South American Explorer

Know your discounts:  There are many cards out there that will save you money, so you need to work out which will work for you. The most obvious is a South American Explorers card, which offers you literally thousands of discounts across the continent. Hostelling International will help you with HI hostels, and an International Student Card will get you a discount on transport, cafes and some tours. And don’t forget some countries, namely Argentina and Chile, offer tourist tax refunds, where if you spend over a certain amount you can claim the tax back at the airport when you leave.

Stay connected (the cheap way):  Instead of travelling with your normal mobile, which will attract roaming fees and expensive rates, take your oldest phone (so you won’t cry if you lose it) and buy a local sim card in the country that you are travelling in. You’ll pay local fees for the phone calls you make and texts home will still be affordable. If you are travelling with a lap top, download skype and make long distance phone calls the ‘free’ way.

Stay connected (the slightly more expensive way):  If you are keen to take your iphone or smart phone with you, you can still save some money by using the free WiFi in hostels and cafes (and SAE clubhouses) to check your emails, so you’ll avoid internet café fees. Another option is a Mobal phone – a phone that is usable in 170 countries, has no monthly fee (so if you don’t use it, you don’t get charged) and offers cheap international rates. They also offer a Global World sim card with the same benefits.

Ask the locals:  To find out how to avoid paying tourist prices, ask the hostel staff, SAE staff or waiters for their suggestions on where to go and what to see. It’s always best to cross-check locations with other locals to make sure they agree, but you’ll end up finding the road less travelled.

Everybody loves neighbours:  Sometimes the cheapest place to stay could be in a smaller town, just outside a big city. You’ll find less tourists, services will be cheaper and after a big day sight-seeing you can relax in a quieter part of the country. For example, instead of staying in Rio, which can be expensive, look at some of the pleasant coastal towns to the south.

Save money as you pack:  Don’t buy a sleeping bag for South America unless you plan on a lot of camping. Most hostels don’t allowed sleeping bags to be used as they provide sheets free of charge. And if you are planning to hike the Torres del Paine, you can hire a sleeping bag nearby. Instead buy a silk sleeping bag liner, you can use it in hostels and in any hired sleeping bags. Also don’t buy several guidebooks for your journey. Buy one, then sell it to or exchange it with a fellow traveler or buy another one (or trade in your old one) at one of the SAE clubhouses.

Eat me, drink me:  There are a couple of easy ways to save money on your meals. The most effective is to bring along a reusable water bottle. Not only will you be saving the environment by not buying hundreds of little bottles of water, but you will also save some dollars as you buy large bottles of water keep them at your hostel and fill up your water bottle when you need to. Water purifying water bottles also good, they sterilize your water as you go along. Zip Lock bags are also good for keeping leftover food or dried fruit as snacks.