carretera austral and termas de puyuhuapi

as per other post, would like to visit chile next easter; would like to travel part of carretera austral

does anyone have any experience of this, particularly...

if driving, what is the road surface like? do you need 4WD or just high clearance 2WD?

what are the surcharges for dropping off the car at a different location from hiring? eg puerto montt to coyhaique?

how easy is it to take rental car across argentinian border?

and:

the termas de puyuhuapi hotel... its website shows breathtakingly expensive rates to book (£800 sterling for 3 nights per person!); can you book locally at more modest prices...?

thanks for any info,

gregor

Personally I think you can get away with a 2WD if the weather cooperates and you don;t hit any unforseen bad road conditions. Its very much a lot of washboard, but no really horrible sections. I rode it on a bicycle.

The termas de puyuhuapi is a four star hotel. The website I saw charged $1000 USD per person per night. Personally I camped along the Carretera Austral and visited some hot springs on a day pass. There are a few "very" upmarket places in the region. Quelat has one or two as well, but there are some great little camping places that come complee with private sheltered dining areas and barbeques.

With a 2WD you will be fine on the main roads. Only for some sidetrips a 4WD might be necesary. One way rentals are usually very very expensive. It is not a problem to take your car into Argentina or Chile but you need the right papers. Inform your carrental before hiring the car. Puyuhuapi is a very luxury hotel. Maybe you can get it a bit cheaper out of season but there are a lot of very scenic places along the carretera austral and some other hotsprings in the region

in Puyuhuapi town there is a lot of cheap and confortable hostels, from there you can ask for a boat crossing for a day visit to the thermal waters, paying only for the use of the bath or hotsprings , far cheaper than stay in the Hotel
one hostel is www.casaludwig.cl<BR><BR>about the car suitable for Carretera Austral , any car is adequate, if have money for a a 4wd better, explore the side roads along carretera austral. definitively off beaten, as Chaiten-Palena, La Junta-Lago Verde or La Junta-Raul Marin; Cisnes crossroad to Puerto Cisnes o La Tapera, Puerto Aysen to Lago Riesco, and the splendid scenery of the road Rio Tranquilo-Valle Exploradores

Carretera Austral North (Chaiten-Coyhaique) is beign paved in some parts, specifically Chaiten-Lago Yelcho and Cisnes Crossroad to Toqui Mine, from Toqui Mina to Cerro Castillo all paved