Patagonia - Argentina - page 902

Buses from El Calafate

DESTINATION COST (AR$) DURATION (HR)

El Chaltén 150-200 3½

14*/28 summer/winter (*bus travels RN40 summer
only)

Bariloche 950

Puerto Natales
(Chile)

195 5

Río Gallegos 180 4

Getting Around
Airport shuttle Ves Patagonia ( 494355; www.vespatagonia.com ) offers door-to-door ser-
vice (one way/round-trip AR$60/100). There are several car-rental agencies at the air-
port. Localiza ( 491398; www.localiza.com.ar ; Libertador 687) and Servi Car ( 492541;
www.servi4x4.com.ar ; Libertador 695) offer car rentals from convenient downtown offices.
Renting a bike is an excellent way to get a feel for the area and cruise the dirt roads
by the lake. Albergue Lago Argentino offers rentals.

TOP OF CHAPTER

Around El Calafate
From El Calafate, paved RN40 cuts southeast across vast steppe for 95km, then jogs
south at El Cerrito and turns to gravel. Staying on paved RP5 means a slow-going, five-
hour, 224km bore of a trip southeast to Río Gallegos . From there, paved RP7 connects
back to RN40 for the Chilean border crossing at Cerro Castillo-Cancha Carrera, Parque
Nacional Torres del Paine and Puerto Natales.