Bus, Chile to Argentina

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malbec1947

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San Pedro de Atacama Chile, to Salta, Argentina Bus travel: Does anyone have experience, information or advice?
Thanks
 
Can't comment on anything west of San Antonio de los Cobres (if that is the route you plan to take), but we did the stretch from San Antonio to Salta in mid October on a bus tour to the Train to the Clouds. It was quite comfortable and only took three hours. Note, though, that Salta's rainy season runs from December to March, and those rivers fill up. Indeed, rain was forecast on the day of our trip, and a scheduled stop during the return had to be skipped in order to get ahead of a potential road closure further down towards Salta.
 
Alby said:
Can't comment on anything west of San Antonio de los Cobres (if that is the route you plan to take), but we did the stretch from San Antonio to Salta in mid October on a bus tour to the Train to the Clouds. It was quite comfortable and only took three hours. Note, though, that Salta's rainy season runs from December to March, and those rivers fill up. Indeed, rain was forecast on the day of our trip, and a scheduled stop during the return had to be skipped in order to get ahead of a potential road closure further down towards Salta.
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Thank you for the response. We will be traveling mid March. Trying to pick up advice before we go. Currently in US
 
SlowWalker said:
Where are you currently?
I would suggest you go to Santiago.
From there it seems like its a 24 hour bus ride.
It is relatively close to Antofogasta though.
Maybe fly to Santiago then from Santiago to Antofogasta.
Don't forget to check JetSmart for flights from Santiago to Antofagasta in case they don't show up on Kayak or the like.

https://www.checkmybus.com.ar/antofagasta-an/san-pedro-de-atacama-an
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Currently in US. Visiting northern Chile first then working our way to Salta, then Buenos Aires. Thanks
 
Don’t eat anything remotely risky before travelling.
18 hours on a bus with a severe dose of the shits is not a pleasant experience I can assure you.
 
I never traveled that route, but I frequently use buses for short and mid-range trips.

In case you don't know, this site sells tickets for most bus lines in Argentina https://www.centraldepasajes.com.ar/

In there I see that the route you are interested in is served by Andesmar, and takes 10.5 hrs...$40 usd...The only service offered is "semicama", lingo for a reclining seat....it is probably just a single-deck bus. I would have preferred a "cama" service for a trip this long, which is again a seat but that can recline much further to almost horizontal.

The bus line itself, Andesmar, is good. I used them for other routes and I think they are fine, average for bus service in Argentina. I would expect a newish bus, hopefully with functioning ac. Beware that the schedules posted (in particular for your case the arrival time) are always subject to some delay, so don't plan on a tight transfer in Salta

Another story could be your fellow travelers. I don't know what is going on with people but seems that everybody loves to send/receive audio whatsapp messages all the time. Bring something for your ears.

good luck!
 
This was many moons ago, so YMMV. Bus schedules depend on weather conditions. I had to postpone by a couple of days, because the pass (Jama) was closed. If you are heading out now, this shouldn't be an issue. Trip takes around 8 - 9 hours, with roughly one hour spent at the border post. It can be freezing up there, and you'll spend some time outside waiting for your turn. No services onboard apart from one bathroom in the back, so bring plenty to drink and a lunch. Scenery spectacular, but altitude sickness is a thing. We had one guy pass out near Paso de Jama. Ironically, one of the locals; but he came to it pretty soon after. Bus driver didn't seem to care. Overall, it was worth the experience, but I wouldn't do it again anytime soon ;)
 
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