There are no regular passenger services from the UK or
Europe to Central or South America. If you have the
time and money, it's possible to cross the Atlantic from
Southampton to New York with Cunard, catch an Amtrak train
from New York to New Orleans then somewhere like El Paso,
followed by buses down through Mexico. See the United
States page for more information. Alternatively, some
freight ships have a limited number of passenger places, and
there may be the occasional cruise. For these, the
best place to start your research is:
Unlike Europe or even parts of
Asia and Africa, Central and South America simply does not have a
developed international rail network. International
train services are almost non-existent, and most journeys
must generally be made by long-distance bus or plane.
There are InterCity services on quite a number of routes,
run by various different operators. Trains in
Argentina are experiencing something of a revival, since the
government intends to re-establish long-distance passenger
trains between all major cities. For information, see
www.sateliteferroviario.com.ar/horarios/ (in Spanish
only), which has info on all Argentinean train services.
One of the largest operators is Ferrobaires,
www.ferrobaires.gba.gov.ar.
Traveller's report: Travelling on Argentinean
trains...
Traveller Ian Hunter reports: "
In October 2006 I made several long train journeys in
Argentina and Chile. Argentinean trains are a superb way
to get to know the country and its people. It's not the
third world but don't expect European standards of
comfort, but something in between.
Buenos Aires - Bahia
Blanca - Carmen de Patagones: The train leaves B.A. at quite
respectable speeds but becomes progressively slower as the
track deteriorates! Most of Argentina is very
sparsely populated and there is an amazing sense of space
and distance, of travelling to places uncontaminated by
mass tourism. The different classes of car have
similar seats of acceptable quality though often a bit
shabby. Plenty of legroom and better than buses, but
if you ride in the non air-conditioned cars the main
problem is dust. South of Bahia Blanca the track is
very rough. There is a reliable supply of coffee, beer and
sandwiches for most of the journey. Note: It
was reported in
September 2007 as no longer operating between Bahia Blanca
and Carmen de Patagones, but
www.sateliteferroviario.com.ar/horarios/patagones.htm
&
www.ferrobaires.gba.gov.ar/ show one train a week
operating, with a warning about disruption due to
locomotive shortages - if you have any more info
please email me.
Carmen de Patagones - Viedma - C. de Bariloche:
Viedma is across the river
by small ferry from Carmen de Patagones, but no same day
connection is possible so you need a night in a hotel.
The 'tren patagonico' from Viedma to C. de Bariloche is tremendous fun and
thoroughly recommended! Comfy secure sleeping cars (solo
travellers are given a compartment to themselves and a key
to lock it), excellent dining car serves steaks and wine,
good company and wonderful Patagonian scenery in the
morning. Excellent value, and you can buy the
tickets in advance in Buenos Aires at Gallerias Rio Negro
on Reconquista.
Onwards to Chile: It is easy to travel by
day from Bariloche by bus to Osorno or Puerto Montt in
Southern Chile. Passenger trains only operate south of
Santiago but the quality, frequency, and speed of Chilean
passenger trains is very good. Comparable with Western
Europe, in fact most of the rolling stock is imported from
Spain, clean, modern, well maintained......and probably
the only really good track in South America! At the time
of my visit services were suspended between Victoria and
Temuco due to storm damage but there were plentiful buses
covering this section in a couple of hours.
Buenos
Aires - Cordoba: I returned from Cordoba
to B.A. by train on a route over which passenger service
has recently been restored. The usual awful Argentine
track, but another nice train with good service, sleeping
and dining cars, quite acceptable seating cars and
friendly crew and passengers.
"As in North America, people
travel on the long distance trains in Argentina because they
like travelling by train and dislike buses or flying. This
creates a very convivial atmosphere in which the journey
becomes a worthwhile experience for its own sake. It
means the trains are busy so buy your ticket a day or two in
advance if possible, especially if you want a sleeping car
berth. The trains are cheaper than buses, so popular with
students and young people. After years of decline,
decay and neglect there is a political initiative to restore
long distance trains, but progress is slow in rehabilitating
track and rolling stock. There are reports that the 'Trans-Andino'
line between Mendoza and Santiago de Chile will be operating
again by 2010. I f this happens I would love to return to
travel on it. The experience of train travel is unique
in each country, and somehow manages to capture so much of a
nation's character, but buses and planes are the same
everywhere!"
Traveller Stephen Hugget
reports from 2008:
I travelled on the Viedma
to Bariloche train 'tren patagonico' in January on a ticket
I bought locally, which involved a great deal of pot luck...
There is no mechanism for online ticket purchase and any
emails to the website result in asking for payment for
reservations by Western Union. I resisted the temptation to
part with £25 plus an additional £12 for the pleasure of
transferring the money and was rewarded by an outstanding 18
hours in economy for £4. The experience was no worse
that getting a train into Cannon Street in the rush hour, it
just lasted longer! However, your webpage suggests that the
above Camen de Patagones to Bahia Blanca line is closed.
The tourist office in Viedma where I managed to get my
ticket in January 2008 insists you can still get from Buenos
Aires to Carmen by train along the line via Bahia
Blanca.... although I didn't ultimately use the line the
lady in the shop was adamant that it is open.
Above: The WaraWara slow train from Tupiza to
Oruro. Photo courtesy of 's'
There are a few train services in Bolivia, operated by two
train companies, eastern (www.ferroviariaoriental.com) and western (www.fca.com.bo).
The western network is more tourist-orientated, with trains
from Oruro to Tupiza. There are two types of train,
the expresso and WaraWara (the slower train makes more
stops). There are 3 or 4 classes, 'ejecutivo' being
the best. It can get very cold in the train, with
trips in both directions mainly made at night. There
is also a working branch line to Calama in Chile but this
only runs rarely perhaps once a week. The main line
form Oruro to Tupiza runs almost daily.
In the east of Bolivia, the rail hub is Santa Cruz, and
trains go east to the Brazilian border and South to the
Argentine border. There is a train every day from
Santa Cruz east to Puerto Suarez. However, there are a
mix of services. There is a normal train that locals
take and takes the longest. There is an express train. And
there is an expensive and fast ferrobus which is a modern
railcar, fare about 150 bolivianos per person. Different
services go on different days but every day there is some
service eastbound. Tickets can only be bought the day
of departure at the train ticket counter (train and bus
stations are together), which opens at 08:00 but the queue
starts to form earlier. The service south to
Villamontes has similar service and a complicated schedule
and goes almost every day. The train is comfortable
and for the eastbound journey pretty much the only way to go
overland. There is no website or anything else pretty
much you just find things out when you arrive in Santa Cruz.
Intercity services operate on
one route, from Vitoria to Belo Horizonte. This train
is cheaper and more comfortable than a bus. It leaves
daily at 07:30 from each terminus and arrives at its
destination around 19:30-20:00. Fares are also cheaper
compared to buses. The train has three classes,
"Executivo" is the best with AC and aircraft-style seating
with a decent amount of legroom. There's a restaurant
car, although the food does not get good reports.
Operated by the most prosperous freight railway in Brazil,
the journey is very scenic and it's a pleasant way to spend
a day. The train information part of their website is
www.vale.com/vale_us/cgi/cgilua.exe/sys/start.htm?infoid=152&sid=66
(the English version appears to omit the train info, so
stick with Portuguese and remember that 'preços' is prices
and 'horarios' means 'timetables').
Cafe &
seating on the Vitoria-Belo Horizonte (Minas) train
Photos courtesy of Jorge Degrazia Sarturi
The other operating train is a steam
tourist oriented train but it offers transport in between two
important Brazilian tourist towns, Sao Jao del Rei and
Tiradentes. The steam train makes a nice alternative to
the bus. The trip takes an hour and is about 20km. It runs
daily leaving Sao Jao del Rei at 10:00 and returning in the
afternoon. The train ticket gives free entry to the train
museum at the station in Sao Jao del Rei. Internet info:
www.antt.gov.br/destaques/anexos/TremDelreiTiradentes.htm.
There is now no train service at all
between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. There's a list of
all Brazilian train services (regular and tourist-orientated)
at
www.antt.gov.br/destaques/TrensDePassageiros.asp.
Chile has some good InterCity
services, with sleeping-cars and restaurant cars. The Chilean state railways official
website (in Spanish only) is
www.efe.cl.
For train times, fares and routes in English, see the
excellent unofficial site,
www.geocities.com/flairck.geo/efe/ (though not working
as at August 2006).
The famous 445km Quito to Guayaquil
railway no longer runs from end to end, but parts of this
route are open with occasional train services. A
tourist train called the Chiva Express runs 4 times a week
from Quito to El Boliche (45km)(there's also a mixed
freight/passenger train 3 times a week). Another
tourist train runs 3 times a week from Riobamba to Alausi,
and yet another from Huigra to Bucay with bus connection to
Guayaquil. See
www.efe.gov.ec. If you have any feedback,
please email me.
Mexico used to have a good train
service linking all major cities, using restaurant cars,
sleeping-cars and observation cars, many inherited from the
USA. Sadly, the Mexican government pulled the plug on almost
all long-distance passenger train service just a few years
ago, and buses and
planes are now the only way to get around Mexico. A
couple of very minor service exist in certain areas,
including the famous scenic 'Copper Canyon' service.
For a summary of remaining Mexican train services see
www.mexlist.com/pass.htm.
Mexico's Copper Canyon Train from Chihuahua to Los Mochis
The famous Copper Canyon train from Los Mochis
to Chihuahua deserves a special mention. It runs
daily. In fact, there are two trains, the first class
train with reclining seats, bar & restaurant car
leaving both Los Mochis and Chihuahua at 06:00 and arriving
around 20:45 that night, and the economy train leaving at
07:00 and arriving 01:30 that night. The fare is 854
pesos (around £24/$70) economy class train, 1708 pesos
(£85/$140) on the 1st class train. The distance is
653km 408 miles). For information on the
Copper Canyon train service see
www.chepe.com.mx/ing_html/index.html. There's
no online booking, but their website gives phone numbers and
email addresses.
Above:
An armed guard on the Copper Canyon train...
Photo courtesy of
Graham Norman
Above: Superb
scenery on Mexico's Copper Canyon train.
Photos courtesy of Graham
Norman.
Traveller Graham Norman
reports: "We took Amtrak's Sunset Limited from
Houston to Tucson and then a bus down to Los Mochis.
Although the Copper Canyon train starts there, we took a
taxi to the next stop at El Fuerte and stayed the night.
We joined the Primera Express at El Fuerte at about 9am and
travelled to Bahuichivo, where we spent a night at a lodge
on the Canyon’s rim. We picked up the train the following
day at 1pm and travelled to Creel where we spent two nights
(there’s plenty to see). We took the last stage of the
train from Creel, at 4pm, arriving in Chihuahua around 9pm.
Many people use the bus from Creel as it’s quicker and the
scenery from the train not so spectacular. We took a
bus back to the US border at El Paso and travelled on the
Amtrak train back to Houston. I used a local agency
called 3 Amigos (www.amigos3.com)
to book the train for us (although there are other
agencies), but we paid for the tickets on board. They
also booked the Copper Canyon hotels for us and the taxi
from Los Mochis to El Fuerte. I booked the Amtrak (www.amtrak.com),
hotels in the US and Chihuahua on the internet. The
Copper Canyon train was a very memorable experience and the
scenery was spectacular. Although most passengers on
the Primera Express train were tourists, it doesn't feel
like a tourist train and I assume the other daily train, the
Clase Economica, is more for local people. There were
armed guards on the train and in Creel but we never felt
threatened at any stage.
The Panama Canal Railway
provides one daily train between Ciudad Panama and Colon on
Mondays-Fridays. It leaves Ciudad de Panama at 07:15
on Mondays-Fridays only, arriving Colon at 08:15. It
leaves Colon Mondays-Fridays only at 17:15 arriving back in
Panama City at 18:15. It has air-conditioned Executive
class coaches with refreshments available. The new
station for Panama City is in the northern suburb of
Allbrook, not far from the domestic airport - the old
station in Panama City is now a MacDonald's..! The
distance is 77 km (48 miles). See
www.panarail.com for info.
There are few operational trains in Uruguay, and a suburban
service has restarted in Montevideo.
About this page...
This page is still being
developed. If you have any information, photos, web
links, that would be relevant to travellers (not railway
enthusiasts, but regular travellers) in South America,
please
e-mail me.
The Thomas Cook European Timetable
The
Thomas Cook Overseas timetable
is probably
the most adventurous timetable ever produced... It has train, bus and ferry time
for all of
Central and South America, plus North America, Australia, New
Zealand, Asia and Africa. It is published every two
months. No serious overland traveller should be without
it..!
It costs £13.99 from the bureau de change in any branch of Thomas Cook, or
buy the latest
edition online at
www.thomascooktimetables.com.
It can be ordered by phone on 01733 416477 (+44 1733 416477
from outside the UK).
To
get the most out of your trip to South America, you'll need a
decent guidebook. For the serious independent
traveller this means either the Lonely Planet or the Rough
Guide. Both guides have everything you need - plenty
of background historical and cultural information, plus
practical information.
A good guidebook like the Lonely Planet or
Rough Guides will point you at some good hotels in each town
or city when you get there, or you
can pre-book hotels using
www.hotelscombined.com, just use the search box
below. This is not a hotel booking website, but a free search tool
which checks all the main hotel booking sites for you (AsiaRooms,
Opodo, Expedia, Travelocity, LateRooms and many others) to
find the cheapest hotel rates on the net. Set up in
2005, it's an amazing system and probably the best place to
start for booking any hotel online in any country, worldwide.
Travel insurance is boring, but a necessity, so don't
travel without it. Make sure you get adequate cover, at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover,
from a reliable insurer. It should also cover
cancellation and loss of cash (up to a limit) and belongings.
An annual
multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip
policies even for just 2 or 3 trips
a year (I have an annual policy myself). Here are some suggested insurers.
Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy after clicking these
links.
Overland travel by train & bus
around South America is an essential part of the experience,
so once there, don't cheat and fly, stay on the ground!
But a long-haul flight might be unavoidable to reach SA in
the first place. For flights to
South America, start with
Opodo.com. Opodo is a flight-booking site started by
a consortium of airlines and Amadeus, and it's normally
where I start looking for a flight myself. Seat61 gets a small commission through this link.
If you're a UK resident, try
If
you're resident in
Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try
If you're resident in the USA or Canada, try