Roundtrip ticket to Lima or into Lima and out of Rio de Janeiro?

[pantsonfiretravelbug]

Hello, I am really excited about visiting Peru and have some questions.

My question: I will be traveling from Houston to Lima, Peru mid-June and will be traveling for 10 weeks through Bolivia, Argentina and maybe Brazil. Should I book my flight back to Houston from Lima or from Rio de Janeiro? Maybe even out of Buenos Aires? The flight out of Rio or BA is only $100-$150 more than a roundtrip in and out of Lima.

Possible routes? Peru>Bolivia>Argentina>Brazil>Houston or Peru>Bolivia>Argentina>Houston or Peru>Bolivia>Argentina>Brazil>Peru or Peru>Bolivia>Argentina>Peru or Peru>Bolivia>Peru

I will be on a relatively small budget as I'm covering myself and my brother. It's his first time backpacking and he'll only be there for the first 2 weeks, but this affects my plans after he's gone in terms of finances. Is it cheaper to use buses/trains back to Peru or more expensive? Is it worth it paying for a visa to Brazil or should I just plan a different trip at a different time to Brazil?

Thanks so much in advance.

[Ruby]

Hi there,

I do think that traveling through Peru and Bolivia is more realistic than including Argentina and Brazil, specially if you're on a budget.

You'll have a better experience if you stick to one or two countries and plan another backpack trip maybe next year. Buses and walking are the way to go for budget travelers although it's not the quickest mode of transport.
You can get the bus from Peru to Bolivia but it'll have to be a couple of buses: from Lima to Cuzco - Cuzco to La Paz.

There was another traveler planning a similar trip who's just left to Peru last week. Have a read at the thread as it has useful info...http://www.destination360.com/forum/...h-america.html

[pantsonfiretravelbug]

Thanks so much for the reply. Booking a flight in and out of Peru is sounding more practical. Unfortunately, I sometimes get antsy after being in one town for over a week... not sure why. It's why I was going to add Argentina to the list and maybe just return to Houston from Buenos Aires. Budget wise, do you not think this is feasible? I'm not planning on doing touristic guides except for maybe Machu Picchu. My solo budget for about 60 days is about $2000-2500. This doesn't include the cost of flight. Am I being overly ambitious here?

The thread you mentioned is really informative. It is how I stumbled upon destination360. :)

Thanks a bunch.

[Ruby]

You welcome!

With a $2500, you have a round $42 per day, which is not a bad budget at all actually. Some people even manage to survive on $15 per day.

However, with flying costs to add and bus costs, I still think you might be pushing it. Buses are cheapest, considering that a normal flight from Lima to La Paz costs around $800 compared to $150 by bus for a one way trip.

So it is worth taking this into consideration. Either way, all the best!

Have a look at some hostels here:

Peru: http://www.destination360.com/south-...a/peru/hostels
Bolivia: http://www.destination360.com/south-.../potosi-hotels

[pantsonfiretravelbug]

Thank you so much for the information, it is very much appreciated. It seems I'll be sticking to Peru and Bolivia. :)