 Drivin' through and around South America |
Drivin' through and around South America | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Advice and opinions wanted on whether or not driving through south america is a good idea or not. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 DustinKeating Dustin Keating Post Count: 14 Msg: #1 697 days ago, October 10th 2006 | After travelling briefly on a couple different occassions with friends who have their own mode of transport, be it a van or a motorcycle, i've grown increasingly enthusiastic on the freedom granted when you have your own vehicle. Now before i get too into this I want to make it clear that even though i'm not loaded with cash, money isn't exactly an object. Now of course that operates within limits. If it costs 10 grand more than it would to fly there, i wont do it. However a couple grand for the added experience is no problem, who knows...it might even be cheaper. | However, cost isn't why i'm posting this question. The question is actually whether it's suggested that two 20 year old, clearly North American males should consider driving through and around South America? Already we're fairly keen on driving from Nova Scotia, Canada down to Texas where we can decide on what to do with the van however i'm a firm believer that if we've went that far we should just keep the van and go as far south as possible. There is however, some very serious opposition. Firstly...I don't speak spanish. I do speak decent Italian, which is incredibly similar to Spanish and I can sometimes have perfectly functional conversations with someone who speaks spanish...but it's Italian, not spanish. (We both speak Italian) Secondly, driving a van with Nova Scotian license plates is bound to attract shifty attention. Sketchy cops that want bribes aren't really my main concern, that's part of the experience in driving through south america...i assume. However bandits and someone who might want two 20 year old dudes for ransom does scare me slightly, should i be worried about things like that? or is that the bs that movies feed you? Also, a foreign van left unattended is bound to attract attention. I appreciate that it could easily be robbed, but if we seriously rig this van up with no silly business locks and safe boxes (which we will), can we hope that we might finish a trip without losing too many valuables? Obviously there are some things i haven't touched on like insurance, gas prices, visa's and road tolls because i didn't think they warranted too much discussion...however if someone thinks they do, please speak up. I've never done or even attempted something like this before, but i want to. Please, anyone, give me some feedback as to how you would rate this idea. Suggestions and new points are more than welcome. Is this a good or terrible idea?  Cassels Andrew Cassels Post Count: 9 Msg: #2 691 days ago, October 16th 2006 | I have travelled through Argentina and Bolivia by bus, and after having seen the state of the Bolivian roads I would not recomend it. As for other motorists, they are crazy and there is no road rules. I completely understand the urge to tour the continent by your own means but it is seriously crazy on the roads here. | jvlata Jorge Valdes Post Count: 1 Msg: #3 690 days ago, October 18th 2006 | I have travelled many time in Bolivia, Peru, Argentina and Chile; many times alone and I have never had a single problem; well except for a flat tire close to Uyuni, Bolivia. You should plan you trip and DO IT! In all the big cities you will find that many people in cafes, restaurants and hotel "Hablan Ingles! about the roads.. yes, in many you will have to be careful and I will suggest to you to avoid night driving but this will depend to where you are driving. | I will be driving next year from Campo Grande, Brazil trugth Bolivia and ending in Chile. At this time I do not have any space left in my Land Rover Defender in this trip I only have space for 2 in my Patagonia trip. Good Luck and let me know if you need for info. Jorge puma puma Post Count: 3 Msg: #4 672 days ago, November 4th 2006 | As far as Iam aware you cannot drive from central America into South America - both physically and due to security problems. - | If you do get a car in SA make sure you have all your paper work in order - be wary of speed limits and overtaking on roads, headlight rules - as you will get fined if you happen to get caught. The roads in Brazil, argentina Venezuela and chile are very good - of course if you head out to tiny little villages out in the middle of nowhere don't expect much. - It is different in Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador - they can vary greatly. You will need a good vehicle unless you are going to stick to major highways. SA is not as bad as china when it comes to driving! [Edited: 18:31 - puma ]  Lauralee Laura Post Count: 138 Msg: #5 670 days ago, November 6th 2006 | As for your language abilities, while Italian is similar to Spanish its still different. I travelled with a couple of Italian guys and the Italian guy had a difficult time communicating in Bolivia as he knew no spanish. My suggestion would be to get a Lonely Planet Spanish phrasebook which would help you a lot. There are certain subtle differences between the languages (I've also learned both) which throws off local speakers and makes it difficult for them to understand you... especially if you're standed in the middle of nowhere and you can only communicate in Spanish. | I would say that a foreign license plate attracts a lot of attention. If you are still planning on doing this... don't take valuables that you would be devestated if they were stolen. As for the roads, I agree with Cassels - roads are sketchy in Bolivia and Peru to a large extent as well. Mountain roads are narrow, windy and are next to sharp plunging cliffs.  dannyboy Daniel Post Count: 22 Msg: #6 632 days ago, December 14th 2006 | The highways in Chile are great - you'll have a pleasant drive from the North to the South. | Get an international driver's license in case people hassle you.  Poz Jeff Post Count: 41 Msg: #7 629 days ago, December 17th 2006 | I wouldn't worry so much about being kidnapped as getting your van stolen. You WILL draw some serious attention. | How will you get around the Darien Gap? There must be some sort of boat... There's a widespread public transportation system in place throughout SA. I tend to think that driving around SA would be far too much hassle, unless you were in Chile or Argentina. Chile's Carretera Austral is so spectacular! And, the best way to see it is with your own transport. poz Number of Users: 7 | Number of Posts: 7 | |||||||||||||||
