The means of transportation to travel in Latin America include most notably buses, but also private and shared shuttles, ferries, and mototaxis. In this article we want to share with you terrific experiences you can have utilizing train transportation in South America. This popular means of transportation is used in several countries of the region to transport cargo and passengers, making it one of the best means of transportation for its speed and economy.
The train system is often the preferred means of transportation in several countries by locals, but it does not connect every corner, as is the case of the public bus system. Nonetheless, where there are trains as a traveling option, you definitely want to choose it over the other alternatives, because the train goes deep into scenic terrain not visible from roads. Traveling by train in South America will let you glimpse wildlife and pristine forests and coastlines, and still take you to major tourist destinations.
Currently, the train system in Chile transports over 250 thousand passengers a year across its 398 kilometers of routes, being the fastest means of land transportation to move between areas of central Chile. The route from Santiago to Chillán is the longest of these routes, but there are others even farther south and west of it that we will mention later.
While the bus is also convenient and quick, to travel by train from Santiago to Chillan saves at least an hour of travel. Once in Chillan, you will have the option of daily excursions such as climbing the Chillan volcano, or visiting the longest ski slope in the country called Las Tres Marias. For your convenience, on the AndesTransit platform you can book your train tickets on this and other routes, as well as access travel tickets throughout Chile so you can connect to even more of Chile’s unforgettable experiences.
The passenger train system in Chile continues to grow. The government is in a constant process of expansion, so it will be able to cover new passenger routes and reach new destinations. For example, the very popular vintage train trip on the retro Buscarril engine from Talca to the oceanside village of Constitución (also known for its black sand beach) is available for advance reservations online.
Argentina wins the prize for the largest network of passenger trains, and so we can’t cover them all here. But living the experience of traveling on the Patagonian Train from San Antonio Oeste to Bariloche is something you should definitely not pass by. This is an unforgettable trip in which you can see how the landscapes change through the window accompanied by all the comfort that the train service can offer you, from comfortable heated and spacious cabins to a charming cafeteria service on board. It’s also a convenient way to get from the Atlantic coast side of Argentina to the western border with Chile.
If you’re starting out in Buenos Aires, you have a wealth of options getting to San Antonio Oeste by bus, with plenty of schedules and both economy and VIP fares. You can also take a train from Buenos Aires as far as Mar del Plata, and then take a bus from Mar del Plata to San Antonio Oeste.
Traveling by train from Bogota to Zipaquira is designed more as a tourist attraction that takes you on a vintage train experience from the capital city of more than 10 million inhabitants to a nearby wonder of nature, the largest salt reserves in the country. The train trip to Zipaquira is characterized not only by the comfort offered in the transportation cabins, but also by the experience that awaits you, as you leave the concrete jungle and start to see the imposing plains of the savannah of Bogota, while the mountains of Santander grow larger as the excited travelers approach the destination.
But, while the view is great, the real prize is in Zipaquira itself, as there you will encounter the spectacular Salt Cathedral and the Nemocon Mine, where you can enter another world of glowing natural colors and underground worship sanctuaries, ride a box car down into the mines, and leave the modern world behind you.
This is a round-trip package that operates only on weekends, departing at 8:45 a.m. and reaching Zipaquira at 10:45 a.m. There you have several hours to experience the salt mines and cathedrals and the train leaves Zipaquira at 3:15 p.m. to return to Bogota, arriving there at 5:45 p.m.
Brazil has the largest rail network overall, but the vast majority of it is used for freight. However, there are two remaining passenger train routes in the country that are both intensely exotic and extremely underappreciated.
The one that is the most accessible is the train that goes between the city of Belo Horizonte (north of Rio de Janeiro) and the coastal beach city of Vitória, departing at 7 a.m. daily and arriving to ocean breezes at 8:30 p.m. The train has a snack bar, a restaurant, is air-conditioned, and an exclusive car for wheelchair users. It roughly follows alongside one of Brazil’s most important rivers, the Doce, and has 30 stops where you can get a better feel for the culture and communities of the region in between the emerald stretches of forest and jungle.
The second train journey we’ll also mention, which is even more stunning and exotic, but takes more to get to its boarding points. This is the Carajás train, which starts way up in São Luis near the French Guiana border and goes south deep into the thick jungle of the Pará province where many indigenous peoples have autonomous communities.
Yes, if you’re wondering, both of these trains have return routes to get you back where you started, or you can connect with buses going to other destinations in the country.
Sadly, train networks in South America are disappearing rapidly. We used to be able to recommend more, but in the past few years, especially since the pandemic, several have gone bankrupt or been arbitrarily mothballed as a public service by their governments. For example, the entire Ecuador train system that had been revived at the beginning of this century was completely shuttered in 2020. Half of Bolivia’s train system is no longer operational, which was one of the most impressive on the continent. The international train from Peru to Chile is gone. We think they will all come back, following the lead of Chile and Argentina, but that will be far down the road.
Note that we don’t offer reservations for these train trips on SouthAmericBuses because they don’t have a luxury option. There are a range of fares, but the elevated price in that case is for other reasons like high commuting hours or express trains, not specialized luxury cabins or seating. You can get tickets for all of these trips, however, through the links provided to the AndesTransit.com booking hub.
Don’t forget to take into account these recommendations to enjoy your trip even more:
— Avoid excess luggage and take only what you need when traveling by train. Some hotels in the departure city will allow you to store your luggage for a few days while you visit other places by train.
— Take your time. Although it may be a last minute trip, traveling by train is the best way to disconnect from the busyness of travel. Don’t rush your experiences, and use all your senses to savor what the train introduces you to.
— Locate the departure station so that on the day of your trip you arrive directly with your ticket and avoid the lines. Most train operators really like their passengers to be at the station at least thirty minutes in advance to get everyone checked in. When you book on AndesTransit, we’ll help you locate the stations with maps and photos and personal travel tips.
So get on board the trains we recommend while they are still treating passengers to unrivaled vistas and offering a most pleasant way to travel.
South America Buses (SAB) is the luxury channel of AndesTransit, the land travel transportation schedule and reservation hub preferred most by travelers to Latin America. SAB has a select team of distinguished travel experts who have dedicated themselves to research, document, and curate routes and carriers in South America that meet nothing short of the highest quality standards in land travel.
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