Driving in Argentina: Car Hire or Public Transport?

Jonathan Tait    ash     Argentina, car hire in Argentina, driving, Overland tours, Overlanding, South America, VW

There are not many South American countries I would recommend driving in. Mega cities, huge distances and terrible road conditions tend to favour putting your fate in more experienced hands. Argentina however, despite featuring all of the above, has outstanding bus services and lends itself very well to a host of self-drive adventures.

A 'Gol' in Argentina: Image Flickr/travelwayoflife

If you are starting in a city, it’s easy to find car hire in Argentina with a Hertz or Avis office often easily found. Discuss your needs and whatever they are you will end up with a VW Gol {it’s a Polo, not a typo}. Handover credit card details, and ignore your guidebook if it says you must be over 25.

At around £80 a day it’s not always a cheap option, so filling your spare seats is economical and a good way to meet more people. One place where you can save money by hiring is in the Patagonian town of El Calafate. Its big draw is the monumental Perito Moreno glacier. With ice constantly crumbling off its façade and a sense of awe at its sheer expanse, it is a trip worth making.

It’s a half-day round trip, so hiring a car between 5 people is very cheap – and if you arrive before 6am you avoid paying the hefty entrance fee. Going at this time comes with the added bonus of having the place almost to yourself. Only a handful of Gols will greet you.

Not all roads lead the right way..

On other trips, the distances can be excessive but well worth it. Starting in the northern city of Salta, a great round-trip can be made down a small section of the ever-evolving Ruta 40. It is possible by public transport, but buses are infrequent and the joy of this area is stopping and taking it all in.

After leaving the city, you head eastwards and start to wind up into the Andean foothills. Traffic is sparse and you are more likely to share the road with Gauchos guiding their herds through the valleys. Driving through a cactus field with snow covered mountains rising up behind is a special experience, not something I ever imagined existed.

This is only the start of some very strange landscapes encountered on this 200-km trip that finishes in Cafayate, the country’s main wine region. The other place worth hiring a car is Peninsula Valdes. A sort of rocky outcrop with an abundance of sea mammals and penguins, and most famously the killer whales that surf to shore in a bid to catch one of the unsuspecting beach dwellers. Again find some companions, head out with a map, and take your time.

but others...

There’s also the little incidents that couldn’t happen on public transport: Taking the wrong route only to witness a purple sun rising over the sea while a full moon beams back the ethereal glow, running out of petrol, bikini-clad Argentines, or stopping outside an adobe house to buy freshly baked bread straight from the oven.

Overland tours in Argentina provide the itineraries many travellers look for, but if it’s the freedom of the open road you crave, then car hire is the better option.

About the author

Jon Tait wrote 6 articles on this blog.

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