Has anyone ever gone on a road trip to South America from the US?

Question

I want to plan a trip to Rio De Janeiro, but I know it would be pretty dangerous. How long would it take, are there any online resources, and is there anywhere you can get directions online??? Any personal experience you can share would be great help!

Answer 1

Its not  "pretty dangerous" , it is suicidal to try to go on a trip like that. Unless you are driving in a Humvee or something .

I suggest you rather fly.

If you don't change your mind - Good luck.

Answer 2

I have traveled as far as Panama from the USA, but from there on things get difficult.

Not only is Columbia much more dangerous than any of the other countries, there is not regular ferry service from Panama to Columbia any more. The road is not connected in the Darien gap between the two countries.

The only way to get a vehicle from Panama to Columbia is to ship it as freight in a container and that will probably run a couple thousand dollars, about the same as shipping it straight from the USA.

Getting as far as Panama takes about 2 weeks from the US-Mexican border. It is not 100% safe but I did not have any serious problems except vehicle repairs and minor thefts. None of the other tourists I talked to on my trips south had any personal life threatening experiences either.

My experience is that one can drive about 400 miles a day in Central america compared to about double that or more in the USA. I expect driving speeds in South America would be similar.

Expect a lot of road repairs, slow roads,  police checkpoints etc. Driving after dark is a bad idea due to the many road hazards. Generally road maintenance is very poor.

There is a book "Road Fever" by Tim Cahil that can give you an idea on what to expect if you are both well funded and very prepared. Realisticaly things have changed in the 16 years since they did the trip, but much is the same.

Although many may dream of doing such a trip, very few have. Some of the border crossings in central america are only crossed by a few dozen vehicles a day, mostly by locals. Further south it may even be more difficult and unusual. I went days without seing another gringo.

Answer 3

That is extremely dangerous.  Almost every country has its sections with problems, especially places going through a civil war.  Plus, it's really far and will take days.  You'll probably spend more on gas and lodging than you will on a plane ride, which will be within a day.

Answer 4

This not a wise decision i have lived in  Bogota Colombia for 17 years after  sold my car I have travelled by The Best  Bus Service one is Berlin Line to several large cities with care best is daytime travel with stops in large cities or best by Air ,When you travel dont go by the milage or a straight line on a road map this will fool you for there Peaks and Valley,s buy a map that will show the ups and downs for example the,Guia de Rutas por Colombia this is the best guide .

Answer 5

You can not cross the darien gap.  The danger you will encounter is traffic accidents, unpaved jungle roads and unsafe mountain roads.  Only in 2 places in Colombia would you have problems.  Mexico to Panam should be fine, then you need to take the coastal road from Colombia after loading your car on a boat in Panama and that road will sometimes have some security issues near Santa Marta, Parque Tayrona and probably the Venezuelan border.  You should be fine driving during the daytime until Boa Vista in Brazil.  After that there may be some serious unpaid roads to Manaus.  You would have to go on a boat to Santarem and drive down the Brazilian coast.  You won't have an security issues until you actually reach Rio city limits, at that point.

Or, you could go down the west coats which would take a lot more time with much worse roads