4 Months from January 2010!

[Nathan]

Hey everyone,

I have been planning a trip to south america for some time now, i plan to leave at the start of January, hopefully i will be able to travel for a minimum of 4 months, however i have been having some issues with the cost of the trip!
I plan to save atleast £3500 GBP for the spending money on the trip, but im unsure if that will last me for 4 months!!??
So far i plan to land in Caracas and then see Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and than i would fly back from Rio in Brazil, is my costing and time panning realisitc??
i idealy would like to have a trip consisting of alot of sight seeing, and seeing alot of nature! but i also want to relax on some of the most beautiful beaches!
so not an action packed journey where im doing something completly different everyday, but a mixture more than anything else!

I would appreciate any advice or input! Cheers

Nathan

[Mark]

Hi Nathan,

Great to hear you're going to South America! Your planned budget of £3500 is sufficient to travel 4 months in South America so you shouldn't worry about that. Backpacking in South America is not expensive. With a daily budget between USD15 and USD30 all general costs, such as food, transport and accommodation will be covered.

You will only have extra costs when you want to visit some of the breathtaking attractions South America has to offer. i.e. Galapgos Islands in Ecuador, Machu Picchu in Peru.

Traveling overland from Caracas all the way to Rio in 4 months can be done without rushing if you consider taking a flight somewhere in your itinerary. Distances are enormous. Bus rides can take up to 24 hours. Don't forget you will be traveling in the Andes. Transport is slow up there.

You'll have a great time in South America. Keep us posted!