Traveling to South America for the first time: experts advice
Are you planning to travel to South America? That’s an excellent idea, but it could also be quite overwhelming if it is your first time looking for information. South America is a captivating continent and has so much to offer: diverse cultures, outstanding landscapes, mouth-watering cuisine. Friendly people will welcome you at every corner, happy to share their cultures and traditions with you, and that may become the highlight of your trip. Deciding on where to go in South America is not easy, we know, so to make your choices a little bit easier, we prepared this travel guide to South America to help you plan your trip.
The best time to travel to South America is whenever you can, but if you can decide on when to come, let’s check seasons:
- September to December: spring
- December to March: summer
- March to June: autumn
- June to September: winter
These seasons are provided so you can
have an overview of the continent, but then it will vary from country to country, as some may have a rainy or dry season, and of course it depends on where you go, as winter in the mountains is not the same as in the coast. Please, check our country guides for that information, we have a lot of useful tips to help you.
- Check visa regulations and requirements
Even though these regulations change all the time, some countries may require some type of visa. So it is better to check this item with their local consulate in your country. This will save you problems later and will give you peace of mind!
- Plan your itinerary
You have to take into account that South America is one of the largest continents in the world, so when you think about the best time to visit South America, the concept might change from one country to another.
If you plan to go to Antarctica, then spring/summer time is the right moment. If you enjoy carnival festivities, Brazil will welcome you during February/March. Argentina offers amazing landscapes and ski resorts for you to ski during winter. The shoulder season is less crowded in many destinations, so that implies a good opportunity to get better rates and more options.
- Learn about local currencies
This is a quite common question. Each country in South America has its own currency and in many cases, it is called “peso”, but that doesn’t mean it is the same one. There are several countries calling their currency that way: Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay, just to mention some of them. Can you use Chilean pesos in Argentina or Colombian pesos in Uruguay? The answer is “no”.
Even though they have the same denomination, all of them are different “pesos”, so it is common that they are accepted only in the country where they are the legal currency. Sometimes, people get confused because most countries use the same sign ($), as many currencies named “dollar” do.
Take into account that, in some cases, the exchange rate might be different and fluctuate in a matter of days.
- Try to learn some phrases in the local language
If this will be your first time in South America, let’s consider that you will not find so many different languages as you usually do, for example, in Europe. Most South American countries have Spanish as their official language and Brazil, Portuguese. In some cases, countries also include different indigenous languages as official ones.
It will be very useful to learn some polite phrases in the local languages, such as greetings, please/thank you, questions about prices, directions, just to mention some of them.
You will be amazed by your ability to communicate with the locals and, of course, they will appreciate it!
To help you with this, we have prepared the article “Useful Spanish phrases for travelers: what you need to know before your trip to South America”
- Pack wisely
If you are visiting several destinations, it is possible to go through different climates and weather conditions in just a few days. So, our travel advice to South America is to pack wisely, including comfortable clothes, your must-have items and clothes you can wear in layers and take them off depending on weather and temperatures. Don’t forget to prefer quick-drying fabrics.
- Things to do in South America
Regarding places to visit, it is important to consider if it is a family plan, if you are a solo traveler or any other options. Then, if you are a first timer, this will help you: