After spending an entire month in Santiago, it was time to continue our ’round the world trip. We decided to head to Argentina. The best way is the scenic route through the Andes Mountains to Mendoza. We’ve heard so much about how beautiful this ride is from friends in the hostel on our recent trip to Patagonia. It has been the most beautiful bus ride in South America. Of course, we wanted to give it a try. In this post, we’ll give you everything you need to partake in this once in a lifetime ride (which we highly recommend).
This was admittedly the most confusing part. We printed our tickets at a mini-market near our apartment but the tickets only said Santiago. There are several bus stations in Santiago. I emailed CATA via the email address listed on the website to know which bus station. They responded within two hours after my initial email. They confirmed that international busses leave from Terminal Sur  (the South Terminal) in Santiago.
When making the reservation, the emails stress arriving at the station at least 30 minutes before departure. Â We arrived exactly 30 minutes before and had plenty of time to spare. This is most likely due to the fact we chose an afternoon departure. Once you arrive at Terminal Sur, we had to go to the CATA booth to get your tickets validated. The station has a lot of buses that leave from this station. It is split into two sections for domestic and international. The international is past the McDonalds and towards the left. If you have trouble, ask anyone for CATA and they will easily point you in the right direction. We waited in line for about 5 minutes for the ticket agent to check our tickets and passports. He stamped our tickets with two different stamps and told us to wait near lane 40 at the far end of the station. There was a screen in lane 43 with the upcoming departures.
Our bus pulled into the station 15 minutes before our scheduled departure. The attendant exited the bus and began helping loading bags under the bus. He checked that our ticket was validated then gave us our luggage tags. We gave a small tip of the remaining Chilean peso coins we had. Then, we swiftly boarded the bus and took our seats in the front row on the top deck.
The bus left promptly at 1:30 pm. Within 30 minutes, the attendant offered a ham and cheese sandwich and water to us. We declined because it didn’t look good and we weren’t hungry. It was very basic but a nice gesture if you are hungry. Soon after, we hit the most remote parts of Chile and climbed the mountains. The roads are twisty-and-turny so if you get car sick, you should exit this post and go directly to SkyScanner and purchase a flight. There isn’t much to say about the ride other than the views are unlike anything I’ve experienced ever.
After 4 hours of twists and turns, we arrived at the border of Argentina. In total, it took about one hour for everyone to clear custom since we were the only bus there at the time. I’ve heard that the customs check can last over 3 hours for the early morning and overnight busses. Without any Spanish knowledge, we navigated the checkpoint by following the dozens of people on the bus.
We walked off the bus with our carry-on bags while the officers pulled all of the luggage underneath the bus. We waiting in line to stamp our passports and to get our small bags checked. The border agents didn’t ask us for proof of onward travel (which we always have) and we simply boarded the same bus again. It was an effortless border crossing. Our Chilean SIM cards stopped working immediately as the bus drove through the checkpoint. We were officially in Argentina!
The bus drivers switch at the border once in Argentina. When the new driver boarded, they handed out another snack that was a raspberry filled pastry and coffee. We carried onward to Mendoza descending down the mountains. We soaked in all the views the entire ride.
We loved our journey from Santiago to Mendoza via bus. I hope that this post helps you plan your perfect journey as well. Leave a comment if you are planning to take the bus to Mendoza or have questions! Our goal is always to equip you with all the information to actualize your travel dreams.
Purchasing Tickets
Although there are several bus companies that take this route, we chose CATA International simply because it was the first one that came up in research. All of the companies are priced competitively. As of January 2019, the tickets are ARS $1500 ($25USD) per person for a one-way and the bus takes 8 hours. CATA’s website is in both English and Spanish. The process to purchase is very straightforward via their website. The website also allows you to choose your seat. The most important part of purchasing the tickets is sitting in the front row on the top deck. Everyone purchasing the tickets knows these are the best so be sure to book as far in advance as you can. The front row gives the 270-degree view of the mountains (basically the whole reason you’re taking the bus- it’s worth it.) Most buses leave in the morning. Because we booked last minute and wanted the front row, we selected a 1:30 pm departure time. This was actually much better since it was significantly less crowded at the bus station and the border. As long as you select a daytime, you will be able to take the whole ride.Getting on the Bus
This was admittedly the most confusing part. We printed our tickets at a mini-market near our apartment but the tickets only said Santiago. There are several bus stations in Santiago. I emailed CATA via the email address listed on the website to know which bus station. They responded within two hours after my initial email. They confirmed that international busses leave from Terminal Sur  (the South Terminal) in Santiago.
When making the reservation, the emails stress arriving at the station at least 30 minutes before departure. Â We arrived exactly 30 minutes before and had plenty of time to spare. This is most likely due to the fact we chose an afternoon departure. Once you arrive at Terminal Sur, we had to go to the CATA booth to get your tickets validated. The station has a lot of buses that leave from this station. It is split into two sections for domestic and international. The international is past the McDonalds and towards the left. If you have trouble, ask anyone for CATA and they will easily point you in the right direction. We waited in line for about 5 minutes for the ticket agent to check our tickets and passports. He stamped our tickets with two different stamps and told us to wait near lane 40 at the far end of the station. There was a screen in lane 43 with the upcoming departures.
Our bus pulled into the station 15 minutes before our scheduled departure. The attendant exited the bus and began helping loading bags under the bus. He checked that our ticket was validated then gave us our luggage tags. We gave a small tip of the remaining Chilean peso coins we had. Then, we swiftly boarded the bus and took our seats in the front row on the top deck.
Beginning of the Journey
The bus left promptly at 1:30 pm. Within 30 minutes, the attendant offered a ham and cheese sandwich and water to us. We declined because it didn’t look good and we weren’t hungry. It was very basic but a nice gesture if you are hungry. Soon after, we hit the most remote parts of Chile and climbed the mountains. The roads are twisty-and-turny so if you get car sick, you should exit this post and go directly to SkyScanner and purchase a flight. There isn’t much to say about the ride other than the views are unlike anything I’ve experienced ever.
Crossing the Border into Argentina
After 4 hours of twists and turns, we arrived at the border of Argentina. In total, it took about one hour for everyone to clear custom since we were the only bus there at the time. I’ve heard that the customs check can last over 3 hours for the early morning and overnight busses. Without any Spanish knowledge, we navigated the checkpoint by following the dozens of people on the bus.
We walked off the bus with our carry-on bags while the officers pulled all of the luggage underneath the bus. We waiting in line to stamp our passports and to get our small bags checked. The border agents didn’t ask us for proof of onward travel (which we always have) and we simply boarded the same bus again. It was an effortless border crossing. Our Chilean SIM cards stopped working immediately as the bus drove through the checkpoint. We were officially in Argentina!
The bus drivers switch at the border once in Argentina. When the new driver boarded, they handed out another snack that was a raspberry filled pastry and coffee. We carried onward to Mendoza descending down the mountains. We soaked in all the views the entire ride.
Arriving in Mendoza
We arrived in Mendoza an hour earlier than expected since the border crossing was so seamless. There is one bus station in Mendoza so it is easy to locate your hotel from the bus station. The first thing we do when entering a new county is to get some cash. The bus station has one ATM but did not work for our cards – apparently an issue all around Argentina. There are people standing around the bus station saying “Cambio” which translates to money exchange. This is an official exchange that I would only consider if you are desperate. Our hostel was a 10-minute walk from the bus station so we decided to walk even though it was after 10 pm.
We loved our journey from Santiago to Mendoza via bus. I hope that this post helps you plan your perfect journey as well. Leave a comment if you are planning to take the bus to Mendoza or have questions! Our goal is always to equip you with all the information to actualize your travel dreams. One more thing: if you enjoyed this post, please share it!
