Tren a las Nubes tips

[amylund]

Does anyone have tips for 3 days in Salta and whether you can stay at any othe stops on the

Tren a las Nubes​

 

[elhombresinnombre]

Things may have changed since we last visited Salta in (I think) 2019. We did everything by public transport and used tours organised on the spot when we were in the city though you would probably have more flexibility if you were using your own car. There's lots to see and do in Salta without even leaving the city - check out the local guias touristicas and look out for concert programmes and other performances - Salta is quite a centre for culture. Oh. And I hope you like dogs...

The Tren a las Nubes tour starts from the railway station in Salta at some unbelievably early time in the morning but, unless it's changed, you will be getting onto a bus outside the railway station and traveling under escort to San Antonio de los Cobres where the train trundles some 20km or so up to the viaduct and then trundles back down again. The bus takes you back to Salta by evening and it is a full day excursion. The train stops at various miradors along the way and there's never a shortage of people offering to sell you souvenirs at those points but there are no other stations or towns that I recall on the train route. There are hotels and hospedajes in San Antonio de los Cobres so if you were travelling independently you could probably stay there overnight and just pick up the train from there. I say probably - I've not done that so check it out for yourself first. The route from Salta to San Antonio is pretty remote so you need absolute confidence in your vehicle - which is one of the reasons why the official trips have an escort for the tour bus. One of the other reasons for the escort is preparedness for a medical emergency: it really is at a very high altitude and although a day or two spent beforehand in Salta will help you aclimatise, some people struggle in the thin air.

There are other day trips you can organise from Salta. I believe there's one to Cafayate which is a wine producing area (if you haven't already drunk them yet, you'll have seen Cafayate wines in the supermarkets. There are experts on this forum who can tell you much more about these wines than I could but suffice to say they are quite different from the wines produced in the Mendoza region. We didn't do the day trip from Salta, we made our own way to Cafayate and stayed overnight and enjoyed it.

 

[DarrenKK]

I've eaten llama in Salta but never dogs. Do you have a particular recommendation for a restaurant to try it?

 

[amylund]

fyi the trip was great and yes ate llama...quite a staple..the quinoa empanadas were our of this world too!

 

[sergio]

Things may have changed since we last visited Salta in (I think) 2019. We did everything by public transport and used tours organised on the spot when we were in the city though you would probably have more flexibility if you were using your own car. There's lots to see and do in Salta without even leaving the city - check out the local guias touristicas and look out for concert programmes and other performances - Salta is quite a centre for culture. Oh. And I hope you like dogs...

The Tren a las Nubes tour starts from the railway station in Salta at some unbelievably early time in the morning but, unless it's changed, you will be getting onto a bus outside the railway station and traveling under escort to San Antonio de los Cobres where the train trundles some 20km or so up to the viaduct and then trundles back down again. The bus takes you back to Salta by evening and it is a full day excursion. The train stops at various miradors along the way and there's never a shortage of people offering to sell you souvenirs at those points but there are no other stations or towns that I recall on the train route. There are hotels and hospedajes in San Antonio de los Cobres so if you were travelling independently you could probably stay there overnight and just pick up the train from there. I say probably - I've not done that so check it out for yourself first. The route from Salta to San Antonio is pretty remote so you need absolute confidence in your vehicle - which is one of the reasons why the official trips have an escort for the tour bus. One of the other reasons for the escort is preparedness for a medical emergency: it really is at a very high altitude and although a day or two spent beforehand in Salta will help you aclimatise, some people struggle in the thin air.

There are other day trips you can organise from Salta. I believe there's one to Cafayate which is a wine producing area (if you haven't already drunk them yet, you'll have seen Cafayate wines in the supermarkets. There are experts on this forum who can tell you much more about these wines than I could but suffice to say they are quite different from the wines produced in the Mendoza region. We didn't do the day trip from Salta, we made our own way to Cafayate and stayed overnight and enjoyed it.

Cafayate specialises in the Torrontes which is the only wine indigenous to Argentina - and in my opinion a delightful one. It's fruity and dry. By the way, do you think it would be possible to do a tour of the wineries by hiring a car / driver? And if so, where would I find a reliable driver/car? I am thinking of going in winter.

 

[sergio]

I rode this train quite a few years ago. The engineering of the line is remarkable and the views impressive. I remember excellent empanadas being served by waiters who passed through the train. At that time there was also a full service dining-car. I don't know if all of this is true today. The major drawback was the wretched condition of the equipment. The trains were really old and poorly maintained. My assigned seat was next to a tiny window that was covered with mesh. I could hardly see a thing so I asked for another seat which I got. When I made the trip the train did a complete round trip but I remember some people got off at the end where a micro was waiting to take them back to Salta. The micro was apparently a lot faster. I found the return by train to be tiring. It got dark and there was nothing to see. Some folkloric musicians came on board, performed and sold their CDs. At one of the stops there were a lot of indigenous people selling things. I still have an impressive llama scarf a kid with a pet llama sold me. Maybe someone who has recently ridden this train could update me on the experience.

 

[Quilombo]

I rode the train 3 months ago and it was actually a bit disappointing as it's incredibly short, and I knew of it's previously length, but didn't get a chance to take it when first visiting up north in the early 2010s.

They cut the route to be just from San Antonio de Los Cobres to the bridge and back. It was still a nice experience, but you really need to keep the shortness in mind, and the fact that the altitude change is noticeable, lots of sleepy folks, myself included after a short walk, and an ambulance from the provincial government travels along with the busses given the fact someone almost always decompresses they said, as happened on 2 busses during my trip.

I personally recommend doing the other sites first such, and if you have time to do the train you can (and you need to book it in advance as much as possible) as it's a full day and you may have altitude hangover.

 

[amylund]

Yes it was short ..there was a dining car but I did not go to see what was there....other sites were amazing Salinas Grandes was one of my faves..I rented a car for the 4 days (lol an automatic transmission was hard to find but it exsists) for 66k pesos and was really a great and helpful group. They were waiting for me when I landed with the car right outside and met me back at the aiport on time...shocking haha Quick easy and very inexpensive for an automatic car.