3 Months in South America

Hi there,

I'm going to South America this summer for three months starting on May 15 and coming back on August 15. I was wondering about how much I should budget for this trip not counting airfare, insurance or anything like that that I'd get at home. So including food, accommodation, travel expenses etc. I'm a 20 year old female traveling alone if that info helps. Also, I'll be traveling more on the shoestring side of things, as much as is possible at least. So hostels or camping type hammock outside deals, and not too much for food. I wouldn't necessarily cook all of my food at the hostel (just sometimes) but I wouldn't be eating in fancy restaurants either. more of a mix between eating at the hostel, small food stands and budget restaurants. I wouldn't really be buying very much in terms of souvenirs, just a few things for my close family. I do like to do a lot of activities though. Like hiking and surfing and sailing and things that'd cost extra. I don't always hire tour guides when going to ruins, but on larger ones like Machu Picchu I would, especially because in that case I think you have to anyway.

I don't really have an itinerary worked out yet, but I'll be flying into Lima and out of Sao Paulo. So I was thinking of starting in Peru and going through Bolivia to Chile (about half way down, Santiago?) then into Argentina, then working my way back up and through maybe Paraguay to Brazil. I'd want to see more of Brazil than just to Sao Paulo though so I'd go a roundabout way to get there. Is this feasible? and how much would I be able to see of each Country on this time frame? I'm okay with long bus/train rides or traveling at night or any other kind of transportation really, local, smaller types, lanchas and all that jazz. I was also wondering what the best kind of transportation would be for the most part, like is it best to take trains or buses or does it vary completely.

Also, I'm an IDS major and we have an experiential learning program so I can get credit towards my degree if I volunteer for 35 hours. This can be with any organization anywhere as long as I have a letter verifying my volunteer hours. Does anyone have any suggestions as to where I should look for good organizations or which country it would be best to do this in? I have intermediate Spanish but it would probably be better if I didn't necessarily need Spanish for it, just in case its not up to their standards. This will also effect the time I have for the rest of the itinerary...

So yeah, any help would be appreciated. Let me know if there are any other details I left out which would be helpful.

Thanks!

Kayleigh

Hey Kayleigh,

I can give you an IDEA about the budget but keep in mind that the more you travel within South America, the more expensive your trip will be, and how much a person spends varies greatly. I am a 24 year old female travelling alone and I have budgeted $1000 a month and have found it to be pretty comfortable for me to stick to it, but I have not yet made it to Boliva which is supposed to be CHEAP. Argentina and Chile are more expensive than Bolivia.

Some people, who mostly hitchhike and use couchsurfing and hospitality club, budget $500 month. I don´t travel very fast, and usually take the bus. If you fly you will spend a lot more, but the buses eat away more of your time. Its really up to you and what you chose to do with your 3 months.

Happy travels!

Tori

The following are previous posts on the budget topic:

I have never been very good at budget travel as I end up camping and not spending a dime then blowing my budget staying at an expensive hotel. However, from what I have seen the last figures were in the 30.00 USD a day range for budget backpacker type travel. So say about 1000 USD a month, though personally I would bump that up some just for the extra s--t that happens. Some countries are much cheaper than others and you will find it hard to control costs, say, in Chile and very easy to make your budget in Bolivia.

With 30.00 USD a day you can do quite well in most countries ( Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and even Argentina ) but for Brazil you might need a little more depending where you go. Chile is the most expensive country I have visited in South America.

Rather than cutting the budget I would cut the length of stay. What good is it to travel to a foreign country if you do not have the funds to take it all in?
I am talking about side trips, museums, entry fees, bus travel, wine tastings etc. etc. And what about food. Do you want to live off bread and jam the whole time?.

US$ 800 per month for eating and sleeping ( minimal entertainment ). Add US$ 200 for travel ( buses - flights ) and tours.

My boyfriend and I have been traveling for 2 months in SA so far. We have been staying in private rooms in middle range hostels, slightly more expensive than dorm rooms, and have spent US$ 35 a day so far. My boyfriend tracks the costs daily on a laptop. This includes all tours done on the gringo tour to-date, accommodation, food, internal buses and other transport. We probably could have done it cheaper having cooked for ourselves more and gone to cheaper places but US$ 30 / US$ 35 would see you enjoying yourself.

I spent an average of US$ 900 per month.

I spent US$ 3000 in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia in three months three years ago. I am budget, but not total hard core. US$ 300 was at Machu picchu. Bolivia was the cheapest. I very brief trip into Chille showed me how expensive that can be.

I also second the roughly US$ 1000 figure. It is less in Bolivia, more in Chile, etc. That will allow for some creature comforts now and then. I spent around that and never really felt like I was worrying about money and pretty much spent whatever I wanted.

US$ 1000 per month is a good estimate.

Bolivia is the cheapest, Peru is still pretty cheap. Chile by comparison to Western standards is still good value, but it is quite a bit more expensive than other places in South America. I spent most time in Chile and stayed in mid range places, ate in good restaurants and generally had fun. I spent about 20.00 or 30.00 US$ a night for a shared room.

I was in Chile last November. I spent 15.00 or 20.00 US$ for a shared room with a couple of friends. Eating well in the evening was another 20.00 US$. Snacks and getting about is pretty cheap. Chile is expensive for south america, but if you are coming from North America or Europe it is still good value. Hostels or family rooms have private rooms ( for a couple ) ranging from US$ 14.00 to 22.00 depending on it having a private bathroom. Basic one course meal US$ 3.00 per person.

Bolivia is a very cheap country, we spent an average of US$ 56.00 a day, a figure pushed up by the number of tours we did. A hotel will cost you US$ 12.00 - US$ 16.00 a night, although we did pay US$ 30.00 in one tourist town. Dinner will average US$ 10.00 for two. Transport is very cheap, so cheap we often bought a third seat to put our bags on. A 6 hour bus journey will cost around US$ 3.50 per person, a 24 hour journey $15.00. A lot of the big sights are only accessible on tours which are very cheap and usually good value but shop around.

At an average of US$ 48.00 a day Colombia was a cheap place to visit. This is mainly because most of the accommodation aimed at tourists are hostels and we spent some time trekking which is very cheap. A hostel room for two varies from US$ 8.00 to US$ 13.00 and hotels from US$ 7.00 to US$ 26.00. A meal for two is around US$ 12.00 - US$ 16.00 and food is of a very high quality. Transport is also reasonable with a 6 hour journey costing about US$ 13.00 for one person. What is nice is that Colombia is a very developed and sophisticated country, so you can have a good time here very cheaply. As things are settling down more Colombians are travelling around and more people visiting, so get there before the hoards.

We averaged US$ 60.00 a day in Ecuador which was probably higher than it needed to be as we spent alot of time in Quito, which is a little more expensive. Accommodation ranged from US$ 14.00 to US$ 21.00 a night and dinner was from US$ 10.00 to US$ 16.00. Transport is very cheap, a 4 hour journey costs about US$ 3.50 and an 8 hour trip costs US$ 6.00. These average living costs include the three weeks we spent in the Galapagos, but do not include transport, fees or tours there.

Prices in Argentina:

Taxi from Ezeiza International Airport -- 20.00 US$.
86 bus from Ezeiza International Airport --- 0.45 US$.
Shuttle service from the same airport -- 8.40 US$.
Internet per hour at the airport -- 1.70 US$.
Internet per hour downtown -- 0.50 US$.
Local line calls per minute (at locutorios) -- 0.08 US$.
Cellphone pay-as-you-go local call per minute -- 0.24 US$.
Dormi-hostel breakfast included --- 7.00 US$.
Flat-rate lunch --- 3.20 US$.
Lunch at an average restaurant (including drinks) -- 10.00 US$.
Ugi´s big pizza -- 2.30 US$.
Big pizzas at other restaurants from -- 3.60 US$.
Turn overs (empanadas) -- 0.50 US$.
Single room at a hotel in Avenida de Mayo -- 15.00 US$.
Double room at the same place - 20.00 US$.
Mineral water at a supermarket (1.5 L ) --- 0.57 US$.
Coke (2.25 L) --- 1.15 US$.
Quilmes beer (970 cm3) --- 0.72 US$.
Heineken beer (Tin 473 cm3) -- 0.72 US$.
Coke (Tin 354 cm3 -- 0.42 US$.
Yerba Mate (1kg) -- 1.50 US$.

Buses in Argentina. How long?. How much?.

Fares given here correspond to sleeper bus services which are the most expensive. During high season these fares go up.

Buses from Buenos Aires:

Mendoza ---- 14 hours -- 39.00 US$.
Santiago ----- 20 hours --- 44.00 US$.
La Paz ---- 50 hours --- 67.00 US$.
Lima -- 72 hours --- 124.00 US$.
Salto (Uruguay) ---- 8 hours --- 17.00 US$.
Montevideo ---- 8 hours --- 29.00 US$.
Porto Alegre ---- 20 hours --- 65.00 US$.
Rio de Janeiro ---- 42 hours --- 82.00 US$.
Rio Gallegos --- 36 hours --- 67.00 US$.
Santa Cruz (Bolivia) ---- 36 hours -- 67.00 US$.
Salta ---- 20 hours --- 54.00 US$.
La Quiaca ---- 26 hours ----50.00 US$.
Iguazu ----- 18 hours ---- 55.00 US$.
Puerto Madryn --- 17 hours --- 50.00 US$.
Trelew ----- 17 hours -- 52.00 US$.

Buses from Rio Gallegos:

Ushuaia --- 12 hours -- 37.00 US$.
Calafate ---- 4 hours -- 8.40 US$.
Puerto Natales - 4 hours --- 8.40 US$.
Punta Arenas ---- 4 hours -- 8.40 US$.

Bus tickets from Rio Gallegos to Calafate, Puerto Natales and Punta Arenas can be bought in Buenos Aires.

Iguazu-Tucuman ----- 21 hours --- 1.00 US$.
Tucuman-Salta ---- 5 hours --- 13.00 US$.
Corrientes-Salta ---- 14 hours ---- 26.00 US$.
Posadas-Resistencia --- 5 hours --- 12.00 US$.
Resistencia-Salta ----- 12 hours --- 25.00 US$.
Posadas-Santiago (Chile) --- 31 hours --- 72.00 US$.

Salta-San Pedro de Atacama -----11 hours ---- 40.00 US$.
Salta-Mendoza ----- 20 hours --- 43.00 US$.
Mendoza-Bariloche ---- 20 hours --- 50.00 US$.

Bariloche-Puerto Montt ---- 7 hours -- 17.00 US$.

Foz de Iguazu-Asuncion --- 6 hours --- 8.20 US$.
Montevideo-Puerto Alegre --- 12 hours -- 47.00 US$.
Montevideo-San Pablo --- 29 hours --- 107.00 US$.

Esteros del Ibera: How to arrive.

Buenos Aires-Mercedes (Corrientes) -- 9 hours -- 25.00 US$.
Mercedes-Colonia Carlos Pellegrini --- 3 hours ----- 4.00 US$.
Mercedes-Corrientes --- 3 hours -- 5.30 US$.

Bariloche-Puerto Madryn --- 13 hours --- 46.00 US$.

Jorge Daniel Barchi.
Buenos Aires.

Prices in Buenos Aires expressed in pesos

Jorge Daniel Barchi.
Buenos Aires.

There are not many trains in South America. Buses are the way to go.

Previous posts:

Normally, buses are the way to go. International flights in South America are expensive and trains are very few and far between, so most people on a longer trip use mainly buses. Especially in Argentina and Chile, these are excellent value for money ( think airline business class ) and go everywhere.

I would have to say that my 20-hour trip from Buenos Aires to Bariloche with the company Via Bariloche may have been the best night sleep I got in my entire 14-month trip in South America. I know they do the Buenos Aires to Iguazu route as well, I would recommend them 100%, it was true luxury for me, champagne, whiskey, wine, great food, movies and such, I loved it. They do provide pillows and a blanket, and the air con is strong, not Brazil strong, but strong enough that you will want the blanket for the night.

I travelled in South America last year and the bus company that we used all the time in Argentina because of their high standards was Andesmar. The seats were comfortable and you should go for "cama total" as yes, it is the closet you will get to lying almost flat! They like to entertain their passengers on longer journeys with good old Bingo...in Spanish of course so you get a Spanish lesson while travelling! They gave us food, blankets and pilllows.

I would opt for Crucero del Norte. We took their bus from Buenos Aires to Iguazu earlier this year ( 2006 ) and it was great. We used them on other routes and it was consistently good. If I remember right, their top service is called "cama suite" (seats and foot rest fold down to a bed). Different companies may have different names for this type of service (ie. cama suite, cama total, ejecutivo), so it is always best to confirm exactly what you are getting when buying your tickets. If you buy your tickets at Retiro bus station in Buenos Aires, the bus companies generally have photos showing their top of the line service.

* If you are booking at the Buenos Aires Bus terminal, there are a number of companies there offering executive service with full cama. We went both ways by Crucero del Norte with no problem but we could not advise if they were any better than the rest. Might I suggest you book one way with one and the return with another, that way you could advise us if one was better than the other. ( Just a hint, as the buses travel at night, try to avoid the very front seats as the glare of on-coming headlights can be annoying when trying to sleep).

www.crucerodelnorte.com.ar</a><BR><a href="http://www.flechabus.com.ar">www.flechabus.com.ar</a><BR><a href="http://www.andesmar.com.ar">www.andesmar.com.ar</a><BR><a href="http://www.viabariloche.com.ar">www.viabariloche.com.ar</a><BR><a href="http://www.tigreiguazu.com.ar">www.tigreiguazu.com.ar</a><BR><BR>Jorge Daniel Barchi.
Buenos Aires.

The following are previous posts on male attention:

Women get hassled more in Bolivia and Peru than in Argentina. Ignore it. I cannot say any more than that. You cannot stop it so just pretend you have not heard and keep going. If you are actually face to face with an unwanted conversation, politely but firmly ask the man to go away. If he does not ( he will probably express astonishment that you are offended ) move away yourself, if possible towards a family or older woman.

One thing to be aware of while travelling alone is that you will get a lot of attention. Men will stare at you in the street, whistle, make suggestive comments and generally try to chat you up. You need to be prepared for this. It is mainly a minor annoyance, but you need to know that it is going to happen unless you are with a guy.

I travelled in Argentina for a month a couple of months ago. I am a cautious traveler, and I had no safety issues and never felt uneasy. The harrassment by men on the streets was very low. Most men paid me no attention, only a few comments here and there as I walked by, and no hissing. I was surprised and relieved.

I spent a month in Ecuador. I am 18 and I went on my own but I ended up travelling with some other girls I met there. I am very fair skinned and blonde so I got a lot of attention. At first it caught me off guard, then it really started to annoy me but after a while you just get used to it and forget about it. Most of the time the guys are just trying to get a reaction out of you so if you just walk by, do not make eye contact and do not say anything they will just move on to the next passing lady. Not making eye contact is key, just making eye contact can be considered flirting and once they think you are into them they are impossible to get rid of. Plus if you do not speak very good Spanish you will not be offended buy all the crude hings they are saying to you (my one friend was fluent and would tell me what they were saying, some were actually quite funny and creative). I never felt unsafe or threatened, and now that I look back, there were times that I was probably setting myself up as a pretty easy target. Nothing happened to me although a few of my friends did get there purses stolen (one time after they had had too much to drink and another time when my friend was on the bus). Best advice; keep an eye on your stuff at all times, know your surroundings, use your common sense, and try to blend in as much as possible.

Jorge Daniel Barchi.
Buenos Aires.

Bus Buenos Aires to Asuncion, Paraguay just over 40 USD 18 hs
bus Asuncion to Foz de Iguazu around 10 USD 7 hs
bus Asuncion to Encarnacion (Jesuit towns of Trinidad and Jesus) 7 USD 6 hs

day budget in Paraguay 20 USD maximum

burguer Paraguayan style (steak rather than mince meat), coke 500 ml and fries 3 USD at www.pancholos.com<BR><BR>local bus fare in Asuncion 0.40 USD

Hey everyone,
Thanks for all of your speedy replies, I feel a lot more confident about the whole budget issue now and also on the best means of transportation.
Would anyone happen to have any info or insight on my other questions? namely, if traveling the kind of distance I outlined is feasible and where a good place to volunteer would be? (see original post for more detail).

Thanks so much!

Kayleigh

I don't know which programs provide letters for your University but maybe the larger organizations do this. Cross Cultural Solutions or I-to-I have several programs around South America. They are the higher priced programs with placements in most countries; cheaper and even free programs in Bolivia and Peru. Check www.volunteersouthamerica.net for low cost programs.

The opportunities to volunteer in Argentina, for one, are not many. You may find a place to volunteer but you will not get food an accommodation in return.

How to be a volunteer

Jorge Daniel Barchi.
Buenos Aires.