Hi all,

Am at the planning stage, looking at routes down South America and am wondering how do you know where there is going to be petrol available ? Are there a maps out there with the petrol stations on (that you can rely on) or just rely on local knowledge along the route as you go ? My 1200GS has I think roughly about a 150mile range so would be expecting to have to carry extra fuel at some points but would like to know which parts and how much. Would be bad to get stuck in the Atacama or similar but conscious of over-planning too.

I was in S. America earlier this year and fuel was readily available in all areas but two along my route: Bolivian Altiplano and Patagonia. I went from Lima south to Nazca, across to Cusco, Puno, La Paz, Coroico, Uyuni, Tupiza, Salta, Cordoba, Mendoza, Santiago, Bariloche, route 40 to Puerto Natales (Chile), Punta Arenas, Ushhaia. I did not go through the Chilean Atacama, so I don't know about that area. I have a 9-gallon tank on my bike, but I still think this info could help.

YPF (the major gas station down there) has a high quality map available with it's gas stations marked. I might still have one, and if so, I could scan relevant sections and email it to you. You might check this YPF interactive map, though I had trouble loading it on my computer. Click the box next to "estaciones de servicio" to get station locations, theoretically:

http://www.guiaypf.com/GuiaYPF/ruta/...apa/FMapa.aspx

The longests distances between fuel for me came in southern Bolivia from Uyuni heading east to San Vicente (where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid might have been killed) and across to Tupiza. The other area was in the province of Santa Cruz, Argentina on route 40. From Perito Moreno (the town, not the glacier) south to Tres Lagos, there is only one fuel stop: in Bajo Caracoles (pricey). You'll need extra fuel to get to Tres Lagos. Five-gallon plastic fuel cans (bidones) are readily available at gas stations. A two-liter soda bottle works in a pinch. My travel website has a map of my route:

http://marcusbest.wordpress.com/

Have a great trip-
Marcus

Try this link for fuel stations in Chile and parts of Argentina:
maps are under "mapas ruteros de chile"

http://www.turistel.cl/v2/secciones/mapas/index.htm

Excellent - thankyou very much

Very similar to the route I am keen to do, maybe adding Lima - Quito at the top and a run up to Iguazu but otherwise the same - looking forward to reading through your whole website but even the pics on the 1st page are very inspiring - thanks!

If you go to the ypf site as suggested go to the top servicios en ruta get your spanish book out looks like you'll get distances then.