The Gringo Trail: a money-saving Latin America backpacking route

Mexico to Patagonia's doorstep — the classic Latin America line, no ocean crossing needed.

The route, leg by leg

1. ✈️ California → Mexico City · ~$150
   Volaris/VivaAerobus — or walk the CBX bridge at Tijuana and fly domestic-Mexico prices.
2. 🚌 Mexico City → Oaxaca & Chiapas · ~$60
   ADO buses — comfortable, safe, everywhere.
3. 🚌 Chiapas → Central America (overland) · ~$130
   Guatemala (Antigua, Atitlán) → El Salvador → Nicaragua → Costa Rica → Panama by chicken bus and shuttle.
4. ✈️ Panama City → Medellín · ~$120
   Wingo/Avianca. No road through the Darién Gap — everyone flies (or sails via San Blas, ~$500).
5. ✈️ Colombia → Lima / Cusco · ~$110
   JetSmart/LATAM sales; or overland through Ecuador if you have the weeks.
6. 🚌 Cusco → La Paz, Bolivia · ~$40
   Bus via Lake Titicaca (Copacabana). Bolivia is the cheapest country on the continent.
7. ✈️ La Paz → Buenos Aires · ~$130
   Or the epic 3-day bus run via Salta if the budget is tighter than the schedule.
8. ✈️ Buenos Aires → California · ~$480
   One-way home; watch Aeroméxico/Copa connections for the best fares.

Transport total: about $1,220. Daily budget: $40/day shoestring, $65/day flashpacker.

Why it saves money

💰 Short cheap flights instead of ocean crossings: your longest single fare is the trip home. Daily costs sit between SEA and Australia, buses replace half the flights, and the currency math (Argentina especially) often works in your favour.

Other classic routes