Back packing in south america

[shane69]

Hi
ill premise my questions by telling you the following. i have 10mths to travel central america and the northern countries of sth america; and money is not an issue for me.
i would like to back pack from mexico, down through central america, then venez'la, brazil.

Is it possible to go overland through these countries from one border to the opposite border. Arriving at the next country's land border, enter and carry on doing this through south america.

OR must i fly into each country and go through immigration in this manner. My understanding is that many countries BEFORE they let you enter must see your air-ticket OUT of the country. By crossing the land borders how would the country be able to determine you have the ability/means to leave the country. Given that i would not be in possesion of any air tickets?

hope u can help
s

[Mark]

Hi Shane,

You're going to have great trip! Traveling overland in South America is not a problem. Customs do not ask an outward ticket when entering a country. The only problem you're facing is getting from Panama to Colombia. You have to cross the Darien gap and it's dangerous. There is a forum post about the Darien gap here.

Don't worry about traveling overland in South America. It's very straightforward. You just have to respect the given time of stay (usually 90 days). You can read more about crossing borders in South America.

Enjoy your trip!


Best wishes,

Mark

[shane69]

thank you..

Originally Posted by Mark

Hi Shane,

You're going to have great trip! Traveling overland in South America is not a problem. Customs do not ask an outward ticket when entering a country. The only problem you're facing is getting from Panama to Colombia. You have to cross the Darien gap and it's dangerous. There is a forum post about the Darien gap here.

Don't worry about traveling overland in South America. It's very straightforward. You just have to respect the given time of stay (usually 90 days). You can read more about crossing borders in South America.

Enjoy your trip!


Best wishes,

Mark

[bjones]

hey this truly is an awesome website!
im going to travel to south America overland for however long it takes to see what i want to see. what is the best time of year to go? i kind of want to leave in April or march.
Ive read about the darien gap and still studying on how to cross that. the links you gave for the darien gap are ten years old, do you know where i can find any current info?
and i have to have access to the internet at least once a week while im traveling. ive considered taking me laptop with extra batteries but don't want it stolen. how can i find some internet cafes all the way along my trip? any info is appreciated.
oh and also im planning on mainly living off the land wherever food is abundant, is there any literature i can get to help me locate edibles in south America?

[Mark]

Hi,

Great to hear you like the site! I'll go over your questions one by one.

What is the best time of year to go?
Leaving to South America in March or April is excellent.

Where can I find current info about the Darien gap?
One of the pages about the Darien gap has been updated in March 2008.

Is access to internet readily available?
Yes. You can find an internet cafe almost everywhere. Some hotels also offer internet access.

Where can I find books about food in South America?
We have some general information on the site about food. You can read more about food from Argentina, food from Peru and food from Brazil. For specific needs you'll have to visit your local bookstore or check some online stores.


Enjoy your trip! Don't forget to blog about your travel adventures (it's free). We'd love to know how you're doing. Feel free to ask more questions. I'll do my best to help you out.


Best wishes,

Mark