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[rogerbid]

Hi,

I have been looking for ideas for economical ways to travel from BA to Cusco and hope someone here can help me. The alternatives are so many I really cannot narrow the choice down to a manageable few!

I will be travelling with 3 others (2 married couples) and will be finishing a cruise in BA on 28th March 2010. We will have approximately 2 weeks before we have to leave Santiago for the return to Australia. We plan to do the Inca Trail before we leave.

We are older than the average backpackers (50 - 60yo) but have travelled extensively in Europe and Canada and enjoy hostelling.

I had thought of stopping in La Paz and Cusco for a couple of days each to acclimatise to the altitude, but beyond that I have no real plans. We are keen to settle an itinerary soon so that we can book the trail and flights.

Our budget is not unlimited so economy is paramount, but without unlimited time available we have to choose reliable forms of transport etc! We are open to the idea of buses and trains where available, prefering to see the area than flying over it!

Can someone suggest a few ideas please?

Thanks,

Roger

[mmbcross]

You are in luck. Bus travel in South America can be some of the most luxurious transport you have ever experienced. Most long-distance buses offer either semi or fully reclining seats. When I say fully reclining, that is to say they actually become beds.

I suggest the following itinerary:
Fly Buenos Aires to Iguassu Falls

Then follow this route I just suggested to another traveller a few days ago:

Bus to Asuncion, then another bus from Asuncion to Resistencia in Argentina, then over the bridge to Corrientes across the Paraguay River.

Then a long dusty bus ride across the Chaco to Salta. Daily at 18:00 x 12 to 13 hours. Semi-sleeper.

Now you take the Argentine bus to La Quiaca (Departing at: 5:30 - 10:30 - 15:30 - 22:00 hours), then cross the border on foot to Villazon and pick up a Bolivian bus to Potosi (daily x 12 hours) where you would change buses for La Paz.

If you really want a thrill, take the railway from Villazon to Uyuni and Oruro, Runs four times weekly on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday (subject to change). Departs Villazon 3:30 pm. This is one of the few passenger railways left in South America. http://www.boliviahostels.com/howtoget/tren.php

Keep in mind a lot of people like to stay in Uyuni to visit the salt flats.

Regular daily buses from Oruro to La Paz,

From La Paz, you can continue to Cuzco via Lake Titicaca. I suggest you stay at least one night at Copacabana and visit Isla del Sol. Puno in Peru is a miserable place, though a visit to the floating Uros Islands is interesting.

From Cuzco come back south to Arequipa (you might want to look into the Cuzco to Arequipa railway for the return trip to make a change). Stay a night or two there. You may want to take a side trip to spectacular Colca Canyon to see the condors.

Then a direct bus from Arequipa to Santiago. Not much to see on the way, just lots of desert.

Hope this helps, and keep in touch if you need more information