El Calafate to El Chalten

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Company: CAL TUR
Type: Executivo
Price: AR$ 420
Duration: 4 hours

Details: We boarded the bus at 8am with a sunrise backdrop looking out from the bus terminal. The bus was comfy, with decent leg room (reclining foot rests and seats). We took the opportunity to edit some photos from Patagonia during the 3 hour journey, as we'd taken quite a few over the past few weeks. We stopped off at a small service half way for a toilet break. Coincidentally, there was a vintage car rally happening on our route, and a series of beautifully kept classic cars and trucks pulled up next to our bus. We got a few quick snaps, then nearly missed the bus due to a long hot drinks queue and no formal on board passenger count. Luckily, we ran out just in time to stop the bus (that was taking off with all our belongings!) and we continued on our way to El Chalten.

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.

Buenos Aires to El Calefate

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Company: LAN
Type: Economy Flight
Price: AR$2800 each
Duration: 3.5 hours

Details: After a bit of deliberation we decided to travel down to Patagonia by plane. We looked at bus options, but due to how long it was going to take (around 2-3 days) we opted for the time over money option for the first time in our trip. We booked the flight about 5 days in advance, and after 10 amazing days in Buenos Aires we headed to the nearby airport - Aeroparque Internacional Jorge Newbery - which was only a 10 minute cab ride from our apartment. The 3.5 hour flight gave us our first insight into how dramatic Argentina's landscapes can be as we got out first glimpse of the Andes mountain range and the stunning turquoise lakes of El Calafate, Patagonia. We then took a small shuttle bus to the town centre, excited to explore the incredible landscape that Patagonia has to offer.

Colonia to Buenos Aires

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Company: SeaCat Colonia
Type: Economy Ferry
Price: UR$ 718 each
Duration: 1 hour

Details: From Colonia, the ferry is the most efficient (and cheapest) way to get to Buenos Aires, so after a short but pleasant stay we took the 1 hour ferry crossing from the port not far from our hostel. We had booked our ferry tickets online the day before with SeaCat (which seemed to be the cheapest of all the companies even though they all use the same boat!). The ferry was pretty big, with shops and a few small fast-food type restaurants, but unfortunately no outside deck. As the scenic seats were all taken we used the hour to nap and read and save our energy for BA. Once we arrived in the city, we decided to get a taxi (which are quick and cheap in BA) to our AirBNB apartment to save lugging our backpacks around. Public transport is the best way to get around Buenos Aires, and although the Metro is pretty limited for getting around, the buses are great, both to look at and to quickly get around the city.

Montevideo to Colonia

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Company: COT
Type: Economy
Price: U$ 342
Duration: 2.5 hrs

Description: As we didn’t want to spend too much time in Montevideo (we’d heard from others that theres not a huge amount to see) we decided to stay just one evening in the city. After a quick breakfast we got on the 9.30am bus from the Tres Cruces bus terminal, about 20 minutes walk from our hostel. In hindsight we should have probably given ourselves more time to explore the city, but we were keen to get to Colonia, our next destination. The journey to Colonia took around 2.5 hours, and we spent the time reading and listening to podcasts, again taking advantage of the coach wifi. On arrival we found the bus station in Colonia located right next to the old town where we were staying, making the overall bus journey very easy and pleasant.

Punta del Este to Montevideo

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Company: Copsa
Type: Economy
Price: $U 276
Duration: 2.5 hrs 

Details: As the bus terminal in Punta del Este was a convenient fifteen-minute walk from our hostel, this was a quick and pain free trip. We had decided to buy our tickets the previous day (to avoid previous complications!) so we turned up with 10 minutes to spare and jumped on the Copsa bus and headed for the Capital. The bus had free wifi, so we spent the two hour bus ride catching up with friends back home who were impressed that we were en route and speaking to them on the move. We arrived in Montevideo in the early evening and made the 20 minutes walk through the city centre to our Hostel Buenos Vibras, or 'good vibes!'.

Cabo Polonio to Punta del Este

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Company: Rutas del Sol & CODESA (No. 7)
Type: Economy + Local Bus
Price: $U 302 + $U 50
Duration: 2 hrs + 30 mins

Details: After getting our dune buggy back to the terminal we arrived with plenty of time at the Puerto del Polonio bus terminal. The bus to Punta del Este runs once or twice a day when off season, and as we wanted to get there before it got dark we opted for the 2.15pm Rutas del Sol bus (we got our tickets two days before to be safe). After an uneventful 2 hour journey we arrived in the stop-off town of San Carlos where we got our connecting local bus that took 30 minutes to get to the Terminal de Punta del Este. We got there just before the sun went down, and had the chance to take a quick stroll on the beach past the giant beach hand (Mano de Punta del Este) designed by Mario Irarrázabal. Luckily the bus terminal was very close to our hostel, so we had no difficulty popping by to buy our bus tickets to Montevideo for the following day.

Punta del Diablo to Cabo Polonio

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Company: COT & Rutas del Sol
Type: Economy
Price: $U76 + $U 53
Duration: 1 Hour + 30 mins (with 2 hour wait)

Details: As the peak summer season had just ended, getting along the coast of Uruguay was a little more complicated as the ‘Summer bus’ that stops at all the popular destinations had stopped running. This meant we needed to catch 2 busses to get to Cabo Polonio instead of getting there direct, and seeing as there we’re only 2 busses a day (and the second meant we would miss our connecting bus) we had to get a move on! The first bus, COT, was very nice inside, with decent wifi and comfortable seats. The scenery was a little barren, but still interesting in places as we made our way to the first stop-off point of Castillos. After a 2 hour wait in the town in Castillos and some quick Empanadas from a local shop, we got another (more basic) Rutas del Sol bus that took us too Puerto del Polonio, a small bus terminal just outside of Cabo Polonio. The town of Cabo Polonio has no roads, so it’s only accessible by dune buggy. After we arrived at the terminal we climbed up the ladder to the top of a massive 4x4 and experienced a breathtaking ride through the bumpy dunes, along the beach and got dropped off right outside our hostel. Although the route was slightly longer than we expected it was still relatively straightforward, and a lot easier than the huge distances we'd been used to in Brazil.

Florianópolis to Punta del Diablo

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Company: EGA
Type: Leito
Price: R$ 328 each
Duration: 15 hrs

Details: After a rather big night out in Florianópolis we we’re a little hung over on the day of travel, so very much grateful to try our first full Leito sleeper bus. The lower deck 12-seater cabin had amazing fully reclining seats, hot food served at intervals, regular drinks top-ups and english-speaking movies played on screens. It pretty much felt like business class seats on a plane! After we set off at 2pm, we got speaking to a local lady about where we were heading. Our tickets only took us as far as Chuy, the boarder town between Brazil and Uruguay, and a good hours drive away from our destination. Normally you can’t get a bus directly from Florianópolis to Punta del Diablo, but after speaking with the lady and discussing with the bus hostess (with some diagrams and shaky translation) it seems they had arranged an unofficial drop-off point that they we’re willing to make for us just outside Punta del Diablo. This happened to be at 4.30am, and the drop-off was literally on the side of the road, about an hours walk from the town. So in the early hours of the morning the bus doors opened, we were handed our stamped passports, and we made our way on foot down the 5km dimly lit road towards Punta del Diablo. Joined by a friendly pack of dogs, we passed through the picturesque town dotted with small quirky houses. We watched the sun come up on the empty beach for a few hours in the early morning light and napped on the rocks as we waited to check in to our hostel. We couldn’t have asked for a more magical arrival into a country!

Side note: Getting bus tickets from Florianópolis to Uruguay was a little harder than we thought as buses only ran 3 times a week, meaning we had to stay a few more nights. Previously we’d try to buy tickets online and had a bit of a nightmare, so we decided to go to the station to book them in person (which took 2-3 hour out of our day). Not ideal but after speaking to locals this seemed to be the only way. The only tickets left we’re premium Leito seats, which we were happy to try!

São Paulo to Florianópolis

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Company: Caterinese
Type: Semi-leito
Price: $R161 each
Duration: 12 hrs

Details: We we’re due to get our 12 hour bus from São Paulo at 11.30pm, so we had some time to visit a restaurant before our long journey. Once again we we’re met with rain - but not just any rain - buckets of water fell from the sky, leaving us totally soaked despite getting taxis door to door. Fortunately our hostel let us shower and change before we left to the station saving us from a very long and damp bus ride. After that the evening went to plan and our comfy semi-leito seats allowed us a few disjointed hours of sleep. However, after passing our half way point of Curibita at around 6am, the bus driver decided it was time for everyone to wake up - not with a gentle fade of lights - but to full volume Brazilian power ballads! After bewildered looks and an angry call down to the driver by a passenger 4 songs later he finally turned it off. The remaining journey went very smoothly, and with the exception of Stef mistaking the toilet flush button with the emergency stop button (a not-so-happy the driver) we settled back to a few hours sleep. After an eventful 12 hours with monsoons, Brazilian power ballads and technical mishaps we finally arrived in Florianópolis, a little sleepy but ready for some sunshine.

Paraty to São Paulo

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Company: Reunidas
Type: Semi-leito
Price: $R57 each
Duration: 6 hours

Details: Our first long distance (6 hour) coach ride departed from the colonial town of Paraty. As we settled into our pre-booked semi-leito seats we were immediately impressed by the premium feel and decent amount of leg room we had compared with British coaches. As it was a beautifully clear and hot day we had boarded the bus in our flip flops and shorts, but as we looked around we noticed that everyone else had extra layers and blankets - we’d totally overlooked how cold the air con gets on the coaches! Our warmer clothes were stowed deep in the belly of the bus, but thankfully with a bit of huddling and quick sunbathing during rest stops we managed to avoid frost bite! The journey along the Rio—Santos highway, with picturesque views of the coast to our left and lush mountains on our right made for a lovely few hours travel. As we approached São Paulo we were met with torrential tropical rain, something we came to realise was not uncommon in the monstrous city. Despite the weather the bus arrived safely on time at Tietê, the largest terminal in South America, before jumping on the metro to our hostel.

Ilha grande to Paraty

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Company: Costa Verde
Type: Local Bus
Price: $R12 each
Duration: 2.5 hrs

Details: On our return from Ilha Grande we took the fast boat (30 mins) from Abraão back to the town of Angra dos Reis before jumping on the local bus to Paraty. The bus was very basic, bumpy and not particularly comfortable, and getting our backpacks past the turnstile must have made entertaining viewing. Thankfully it wasn’t a long journey, and we were excited to experience a more rustic bus ride. However, an hour or so after arriving we realised that when grabbing our bags to get off the bus one of Joe’s (carefully selected) hiking shoes had been left on the bus! Not the thing you want to happen so early on in an 8-month trip. Luckily Havianas did the trick until we were able to pick up some trainers.

Rio de Janeiro to Ilha grande

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Company: Green Toad Bus
Type: Mini Van + Boat Transfer
Price: US$ 35 each plus US$ 6.30 booking fee
Duration: 3 hours + 30 minute boat

Details: As this was our first bus trip (and we’d just finished a rather crazy carnival!) we decided to take the easier yet more expensive option of a mini van door to door. Unfortunately due to the busy season the Easy Transfer was ‘fully booked’ so we had to book through the even more expensive Green Toad. Annoyingly this happened to be the same mini van, just a more expensive booking process! Having said that the journey was very easy, and after arriving at a port not far from Angra dos Reis we got put on a boat directly to the popular holiday town of Abraão in Ilha Grande. The whole thing was pretty seamless, which was needed after a wild and party-filled carnival, although we’d probably organise it ourselves next time.