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What are the feasible options of going from El Chalten or El Calafate to Bariloche? I know airplane would be fastest and there is a direct connection. I'd like to avoid it, if possible, though, for the experience alone.

So I'm considering either a bus or car rental.

What bus lines / corporations are operating between Bariloche and south Patagonia? I'm interested in timetables, websites and opinions on quality / punctuality etc.

Car rental - do you have experience with renting a car in south Patagonia and returning it in Bariloche? From what I'm seeing, most car rental companies don't allow separate pick up and drop locations between those two places :/ Any exceptions?

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TAQSA offer connections by luxury coach:

These are departure times: 

El Calafate     Bariloche       15:30:00    MARGA SA
El Calafate     Bariloche R40   17:15:00    MARGA SA

El Chalten      Bariloche R40   20:05:00    MARGA SA

They claim punctuality in departure and arrival (it seems that 'on time' arrival may be being guaranteed by not showing scheduled arrival times) but the expedition's duration is about 25 hours from El Calafate (Google Maps has it as a 16-3/4hr drive - almost 1,500 km). A bit less from El Chalten, which is en route.

The site's option to switch to English seems not to work for the Home page but does for others. Some details may only be available once a user has signed up (required to actually book a ticket).

As it seems you have found, a one-way car hire may not be available.

I do not have experience of the journey (never have liked coach trips) and visited Bariloche only by car, and from BA.

P.S. Rome2Rio has the price in the range $1,300 - $1,900 ARS.

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  • Thanks a lot. Accepting only now as I was waiting for some other answers to arrive. Anyway, I decided to focus more on the southern part of Patagonia - I'll spend a week in El Chalten / Calafate and on the Chilean side too, instead of moving to fast north and being in a rush all the time. I'll take a plane afterall from El Calafate once I'm done.
    – kamituel
    Commented Dec 18, 2016 at 10:59
  • I did travel for an almost a day on a single train, no stops, in India, and that was actually fun. However, doing such thing both ways to and from Patagonia felt a bit too much ;) Cheers!
    – kamituel
    Commented Dec 18, 2016 at 20:52

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