New Self Drive Holidays in South America

South America offers some of the world's most picturesque drives, and a new range of Self Drive holidays from South America-specialists RealWorld (www.realworldholidays.co.uk) helps bring them all within easy reach of UK holiday-makers.

Admittedly not every corner of this fascinating continent is suitable for self-drive holidays: in some places the rainy season can put paid to the best-planned itinerary, and in other areas a lack of suitable vehicles for hire makes things impossible. Sometimes self-drive is perfectly possible but still not advisable: ask yourself if you really want to spend 8 hours of your holiday stuck in Sao Paulo's notorious traffic!

However, there are a few places where the conditions, the roads, and the scenery come together perfectly to give adventurous drivers the chance to explore South America under their own steam. Patagonia is a prime example, and self-drive itineraries here allow you to take your time over some of the world's most beautiful locations, such as the mountains of the Torres del Paine National Park, or the volcanoes and forests of the Lake District. Further north, the arid Atacama Desert might be where NASA test their Mars rovers, but it's also perfect for self-drive holidays, meaning that you can pick and choose which areas and sights you visit rather than sticking to a pre-organised schedule.

As Dan Clarke of RealWorld says, “organised tours can be great way to see these areas, but there's no substitute for being able to stop wherever and whenever you like. Where it's practical, we think self-drive is a fantastic way to explore South America”. All RealWorld's holidays to South America can be completely tailor-made, but here are a selection of their South America self-drive packages:

Patagonia Self Drive

10 nights self-drive holiday exploring Chilean and Argentine Patagonia, including the Torres del Paine National Park, Otway Sound, Perito Moreno glacier and Lake Argentino. 2015/16 price of £1495pp based on two adults, and includes all accommodation, internal flights, car hire, unlimited mileage, local taxes and breakfast every day. International flights available from £550 inc. taxes.

For more details go to http://www.realworldholidays.co.uk/chile/selfdrive.aspx or call 0113 262 5329

Carretera Austral

12 nights self-drive holiday exploring Chile's iconic Carretera Austral (Southern Highway), including the Lake District, the Chilean fjords and the glaciers of the Queulat National Park. 2015/16 price of £2195pp based on two adults, and includes all accommodation, internal flight, car hire, unlimited mileage, local taxes and breakfast every day. International flights available from £550 inc. taxes.

For more details go to http://www.realworldholidays.co.uk/chile/carretera-austral.aspx or call 0113 262 5329

Desert Drive

7 nights self-drive holiday exploring Chile's Atacama Desert. 2015/16 price of £1150pp based on two adults, and includes all accommodation, internal flights, car hire, unlimited mileage, local taxes and breakfast every day. International flights available from £550 inc. taxes.

For more details go to http://www.realworldholidays.co.uk/chile/desertdrive.aspx or call 0113 262 5329

Lake District Loop

16 nights self-drive holiday exploring the Lake Districts of Chile and Argentina, including the Pumalin and Hornopiren National Parks, Welsh Patagonia and Lake Nahuel Huapi and Bariloche. 2015/16 price of £1950pp based on two adults, and includes all accommodation, internal flights, car hire, unlimited mileage, local taxes and breakfast every day. International flights available from £550 inc. taxes.

For more details go to http://www.realworldholidays.co.uk/multi/lakedistrictloop.aspx or call 0113 262 5329

Notes for Editors:

For more information and hi-res imagery for these itineraries please contact Dan Clarke at RealWorld on 0113 262 5329, or dan@realworldholidays.co.uk