South America travel guides

South America stays remarkably affordable if you accept long overnight buses instead of internal flights. The Andes dictate the calendar: dry season from May to September for Peru and Bolivia, and the opposite window for Patagonia, where December to February is the only reliable stretch. Colombia and Argentina give the best food-to-cost ratio on the continent.

Daily budgets: Backpackers about $35 a day, mid-range $105, luxury $340 and up. Run your own numbers →