the inca trail online for 820e - but it had to be cancelled because they didn't get my passport number in time to get a permit.

I've heard before that you need to book it, but as I'm planning to "go with the flow" I'd rather not book it.

Is there any way around not booking it and hoping a space opens up?

ViperMAN

NotoriousNidge wrote: »

I've heard before that you need to book it, but as I'm planning to "go with the flow" I'd rather not book it.

Is there any way around not booking it and hoping a space opens up?

I am not 100% sure but I reckon it would be highly unlikely.

If your heart is set on the doing the actual Inca trail then you should definitely book it to avoid disappointment. I didn't hear about anybody who managed to rock up and do it - but I suppose it could happen.

iusedtoknow

NotoriousNidge wrote: »

I've heard before that you need to book it, but as I'm planning to "go with the flow" I'd rather not book it.

Is there any way around not booking it and hoping a space opens up?

You could find yourself waiting around for days or weeks which could stop your "going with the flow". Book it and use it as an anchor date

kieran--f

NotoriousNidge wrote: »

Thanks for the response.

I'd prefer to travel slow, which is why I'll probably do a month in Colombia.

Is the hitchhiking at all dangerous? Obviously you're still alive, which is a plus, but I can't imagine doing it on my own. No problem if I had another mate with me.

Were you solo on your trip?

Yeah I was thinking about stopping off in Miami. How many night's did you do there? Is it somewhere worth going as a solo traveller?

A not really dangerous in fact Iv not had any scary moments. Tourists get robbed at bus stations not at truck stops generally I always tell myself. but Spanish is a big help to get talking to the truck drivers at petrol stations they can take you long distances for free, like i just did over 1400km from Buenos Aires to Santiago in one trip over two days with one trucker if they see your good chat,pack your own tent too so you can sleep outside while they sleep in the truck and then rejoin em the next morning and you should pack light (one backpack). If you have never hitchhiked before then use hitchwiki to find all the places to start and tips, Ecuador would be a good place to start, very easy there once you get away from the colombia border a bit, Columbia was dam difficult at times especially getting out of cities.
Ye always solo, I meet others on the road sometimes usually Argentinian or Chilean backpackers hitchhiking around but I usually do it solo, much easier.
Didnt stay in Miami at all came straight from New Orleans to the airport.
Im in Chile now by the way and I can say its beautiful and the people are nice but definetly more expensive here, european hostel prices.

Fappington08

Joemon24 wrote: »

Getting some great info here. Thinking of headin off myself in jan/feb for roughly 5 months. Thinking of flying into colombia and working my way down. Ive never travelled alone before and its probably the one thing holding me back at the moment, anyone have any advice. Is it easy meet people?

Hi Joemon,

I am heading off myself for 6 months at the end of Jan/beginning of Feb. Very rough Itinerary for the first few months:
Colombia (Cartagena, Medeillin, Cali (stop off on my way to Equador))
Equador (Quito, Guayaquil (stop off on way to Peru))
Peru (Mancora, Huanchaco, Cusco, Inca Trail)

After that it would be Bolivia, Chile, Argentina (head down south to the glaciers for a week or so before going to Buenos Aries) and finally Brazil (Iguazu Falls, Florianapolis, Ilhla Grande, Rio)

Like yourself, I would be doing the trip by myself. I have never done anything like it before but none of my friends are in a position to drop everything and head off due to work/girlfriend/family commitments etc. I am 27 years old and if I am going to do the trip, now is the time. I currently live and work in NYC so flights to Colombia are much cheaper from here!

Feel free to DM me to talk about it further!