Recommendations and warnings on buying a car for travel in South America? Border crossing problems? What regulations, papers, etc. do you need?
I'm looking to do a three month trip around South America, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina, and was wondering if buying a car is an incredible hassle. I plan on doing a lot of hiking and camping and hope to visit some out of the way places, so I didn't know if the public transport would be the best mode of travel.
Is there a lot of red tape to go through; vehicle registrations, car exams? Is driving in the countryside alright, or are the drivers and roads completely crazy? Are there many problems and fees crossing borders with a car? Any recommendations or warnings would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Reply to this The rules depend on the individual country. For instance, unless you are a registered resident of Argentina you cannot take the car out of the country even if you own it. Obviously there will be paperwork everywhere. Public transport is different in South America in general. Not everyone has a car and buses go just about everywhere. I would consider using buses and then renting a car in any spot which seems difficult to do by bus. If you travel around by bus you usually meet up with other people, locals and travelers. Often it is easy enough to find someone going the same places you are and who would be willing to share the cost of a rental with you.
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