Driving in Argentina

Introduction

Posadas 09

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Argentina is a very large country, and driving can be a great way of seeing it at your own pace. Roads reach much of the land, although they are generally less common further away from Buenos Aires, and are not always paved, particularly in the south of teh country.

Since the driving style in Argentina is quite aggressive, you should only attempt to drive there if you're a confident and assertive driver. Many local drivers ignore red lights, stop signs and speed limits. When driving in the mountains, it's customary to blow your horn when coming around blind curves. One of the most beautiful and rewarding trips you can make is a drive along Ruta 40 which takes you from La Quiaca near the Bolivian border all the way down south past Rio Gallegos on Argentina's mainland. The route further south to Ushuaia is officialy not part of Ruta 40 but many people drive further across Tierra del Fuego. Ruta 40 crosses most of the western part of the country, across altiplano, semi-deserts, pampa and great national parks and cities like Mendoza.

To rent a car in Argentina, you need to be at least 21 and have an international driver's license. Some car rental companies to check out include Avis, Hertz, Alamo, Dollar Rent-a-Car and Thrifty Car Rentals.

International Border Routes

From/to Bolivia:

• Route N9 - between La Quiaca (Jujuy, Argentina) and Villazón (Bolivia)
• Route 1 (Bolivia) / Route N50 (Argentina - between Orán (Salta, Argentina) and Bermejo (Bolivia)
• Route 9 (Bolivia) / N34 (Argentina) - between Salvador Maza (Salta, Argentina) and Yacuiba (Bolivia)

From/to Paraguay:

• Route N86 - between Clorinda (Argentina) and Asunción (Paraguay)
• Route P213 - between Posadas (Argentina) and Encarnación (Paraguay)
• Route N12 - between Puerto Iguazu (Argentina) and Ciudad del Este (Paraguay), via Foz do Iguacu, Brazil

From/to Brazil:

• Route N12 - between Puerto Iguazú (Argentina) and Foz de Iguaçu (Brazil)
• Route RS344 (Brazil) / P8 (Argentina)
• Route BR472 (Brazil) / N14 (Argentina) - between Santo Tomé (Argentina) and Sao Borja (Brazil)
• Route BR290 (Brazil) / N14 (Argentina) - between Paso de los Libres (Argentina) and Uruguaiana (Brazil)

From/to Uruguay:

• Off Route 3 (Uruguay) - between Concordia (Argentina) and Salta (Uruguay)
• Route 90 (Uruguay) / N135 (Argentina) - near Paysandú (Uruguay)
• Route 2 (Uruguay) / N136 (Argentina) - near Fray Bentos (Uruguay)

From/to Chile:

• Route N52
• Route CH23 (Chile) / P37 (Argentina) - between Salta (Argentina) and Calama (Chile) across the Andes
• Route N51 (Argentina) - near Catöa (Argentina)
• Route CH31 (Chile) / N60 (Argentina) - pass through the Andes, may not be open in winter
• Route CH41 (Chile) / N150 (Argentina)
• Route CH60 (Chile) / N7 (Argentina) - between Punta de Vacas (Argentina) and Rio Blanco (Chile)
• Route P27 (Argentina)
• Route R89 (Chile) / N22 (Argentina)
• Route S61 (Chile) / P13 (Argentina)
• Route CH119 (Chile) / P60 (Argentina)
• Route CH201 (Chile) / P62 (Argentina)
• Route CH203 (Chile) / P48 (Argentina)
• Route CH215 (Chile) / N231 (Argentina)
• Route CH225 (Chile)
• Route CH231 (Chile) / N259 (Argentina)
• Route CH235 (Chile) / P44 (Argentina) - near Palena (Chile)
• Route X10 (Chile) / P19 (Chile)
• Route X25 (Chile)
• Route X445 (Chile) / P51
• Route CH240 (Chile) / N26
• Route P55 (Argentina)
• Route CH245 (Chile) / P45 (Argentina)
• Route X65 (Chile)
• Route CH265 (Chile) / P43 (Argentina) - near Antiguos (Chile)
• Route CH9 (Chile)
• Between route CH9 (Chile) and N40 (Argentina)
• Route 40 (Chile) / N293 (Argentina)
• Route 255 (Chile) / N3 (Argentina)