Chile or Peru - contacts, experiences?

[Nin]

Hi all

Three of us considering an overland through Peru on 4 wheels.

Anyone on here have any contacts or experience that might help us get started?

Cheers aye

Nin

 

[Wapping]

Watch out for bears.

 

[richardbd]

Unless you’re a big fan of roadside rubbish, don’t visit the north. Dirtiest place I’ve ever seen…

 

[ThreeDawg]

Unless you’re a big fan of roadside rubbish, don’t visit the north. Dirtiest place I’ve ever seen…

Certainly on the Pan American. Stay away from the coast in Peru and it's fine.

Chile is easy to travel in, Peru has less tourism infrastructure but with a bit of planning it's fine. Driving standards are shocking in Peru, but you get used to it.

What sort of thing do you need to know? Horizons Unlimited probably has more info...

 

[Nin]

Thanks gents. Bottom line is three blokes in late 50s, reasonably competent travellers with reasonable amount of resources want to take 2-3 weeks to drive across some lesser trodden parts of Peru (or Chile), see some beautiful sights, have some adventures.

Preferably just the three of us, we’re not good company in organised groups.

So thoughts on routes, vehicle hire (or purchase or ship) places to see, places to avoid etc.

 

[Wapping]

So thoughts on routes, vehicle hire (or purchase or ship) places to see, places to avoid etc.

You missed, what to eat and where to sleep

 

[Northern jock]

Thanks gents. Bottom line is three blokes in late 50s, reasonably competent travellers with reasonable amount of resources want to take 2-3 weeks to drive across some lesser trodden parts of Peru (or Chile), see some beautiful sights, have some adventures.

Preferably just the three of us, we’re not good company in organised groups.

So thoughts on routes, vehicle hire (or purchase or ship) places to see, places to avoid etc.

We are wondering about a similar trip as heading east to Mongolia seems no more likely next spring than it has for the last 4. I will post up anything decent I find but in the meantime, will await posts but those that know.
Horizons Unlimited always good.
Another option I haven't ruled out is shipping our Hilux to Namibia, ferries go regularly, few weeks there then home again. But, I've been round there a fair bit so S.A. might be better.

 

[ThreeDawg]

If shipping I would definitely start in Chile - vehicle can go to Valparaiso while you fly in to Santiago. Highly unlikely that would make economic sense though for such a short trip.

We enjoyed our first ride there - Santiago then north to the Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia and then down to Puerto Puyahuapi in northern Patagonia and back to Santiago criss crossing the Andes. That was six weeks though.

 

[wilbjr21]

We are wondering about a similar trip as heading east to Mongolia seems no more likely next spring than it has for the last 4. I will post up anything decent I find but in the meantime, will await posts but those that know.
Horizons Unlimited always good.
Another option I haven't ruled out is shipping our Hilux to Namibia, ferries go regularly, few weeks there then home again. But, I've been round there a fair bit so S.A. might be better.

I've been to South America twice - shipping my own bike to Buenos Aires, recruiting the help of the wonderful Sandra and Javier from Dakar Motors for the import procedures and Insurance.

I've always used air freight because you know exactly (more or less) when your bike will arrive - I appreciate this is impossible with a car.

The good thing is, you are allowed three months in each country and you just have to hop over a border and back to get another three months.

I completely agree with richardbd about the state of the Pan American in Peru ......... plastic bottles etc. everywhere.

Some Police in Peru are corrupt and will try it on.

All medical treatment in Argentina is free to all (visitors included).

Carretera Austral is beautiful.

 

[Nin]

You missed, what to eat and where to sleep

That’ll come later

 

[Nin]

Excellent info gents, many thanks. Keep it coming.

I’ll look at HU as well, not been on there for a while.

 

[richardbd]

Thanks gents. Bottom line is three blokes in late 50s, reasonably competent travellers with reasonable amount of resources want to take 2-3 weeks to drive across some lesser trodden parts of Peru (or Chile), see some beautiful sights, have some adventures.

Preferably just the three of us, we’re not good company in organised groups.

So thoughts on routes, vehicle hire (or purchase or ship) places to see, places to avoid etc.

Based on what I saw riding from Colombia to Tierra del Fuego last year, I'd opt for Chile and Argentina over Peru, unless you're keen on seeing the Amazon. Happy to share some more details if you PM me

 

[John RTW]

This is my idea if you want to do a four wheel adventure over in Chile/Peru.

Fly into Santiago, hire a truck head south, taking in some small towns/villages on the way south. Stay in the Lake/Volcano District, then down to Puerto Montt, nip over to Chiloé from there you can get a ferry across to the Carretera Austral or go back to PM to get on the CA. After this back to Santiago fly to San Pedro, do the touristy backpacker thing, bus to Antofagasta then fly to Peru, hire a truck from there and get moving. I see you only have three weeks, I'd stick with maybe one country and enjoy it a little more. You can cross into Argentina with a hire car but it normal costs about $100 to do it. Remember the seasons are reversed so it could be a bit snowy, wet and chilly in Chile if you pick the wrong time.

Chile is a narrow country but very long so getting from A - B can take a while, also lots of tolls on the highway if you take that, it's more of a picturesque country. Peru (also picturesque) has more of a must see visit schedule with loads of Inca history, Machu Pichu being number one and a must see, this will take a few days to negotiate.

 

[ThreeDawg]

Based on what I saw riding from Colombia to Tierra del Fuego last year, I'd opt for Chile and Argentina over Peru, unless you're keen on seeing the Amazon. Happy to share some more details if you PM me

Just stay off the Pan Am and it's all good. In Peru there is loads of great stuff - Duck Canyon, Cuzco (a delight) Machu Picchu, Colca Canyon, Three Canyons, Ollantaytambo is fun base for MP, Nazca lines, Lake Titicaca etc etc.

Did I mention stay off the Pan American!

 

[Clem]

Coincidentally these guys (https://www.motoaventurachile.cl/) loading up some Adventure bikes in my hotel car park in Antofagasta last night.
I suspect that this is the end point of one of their Atacama tours as from here south to Santiago there’s nothing much to see.
The drive up to San Pedro de Atacama is about 3.5 hours in the hire car and about a fiver in tolls with about 15 bends in the whole drive!
San Pedro and the surrounding area is worth a visit, route 1 along the coast has some interesting stretches, but other than that northern Chile is straight roads, lots of desert and some Llamas.

 

[gspod]

How low can we go.

A few people have asked me to do this RR so I’ll do my best but please bear with me, I’m not particularly computer literate. At the end of August 2022 my wife (A) and I (D) flew ourselves and our bikes from Paris to Montreal. With no real time limit but a finite amount of money and a poor track...

www.ukgser.com

Skip to the end for Chile.

For 3 weeks in/on a vehicle I would follow John RTW’s advice and stick to Chile or more precisely Patagonia.
PM me if you want some more info.

 

[Old Den]

How low can we go.

A few people have asked me to do this RR so I’ll do my best but please bear with me, I’m not particularly computer literate. At the end of August 2022 my wife (A) and I (D) flew ourselves and our bikes from Paris to Montreal. With no real time limit but a finite amount of money and a poor track...

www.ukgser.com

Skip to the end for Chile.

For 3 weeks in/on a vehicle I would follow John RTW’s advice and stick to Chile or more precisely Patagonia.
PM me if you want some more info.

Having spent a fair time working and travelling in SA some tears ago I would give Peru a miss and head south to Chile and Patigonia . Enjoy

 

[John RTW]

Clem, I'm in Antofagasta at the moment, I live just south of the port, which is about 3 km from the Hotel Enjoy. The Mrs is off to do a talk in San Pedro for a couple of days so if you fancy popping around up for a cuppa, give us a shout.

 

[Clem]

Clem, I'm in Antofagasta at the moment, I live just south of the port, which is about 3 km from the Hotel Enjoy. The Mrs is off to do a talk in San Pedro for a couple of days so if you fancy popping around up for a cuppa, give us a shout.

Life is full of coincidences! I'll be finishing work early Friday so if you're around Friday late afternoon, early evening then I'd love to meet up.
I'm flying out early Saturday am, but will be back again in late November for 2 or 3 weeks again, working at our factory in La Negra again.

 

[John RTW]

Sounds good, I'll put the kettle on.