Self-drive Holidays
Self-drive holidays to Latin America offer the ultimate flexibility: even following a well-thought out itinerary you can still go where you like, stop when you want and explore at your own place. Latin America’s long distances lend themselves well to self-drive holidays, offering luxury and flexibility for lengthy overland journeys where buses and trains do not. To get the most out of a self-drive holiday to Latin America, we’d recommend you choose an area of interest, for example Chile’s Lake District or the national parks of Costa Rica, with shorter driving distances where possible to maximize your time out of the car.
Of course, one of the highlights of any self-drive adventure is the journey itself, and South America’s big skies and wide open roads make for impressive windscreen views. We can arrange all the finer details for you, such as transfers and the car hire itself, and plan an itinerary that balances the best drives of the continent with comfortable lodges or hotels and experiential tours. Whether you’re choosing an adventurous honeymoon for two or a multi-generational family escapade, a self-drive holiday to Latin America could be right up your street…
Our favourite self-drive holidays in South America and beyond…
Argentina Self Drive
Spend a few nights in Buenos Aires, the ‘Paris of Latin America’, and take in the city’s European-style architecture, colourful barrios and fiery tango shows. You’ll then fly to Salta, where you’ll pick up your hire car for your drive to Cachi. Drive through the Calchaqui Valley between adobe dwellings and colonial houses. It’s an easy drive to Cafayate, where the vineyards of Argentina’s wine region await...
Chile Self-drive
Fly direct to Santiago and enjoy the city’s incredible setting, between the peaks of the Andes and the valleys of the Central Winelands. After a tour of the city you’ll visit colourful and coastal Valparaiso and cosmopolitan Vina del Mar before tasting Chilean grapes at a winery. Flying to Temuco you’ll collect your rental car, setting off on your adventure to Curacautin where you can leisurely explore Malalcahuello National Reserve. Next, Pucon is a great centre for outdoor activities, on the shores of Lake Villarrica; choose from hiking trails and an array of watersports, from white-water rafting to genteel kayaking. Drive among the volcanoes and waterfalls of Puerto Varas and the black sand beaches and German-influenced buildings of Frutillar. Leaving the car at Puerto Montt airport, you’ll fly south to Punta Arenas, where you’ll go glacier hunting by boat to spot the Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers. The trip concludes with the Torres del Paine, South America’s most famous national parks, among the granite columns and Patagonia steppes.
Costa Rica Self-drive
Combine a wildlife holiday and a self-drive adventure in one with a driving holiday through Costa Rica. Fly direct to San Jose and spend a night close to the city before a 30-minute connecting flight to Tortuguero National Park delivers you to one of Costa Rica’s protected wildernesses on the Caribbean Coast. Here you’ll be taken on group canal boat trips and guided walks to learn more about the ecosystem, including the nesting grounds for the endangered green turtle. Pick up your car from Guapiles and hit the road...
