South America - S. America July/August

My Husband and I just won two tickets to anywhere in South America, but we need to use them no later than Aug. 31, 2011.

We already have a large trip planned for February of this year so we are trying to come up with a fun, economical itinerary for S. America.

Thinking 5-7 days. Would prefer to get out of the city and enjoy some of the country. **Neither of us speak spanish, but are well traveled and used to getting around in foreign countries. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!

SA is very diverse and can suit many different preferences.
Out of the city, 5-7 days, probably Chilean Patagonia - Torres del Paine. Or Cuzco & Machu Picchu. Pantanal in Brazil for wildlife lovers.

Out of the city, 5-7 days, probably Chilean Patagonia - Torres del Paine.

In July? :o

Draw a line from Santiago to Buenos Aires, and stay no further south.

Any airline? To anywhere at all? Or just the major cities servied by the major airlines (with any addiitional flying being at your cost)? If you need to take a specific airline, that could greatly narrow your options (and give posters more to go on).

I loved Patagonia, but it'd be winter, and 5-7 days, including roundtrip flights, could be cutting it tight. Pantanal a little more feasible in terms of weather (I think it'd be dry season), but time-consuming (multiple flights-- to Campo Grande or Cuiaba--, then need to get to the areas where there are tours). I wouldn't necessarily rule it out but needs investigating.

You mention only Spanish. You've ruled out Brazil? If you can take TAM or Delta, you can easily get to Manaus on the Amazon River (non-stop from Miami on TAM or from Atlanta on Delta; on other airlines, an additional stop or more required), and then take a short boat tour and/or stay at a "jungle lodge." Buenos Aires or Montevideo and close-by country areas could be feasible, and those countries shoudl have lower costs than Brazil (where the costs often surprise tourists).

Or, how about flying to Lima, then a connecting flight to Cusco, and then by bus or train to Machu Picchu (assuming the roads and/or train tracks are repaired by now)? Personally, I'd avoid Venezuela due to the political situation there, but others might well disagree.

Remember that August is prime vacation season in Europe, so if you go that month, and are gong anywhere easily accessible from Europe (e.g., Rio, Buenos Aires, Salvador, Recife), book accommodations in advance.

Thanks all. It is Delta so anywhere they fly is an option.

Do you like wine? Wine tasting in Chile might be an option. Plus you could throw in a couple of days skiing in the Andes

Do you want a winter destination like Buenos Aires. Or stay with somewhere warm like Central or Northern Brazil. Now Rio can be rainy in winter time though.

I like the Peru idea as well as the wine tour in Chile. I'm also not a big fan of the cold so somewhere warm in Brazil might be nice as well. The Amazon idea is intriguing, but not sure I want to do that tropical/muggy.

So far I'm really leaning toward Peru since I like the idea of the train to Machu Pichu. Would Paracas be worth visiting in August? Only asking because they have a Doubletree there and I have plenty of points I could use. One forum I was reading suggested a day trip to Huacachina for a tour to the wineries and bodegas. Just not clear on how we’d get from Paracas to Cusco to catch the train to Machu Pichu. I see this trip extending a few days. :)

I've been hesitant to make suggestions as I don't know how much you might want to spend (if anything) for transport to/from the DL cities.

I like the Peru idea as well as the wine tour in Chile. I'm also not a big fan of the cold so somewhere warm in Brazil might be nice as well. The Amazon idea is intriguing, but not sure I want to do that tropical/muggy.



"somewhere warm in Brazil" does not mean Sao Paulo or further South.

Remember, when you are in Brazil in July and August, it is Winter in Brazil. Often one can get lucky and find a fairly warm day (65 - 70 degrees) but most nights are chilly.

Considering you like warm weather, remember that in Brazil, even nice hotels do not have heaters. This means, you will need plenty of blankets in the hotels and jackets and/or sweaters when you go out walking - day or night.

You said you do not speak Spanish. I assume you also do not speak Portuguese which is spoken in Brazil. You will not encounter many people who speak English in Brazil.

Since you have only so little time, you might want to consider Recife. It is very near Olinda which was voted "the first Capital of Culture in Brazil".

Recife is warmer than Southern Brazil and there is a fair amount to see and do for five to seven days.

Check out this web address:

http://www.recifeguide.com/olinda/

Good luck on choosing a destination.
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economical itinerary for S. America.
For economical scratch Brazil, it's way to expensive there now.

We were in Peru last August and had an amazing time.

We were in Cusco and the Sacred Valley most of the time. We took the train from Olly to MP, it was about an hour and half to get there.

It is very economical, in Cusco and Olly we spent less than $100 US per night and the hotels were nice.

Percy was our guide and did an amazing job for us for a couple of days.

Economical Peru sounds good. From what I can see Argentina would be more. I'm sure I could find this somewhere else too, but any idea on how much per day we could anticipate in Argentina?

Economical Peru sounds good. From what I can see Argentina would be more. I'm sure I could find this somewhere else too, but any idea on how much per day we could anticipate in Argentina?

What has turned into the biggest expense in Argentina is lodging. Otherwise, it remains a quite affordable place to visit. (Lodging prices can be quite variable, too, but you are going during an off-peak time.)

What has turned into the biggest expense in Argentina is lodging. Otherwise, it remains a quite affordable place to visit. (Lodging prices can be quite variable, too, but you are going during an off-peak time.)

If they go to Buenos Aires they could rent an apartment for one week;
Unless you absolutely want to see snow and cold I would stick to the big cities with some side trips.
Santiago is good for that. Temps are milder near the coast and you can do some day trips to wine country (vines will be empty), Viñas del Mar and maybe even a quick day skiing. Santiago though is underwhelming.
Buenos Aires is amazing during winter/summer or any other time; There are some nice day trips to Colonia and even an overnight to Montevideo; You could do an overnight to Iguazu;
Bariloche is great in the winter but you need to fly as is Mendoza in the north; internal flights in Argentina are expensive.

If you go to Buenos Aires, stay in an apartment (search the threads here; we have talked about apartments in the past) and enjoy the amazing food, great cafes, European ambiance, museums and some unique people watching.
This is will be relatively inexpensive and one week is enough time.

In Brazil, Delta flies to Brasilia, Rio and Sao Paulo, and Manaus (so, for example, you could go to the Amazon, where it's never cool and dry, but where it's most hot and humid in December through perhaps March). Rio shouldn't be bad in terms of temp, but could be wet. You don't define budget, cheap, etc., so no telling what you can afford. Brazil is indeed more expensive than other countris in the region, and distances are great. Buenos Aires or Santiago sound good, though the latter can be nippy (and smoggy) in the winter. Maybe you should first look at a Delta route map, think of how much additional flying (if any) you want to do, look at average temps on www.weather.com and then ask about specifics. It's an awfully big continent, and without knowing more about your budget, tolerance for temps, interests, etc., hard to suggest.

And also ask Delta about the likelinhood of getting a flight to specific places. What kind of award or pass do you have? I assume it's not a "buddy pass," since you say it's to anywhere in South America. If you have to fly stand-by, you want to have good chances of getting there (and back!) and not be faced with losing deposits (and, on the return, paying for a one-way flight).

Also, check school vacation periods. For example, there are some holiday periods in July in Brazil. It sounds like you're pretty flexible, so you can check prices for hotels (and # of empty seats on flights) for different dates.

For just a week, and with the possibility of leaving the city to spend time in the country, I wouldn't personally go through the hassle of renting an apartment. If you can't afford hotel prices in Buenos Aires (or pehaps Montevideo, which is close by and a little quieter, you probably can't afford hotels in Santiago, and certainly not Rio.

Do factor in any reciprocity fee or visa costs if applicable to your nationality/passport. If you are carrying US passports, this can add US$280 to the cost of the trip for the two of you. For Brazil it will mean the cost plus applying for a visa before you travel.
At that time of year, it will be high season for visiting Cusco/Machu Picchu as it is the dry season and the best time to see it. But it will involve flights from Lima. Unless you are going to stick to the capital of a country, you are probably going to need an internal flight to get to the best sights.

Some guide books to the continent, such as Lonely Planet and Rough Guide, should have some budget-oriented suggestions and even if you don't buy the book you could leaf through it at a bookstore (and maybe buy one just for the area you decide to visit). Offhand, I'd consider either Buenos Aires (with excursions out of the city, such as to smaller towns and maybe wineries, and even Montevideo) or Manaus (if you take boat and jungle tours; the city of Manaus itself is nothing great), but you have lots of options.