To research Central America - click here
Travelling in South America
South America has long been a popular destination when planning a round the world trip, however the practicalities of obtaining a ticket, for a reasonable price, that include a stop or two on the continent was always the stumbling block. Cost and flight availability meant that more often than not travellers changed their plans and went another route.
Thankfully these problems have now eased and South America has been made far more accessible on round the world tickets allowing our passengers to experience this outstanding continent to its fullest. Whatever your passion, you will find it catered for in South America - cheap, good quality transportation and accommodation for backpackers; culture on tap; the amazing beaches of Brazil; the Andes mountain – the backbone of South America; the ruins of the Inca and pre-Inca civilisations; the wilds of Patagonia; the perfection of the Galapagos and a little known rainforest by the name of the Amazon
Some South American Highlights
• Exploring the Andes Mountains. Bus over high passes, watch condors in the valleys and summit your first 6000metre peak in Ecuador.
• Travel down the mighty Amazon River, taking the opportunity to visit settlements established deep within the rainforest…you want remote – this is it!
• Visit Inca and pre-Inca sites in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Chile. Learn about South America’s native heritage before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors.
• Hang out on the beaches of Brazil, playing football and beach volleyball – if you think you’re good enough to take on the locals.
• Wrap up warm and head to the southern tip – Cape Horn. It’s as close to Antarctica as you can get from any continent.
South America and round the world tickets
South America is one of the ‘rising stars’ of round the world tickets with new destinations becoming available on tickets seemingly on a monthly basis. On some tickets it will require you flying via the US as American airlines are a great provider of routes and connections in South America. You can maybe add a stop in the States, whilst you’re in the neighbourhood.
See some great round the world options that take you via South America - more
How best to get around
Transport links on the ground are excellent with most long distance connections being made by bus and coach. These are generally high quality services – on time and comfortable with films and food available on board. You will also see some yellow US school style buses in service on the shorter routes…these are in fact exactly that …ex-school buses sent south from the USA – leg room is minimal!
Tours and Passes
For details on some great tour options within South America, take a look at our round the world travel essentials section - more
Money
US dollars are most definitely your best bet and they are widely accepted at shops as well as being easily exchanged at banks and bureau de changes. In bigger cities other currencies are also fine and sterling or Euro travellers cheques will not be a problem.
Visa is accepted and bank machines will allow you to use bank cards to make withdrawals from machines – however you should check with your bank before leaving home.
Top 3 activities
• Visit the outstanding salt plains in southern Bolivia. It’s an amazing site, with nothing but white for miles around. You can also visit tin mines whilst in the area. The mines are still in use and if you smile nicely (and take a gift) a miner will take you underground.
• Travel along the rugged coastline of Ecuador, visiting pre-Inca sites in remarkably good condition considering their age and location. These sites are far less visited than the Inca sites in Peru and you really get a feel of what life must have been like.
• If you like the rugged outdoors then you’re in the right place. Patagonia offers some of the finest trekking to be found on the planet.
Top 3 overland routes
• Travel from Quito to La Paz, exploring the cultural heritage along the way.
• Rio to Chile via Cape Horn. You get the beaches of Brazil (and the carnival if you time things well), Iguaçu falls, the wilds of Patagonia and the deserts of Chile.
• The full lap – Caracas to Quito….this way you don’t miss out on anything by travelling the complete circuit. We can offer you a great overland trip of this route - the trip takes 171 days and costs an average of £16.95 per day – that’s just £2900 for all of South America.
Top 3 nights out
• A night of tango and love in steamy Buenos Aires. Watch the locals and learn before taking to the floor!
• A little known festival by the name of ‘carnival’! We recommend that you travel up north to Recife rather than attend the more obvious affair in Rio.
• Cuzco is one of the world’s great traveller ‘hang outs’ with the vast majority of visitors to South America making it there at some stage during their travels. After a few days trekking the Inca trail kick back with a glass or two of the fine red wine before tucking into a local speciality…guinea pig!
Top 3 sunsets
• Going to have to ask for a sunrise here - watching the sun rise over Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate is a sight that you will never, ever forget. You could sit there forever.
• Watching the sunset through the canopy of the Amazon jungle and listening to the nocturnal animals awake - amazing…and a little terrifying!
• As the day begins to cool down, the sun throws huge shadows across the Atacama Desert. Further north near Nazca, you see the huge animal drawings (we are talking miles not yards here), left by earlier civilisations, come to life in an orange glow.
Do’s and don’ts
Do
• Try and learn a little Spanish before you go (and don’t forget they speak Portuguese in Brazil) - it will make your trip considerably easier and will enhance the experience. In many regions very little English is spoken.
• Read into the Inca and pre Inca civilisations a little. It’s fascinating stuff and will help you to have a wider understanding of the sites you visit in Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Chile.
• Try and make it to the party to end all parties – the Rio Carnival or better still head north and groove in Recife instead.
• Get the correct visas - more
• Travel responsibly - more
Don’t
• Try and cram too much in to one visit …South America is massive and journeys from A to B can take a long time. You won’t want to move on anywhere too soon as you need to give destinations time in order to really get under the skin of South America.
• Remove anything from any sites that you visit – it is not a souvenir, it is theft.
• Wander the streets of the cities at night. Cabs are cheap and far safer.