South America - Torres del Paine - Punta Arenas

A quick question has anyone been to Torres del Paine from Punta Arenas?

I want to spend the longest day in Punta Arenas. At the same time I have always wanted to go to Torres del Paine. The plan was to go to PUQ for a couple of nights, say 21st to 23rd December.

Is it feasible to stretch the trip a couple of days, get the bus up to Torres del Paine, have a nose around, stay the night and go back to PUQ.

I just had a look and it seems to be a 7 hours drive from PUQ which kinda answers my own question. That aside, has anyone done it?

I was down there last summer (Jan) and made the bus trip Punta Arenas-Puerto Natales-Torres. Took the 8am bus up and had lunch in Natales and got to Lago Grey about 4:30. Depends on how long of a day you want. It did say light out until about 10pm.

If you're looking for food in Punta the best I had there was at La Marmita Bistro.

Great info thanks
now maybe I will try to get there and possibly spend a night there

It's been a few years since we've gone. We rented a car. I remember it as a 6 hour drive or so. It was a long and boring road with very little scenery til you get close to Torres del Paine. The best enroute scenery was a penguin colony a few miles off the road. There was a boardwalk you could hike admidst the colony. It was very special to see the penguins coming in from the water, going to their burrows, and protecting their young.

Booked for 3 nights! Thanks for the help guys, we'll see of we have the gusto to do the Torres del Paine trip on day 2

I'm headed there in November, so I can tell you more then. :)

It does seem like most folks would be happiest with a rental car. That said, I've been looking at Punta Arenas car rental prices and I'm a little shocked (of course, in the US, flyertalkers are usually outraged if we have to pay $30/day). If you're not going into Argentina, there are very attractive prepaid prices on the Alamo UK website. The problem is that, in my experience with Alamo in Puerto Montt, they are not reliable (they may not have a car for you) and that would make me hesitant to prepay for their services. The Alamo website says they charge $300 for the papers that will get you into Argentina, and that would negate the savings if you're headed that way.

Torres de Paine accomodations seem generally overpriced, but tripadvisor can probably steer you to the best options. People like to review their Torres de Paine lodging, so there's plenty of current info -- something you won't get in the guidebooks.

Another day, another country, another car rental discussion with IAHPHX

I have rented cars a few times in Chile from Valdivia and Puerto Varas. They have been dirt cheap from independent companies, although the CLP is a lot stronger now.

In terms of papers, I have always been told that you just have to ask and they give them to you. $300 seems ridiculous to me. Last time I rented I had no idea, drove up the Andes to the Chilean border and got turned back. This time I am determined to go for lunch in San Carlos de Bariloche, but obviously that will be a different car when we drive back to Los Lagos

I have a woman on the case for me, I will ask her to put in some calls to agents in PUQ and share info if she comes up with anything good

Yeah, Johnny, we seem to follow each other around. :)

As a Norteamericano, I am burdened by my inability to drive manual transmission vehicles (I know, I should learn, but nobody I know has one -- and it's essentially a useless skill in the USA). Getting an automatic is very difficult in Argentina, but easier in Chile. Still, not everyone has one, and it definitely limits my bargaining position.

Cars are definitely more expensive in Punta Arenas than elsewhere in Chile and that, of course, makes sense. That said, if I drove stick, I'd probably make some backup reservation and try negotiating a lower price upon arrival. I actually had to do this one in Puerto Montt, when Alamo didn't have the automatic car I reserved.

This strategy might not work so well for driving into Argentina, though, because everyone says (not sure it's true) that it takes a couple days for the paperwork (I guess you could drive around Chile first, and then wait to cross into Argentina later).

I think EVERY car rental agency in Chile will charge you to take a car into Argentina because they need the special permit and Argentine insurance. It seems like most agencies charge between $100 and $150 for this (so probably not worth it for a day trip). As you experienced, you can't get into Argentina without the paperwork. A long time ago, I was staying in Puyehue and thought I'd drive across for a nice steak dinner. I didn't know the rules and, needless to say, I didn't get past the border. :)

Let me know what you find. Thanks.

Y

I think EVERY car rental agency in Chile will charge you to take a car into Argentina because they need the special permit and Argentine insurance. It seems like most agencies charge between $100 and $150 for this (so probably not worth it for a day trip). As you experienced, you can't get into Argentina without the paperwork. A long time ago, I was staying in Puyehue and thought I'd drive across for a nice steak dinner. I didn't know the rules and, needless to say, I didn't get past the border. :)



I certainly cannot blame the car rental agencies in Chile from wanting the extra charge. You figure they lose 1 out of every how many hundred rentals with cars never to be found again.

As far as rentals, I've rented a lot of cars in Chile. I usually rent from Econorent. They are getting a lot better in making sure that an automatic is available. Usually, you get a Yaris. With the price of bencina in Chile, I'm glad to have a small car.

I've been to Punta Arenas 3 or 4 times. I've never driven to Torres del Paine. In fact, the last time I just decided to hire a driver to take 3 of us to Seno Otway because of the price of the car rental v. having someone else do the drive.