Family trip, couple, son 18 and daughter 8, from Buenos Aires to Usuahia April 24th. to May 9th.
2009.
People who have done it, could you please advice of safety issues, what not to miss, what to be careful with ( safety issues ) border crossing with Chile on the ferry, cost, waiting time, experiences in general.
Thank you all !!!!
El Che
Reply to this I don´t know much about driving Ruta 3 on your own, but it seems easy enough. The roads are all in great shape, the border crossings are easy enough for people on their own. You should get a schedule for the ferry crossing, as I don´t think it is extremely regular. We only had to wait thirty minutes at the most, but the bus driver knew when to get us there by. I would recommend Puerto Deseado, I thought that was an amazing place with the Rockhopper colony, sea lions, and dolphins. A great alternative to the more touristy Madryn. However, the penguins may have left, and the orcas in Madryn may be feeding on the sea lion pups at that time, which would be a sight to see.
We did Ruta 40 in a rental car a few weeks ago, mid November. The roads would horrible if they were snow covered. However, it was one of the highlights of my trip around the world. Amazing scenery, complete and utter isolation like nothing Ive ever experienced, even with all my driving around the Western U.S. Cueva de los Manos was great.
Good luck, safe travels, and have a great trip!
Reply to this Thank you Bernard Brothers, great message, we'll keep all your suggestions written down, we hope we can enjoy as much as you did!! We are thrilled about our trip!!!
Thank you and Merry Christmas!!!
el Che
Reply to this Hi El Che,
Something you may keep in mind is the severeness of Chiliean border officers. You are not allowed to bring any fresh food, i.e. no fruit, no meat. You have to fill in a declaration form. Take this seriously. They search all your bags, the big ones and your handluggage. I brought one banana thinking that this would not be considered. They wanted to fine me 500 US for it and they weren't joking. In the end and after a long discussion I didn't pay but had to fill in the form again declaring this one fruit. I also heard this from other travelers, so my case was no exception.
Happy travels and a wonderful time!
Saskia
Reply to this Thank you so much Saskia for this warning, bringing kids along, you never know what an 8 years old may be hidding in their belongings!!!! :-) I will definitely be careful with this issue, I rather expend the $500 in a sightseeing tour. By the way, I'm Argentine but also an American Citizen and a couple of years ago, landed in Santiago Chile to drive accross the Andes to Mendoza Argentina ( what an amazing trip )and to my surprise, I had to pay $100.00 for a visa to enter Chile, traveling with an U.S. passport!!! Be prepared!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!
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