South America Travel Guide

South America's thirteen countries offer a diverse travel experience. From the beaches of Brazil to the rain forest in Ecuador to the Andes in Peru, South America is a geographically and culturally rich continent. It is also a whole heck of a lot of fun to travel there.

The travel experience you have in South America depends greatly on what you set out to do. If you are looking for comfort, you can find that in countries like Argentina and Chile. If you are looking to get by on the cheap, Bolivia and Peru are excellent countries for backpackers. If you are seeking something truly different, head to the Amazon. If you want all of the above, consider making stops along the Pan-American Highway. If you really want to get off the beaten path, try visiting Guyana or French Guiana. How many people do you know that have been there?

Getting there

There are any numbers of ways you can enter South America. If you are looking to fly there, start your search for cheap flights to South America.

Where to stay

Once you are on the continent, you will have a lot of options for accommodations. South America hostels are the affordable way to go, but be forewarned that they vary greatly in quality depending on the location. If your budget is a bit higher you'll be happy to know that there are endless choices for hotels in South America. Outside the larger cities they tend to be fairly inexpensive by international standards, in many cases to the degree that there are no hostels because there is so little demand.

You can read about other people's adventures and share information about travel in South America in our community forums.