San Pedro de Atacama to Uyuni

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Company: Atacama Mistica
Type: 4x4 Jeep
Price: £105 each
Duration: 3 Days

Description: The 3 day Jeep tour from San Pedro de Atacama to Salar de Uyuni was, for us, one of the things we had been looking forward to most during our trip around South America. After a few days in San Pedro de Atacama we finally decided on a tour company (there are loads to chose from, we went with Atacama Mistica). We had heard plenty of horror stories about drunk drivers, and therefore did a lot of research and asked around to make sure that it was going to be safe. You can read more about our experience here.

Salta to San Pedro de Atacama

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Company: Geminis
Type: Semicama
Price: AR$ 700 each
Duration: 8 hours

Details: Salta was a great launchpad to see many of the surrounding landscapes including the incredible 14 color mountain in Humahuaca, the Inca ruins of Tilcara and the beautiful towns of Purmamarca, where we decided to stay 2 nights. We used a local tour bus to get from Salta to Purmamarca. On the day of travel we sat on the side of a dusty road and waited for our bus to San Pedro de Atacama. The bus arrival had a window of an hour and a half, but luckily we had a great view of the 7 colour mountain as we waited at our pickup point in the morning sunshine.

Once the bus arrived we realised we had front row window seats that gave an amazing cinemaesque view of the Andes. We cut through the towering mountains toward the Chilean border, passing through salt flats, volcanoes and deserts. The border crossing was quick and painless, and after a basic lunch provided by the bus company we arrived in San Pedro, the gateway to the Atacama desert and the salt flats of Uyuni.

Valparaiso to Mendoza

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Company: Andesmar
Type: Semicama
Price: CH$ 21,000
Duration: 8 hrs

Description: After a great couple of days exploring the colourful streets of Valparaiso, we boarded the bus at 7.45am and set off for Mendoza. We'd heard that the scenery would be particularly spectacular, so after a couple of hour sleep we watched from our right-hand-side Windows as the epic scenery towered around us as we wound through the Andes. It was time for another border crossing, which took a few hours, but there was a little restaurant, in the middle of the mountains that was selling a tasty Choripán (the classic Argentinean sausage sandwich). After all passport checks were finished we got back on the bus and watched the newly released Revenant which was a nice change from the dodgy Spanish films we had previously encountered. 

We arrived in Mendoza to warm sunshine, and looked forward to the wine tasting and bike rides in the hilly, green region of Argentina.

 

Santiago to Valparaiso

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Company: Turbus
Type: Semicama
Price: CH$ 3000
Duration: 1.5 hours

Description:  After spending a great couple of days exploring Santiago, we had heard that there was a seaside town called Valparaiso nearby that we should pay a visit. We jumped on the metro from our hostel and got off at the Pajaritos stop as it's the most convenient bus terminal out of the city. The seats were very clean and comfortable and with decent leg room, and reclined back enough for the short ride. After only an hour and a half the colourful buildings of Valparaiso came into view which made for a welcome change from our previous long bus journeys.

Puerto Varas to Santiago

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Company: Turbus
Type: Salon Cama
Price: CH$24,900
Duration: 13 hours

Details: After an amazing stay in Puerto Varas, ending on a delicious fish meal at Casavaldes, we arrived at an empty bus terminal and waited for our 10.30pm night bus to the Chilean capital. The bus was very comfy with fully reclining seats, and as we were at the front (seats 1 & 2) we got even more leg room. Sleeping on night buses is never easy but we managed to doze off for a few hours.

We were woken early (6.20am) which was a bit annoying as we still had 6 hours to go, but were given an apple juice and a very dry biscuit while a few new passengers boarded at the city of Chillan, about 200 miles from Santiago. As we approached the capital, the outskirts were quite run down but once we were on their excellent metro system, Santiago began to shine in a far more impressive light.

Bariloche to Puerto Varas

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Company: Andesmar Chile
Type: Semicama
Price: AR$405 each
Duration: 6 hours

Details: After a 10 minute cab ride from our hostel to the bus terminal we boarded the top deck of the semicama bus to Puerto Varas, Chile. We had bought the tickets the day before, and the guy in the ticket office recommended we sit on the left hand side so we could take in the great scenery including the many stunning lakes and even a volcano!

We bought food with us as we weren't sure if we were going to stop on the 6 hour journey, but after 10 minutes they came around with sandwiches. Despite being semicama the seats were a little narrow and not particularly ergonomic, but were fine for the length of the journey. We stopped at the Chilean border at 12pm to get our Argentinian exit stamps, and then half an hour later we were stopped to get our bags checked by the sniffer dogs. The process was much quicker then before and after our passports had been stamped we continued on to Puerto Varas.

Puerto Natales to El Calafate

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Company: Tourismo Zaahj
Type: Economy
Price: CH $15000
Duration: 6 hours

Details: We had just completed the 5 day W trek in Torres del Paine, so were pleased to find the seats on our economy coach reclined enough to get a bit of rest. The coach was full of other tired trekkers who'd just completed similar excursions. The border crossing from Chile to Argentina was a lot faster (they are a lot less strict about bringing food across the border) so we were pleased to cross in under half an hour as opposed to the 2 hour crossing the other way around. We arrived in El Calafate just before dark and checked into our hostel.

El Calafate to Puerto Natales

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Company: Cootra Ltda.
Type: Comun con Aire
Price: AR$ 450
Duration: 8 hours

Details: After an amazing day trekking on Perito Moreno Glacier, we decided to keep the outdoor activities going and head to Torres del Paines Nation Park. The gateway town to Torres del Paines is Puerto Natales, an 8 hour bus ride from El Calafate. As we took our seats on the coach we were happy to find there were comfy seats with decent leg room. There was a 'No shoe taking off' policy due to 'trekkers-feet!', so we knew we were heading into the wilderness. The scenery was a little bleak during the journey, but we got chatting to some fellow travellers who were doing a similar route to us and ate lunch on the coach that we'd prepared the night before. Toilets were a bit grim but needed as there were no stops, and made for a less then pleasant experience when using them due to the really bumpy roads!

Once we got to the boarder control we realised how strict Chile is with what is allowed into the country! It took at least 2 hours to get passports stamped and bags scanned for any produce (including nuts, fruit, meat or dairy). There were also several sniffer dogs, which felt pretty intimidating as large fines for 'forgotten about food' had been rumoured. We were relieved when we finally crossed the border and then set off for the final 2 hours to Puerto Natales, Chile. The buses were definitely not as slick as we had had in Brazil, and a little more expensive, but it's the price you pay for the incredible Patagonian scenery.