Camper vans and 4x4 campers for the lakes and Ruta 40
Compare the 3 campervan and motorhome rental companies in San Carlos De Bariloche to find the best price, and book at the price shown, mandatory fees included.
Airport branches: Motor Home Time
Campervan hire in Bariloche opens up the Patagonian lake district: San Carlos de Bariloche lies on Lake Nahuel Huapi, at the heart of Argentina's oldest national park, facing the snow-capped peaks of the Andes. From here, the Seven Lakes Road leads to San Martín de los Andes, Ruta 40 heads to El Bolsón and Esquel, and a mountain pass crosses into Chile. 3 partner companies hand over their vehicles here: Camper Travel, Motor Home Time and Ruta Sur.
The models on offer lean towards adventure: 4x4 camper vans, 4x4s with roof tents and family motorhomes sleeping up to six.
Public ratings collected on October 28, 2026 from independent review sites.
| Vehicle | Winter July | Spring October | Summer January | Autumn April |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campervan | from €206/day median €337/day | from €206/day median €376/day | from €207/day median €286/day | from €207/day median €352/day |
| Low-profile motorhome | from €378/day median €382/day | from €378/day median €382/day | from €383/day median €387/day | from €383/day median €387/day |
Daily prices observed on October 21, 2026 for a 15-day rental: CoolDrive selling price, mandatory fees included, 2 rental companies compared. 43% of offers with unlimited mileage. Median excess: €2,500.
Beyond Villa La Angostura, Ruta 40 runs past lakes Correntoso, Espejo, Villarino, Falkner and Machónico before dropping down to Lake Lácar and San Martín de los Andes, about 190 km by road. The return leg goes through Junín de los Andes, at the foot of the Lanín volcano, then the Limay valley and the Valle Encantado. The road is paved but narrow and winding: plan short stages.
Heading south, Ruta 40 skirts lakes Gutiérrez and Mascardi, then descends to El Bolsón, a mountain town known for its craft fair and berries, and to Lake Puelo. Beyond Esquel, Los Alerces National Park protects thousand-year-old alerce forests and turquoise lakes, crossed by a partly gravel road. You head back north via Cholila and Epuyén.
After Villa La Angostura, the road crosses the Andes at the Cardenal Samoré Pass and descends towards Osorno and the Chilean lake district. Frutillar and its German settlers' houses, Puerto Varas on Lake Llanquihue facing the Osorno volcano, the Petrohué rapids and the port of Puerto Montt make up the loop, possible only with the rental company's consent.
The best time: up to 14 hours of sunshine a day in December, little rain and lakes mild enough for a swim in the warmest hours. This is the season for long stages on Ruta 40. January and February are Argentina's summer holidays: lakeside campsites are often full.
Spring comes late at the foot of the Andes: peaks still snow-covered, cool nights and often strong winds. The roads are quiet, the days lengthen quickly and lupins brighten the roadsides at the end of the season. A heated vehicle is still advisable for the nights.
April paints the lenga and ñire forests red and gold, especially along the Seven Lakes Road, but rainfall rises sharply and the days grow shorter. In May the mood turns wintry: favour short loops around Lake Nahuel Huapi.
The ski season at nearby Cerro Catedral is also the wettest time of year, with snow on the heights and frost at night. A motorhome trip is still possible for a lakeside stay, with a heated vehicle and careful driving, but long journeys south lose much of their appeal.
Most pleasant months: December to March.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23 °C | 10 °C | 29 mm | 13 h/day |
| Feb | 23 °C | 11 °C | 28 mm | 12 h/day |
| Mar | 19 °C | 9 °C | 53 mm | 11 h/day |
| Apr | 14 °C | 6 °C | 93 mm | 8 h/day |
| May | 9 °C | 3 °C | 121 mm | 6 h/day |
| Jun | 6 °C | 1 °C | 186 mm | 5 h/day |
| Jul | 5 °C | 0 °C | 169 mm | 6 h/day |
| Aug | 7 °C | 1 °C | 140 mm | 7 h/day |
| Sep | 9 °C | 2 °C | 91 mm | 9 h/day |
| Oct | 13 °C | 3 °C | 77 mm | 10 h/day |
| Nov | 17 °C | 6 °C | 56 mm | 12 h/day |
| Dec | 20 °C | 8 °C | 36 mm | 14 h/day |
Averages 2016–2025 computed from Open-Meteo data (ERA5 reanalysis).
South of Esquel and across the steppe, petrol stations are scarce and sometimes run out of fuel in peak season. Fill up in every town you pass through, even when half full, and keep some pesos in cash: in small villages, bank cards are not always accepted at the pump.
Ripio, a compacted gravel track, still covers many secondary roads around Bariloche, such as the access to Cerro Tronador via Pampa Linda, with alternating one-way traffic depending on the time of day. Drive slowly, keep to the right when meeting another vehicle to limit flying stones, and watch out for ruts along the edges.
East of the Andes, the westerly wind blows hard, especially in summer, and pushes high vehicles around on Ruta 40 as well as on the road to Trelew and Puerto Madryn. Slow down, park nose into the wind and hold the doors firmly when opening them.
Inside the national park, camping is only allowed at designated sites: organised campsites on lakes Gutiérrez, Mascardi or Traful, and more basic sites known as "agrestes". Outside the park, wild camping is often tolerated, but check local rules and never enter an estancia without permission.
Three partner companies have a depot here: Camper Travel and Ruta Sur in San Carlos de Bariloche, and Motor Home Time on provincial road 80, still within the municipality of Bariloche, Río Negro province. The exact address and handover time are confirmed after booking; allow time for the walk-through of the vehicle and its equipment.
Our searches in October 2026, covering 42 offers from 2 companies, found camper vans from €206 per day, mandatory fees included, with a median of €286 for a January departure and €337 to €376 in other seasons. Low-profile motorhomes start at €378 per day. Run a search with your dates to see real prices.
Yes, if the rental company agrees: it then provides an authorisation to leave the country in the drivers' names, to be requested when booking. At the Cardenal Samoré Pass, allow for Argentine then Chilean formalities and the Chilean agricultural inspection, which bans bringing in fresh fruit, vegetables, meat or dairy products. The pass may close temporarily when it snows.
Our partners also rent from El Calafate, Puerto Madryn, Trelew, Mendoza and Río Gallegos. To El Calafate, Ruta 40 covers about 1,600 km via Esquel and Gobernador Gregores; Puerto Madryn is about 950 km away through the Chubut valley. Any one-way fees are included in the price as soon as you enter the return city when searching.
Not for the Seven Lakes Road, El Bolsón or Chile, all reached on paved roads. A 4x4 becomes valuable on ripio and the long gravel tracks further south. Several models observed are 4x4 campers, such as the Adventure Camper range, the Eminence Camper, the Patagonia Camper or the Puma RTT with its roof tent; the two-wheel-drive Aconcagua models sleep six.
Excellent follow-up, pleasant and efficient contact.
Booking a pick-up with a rooftop tent. A flawless experience from the first exchange with Cooldrive to the return of the vehicle, which allowed us to travel across Argentina just as we wanted: on an ADVENTURE!! This will remain an unforgettable trip. A big thank you for your valuable advice and your responsiveness. Rental company in Buenos Aires very professional and extremely kind.
The quality of the vehicle was limited, with basic comfort considering the excessive price. Good rating for customer relations, but there was a lack of verification of the rented vehicles.
A national driving licence is generally recognised for a tourist stay, but an international driving permit is strongly recommended, especially for police checks and to enter Chile. Each rental company sets a minimum age and a minimum number of years of driving, shown in the offer conditions. Argentina drives on the right, with dipped headlights on during the day outside towns.
Only 43% of the offers observed in October 2026 included unlimited mileage. A loop around the lakes stays short, but a trip to El Calafate or the Atlantic coast quickly runs to several thousand kilometres: compare the kilometres included and the price per extra kilometre in each offer before booking.
The median excess of the offers observed is €2,500. On ripio, flying gravel threatens windscreens, headlights and underbodies, and some damage may be excluded from the basic insurance. Read the exclusions of each offer and consider an excess reduction if your route includes long gravel tracks.
Teniente Luis Candelaria International Airport lies about fifteen kilometres east of the town centre. City buses and taxis serve the town, and some rental companies offer a transfer. Give the company your flight's arrival time to arrange the handover appointment, especially if you land in the evening.
Several months ahead for January and February, Argentina's summer holiday period: during our searches, the choice of camper vans for a January departure was already limited. July, with the winter holidays and the ski season, also draws big crowds. In spring and autumn, a few weeks' notice is usually enough.
From June to September, snow and ice affect the Seven Lakes Road, the access to Cerro Catedral and the Cardenal Samoré Pass, where the authorities may require chains. Ask the rental company whether chains are supplied, check road and pass conditions before each stage and avoid driving at night on icy stretches.
Bariloche is the great crossroads of the Patagonian lake district. Nahuel Huapi National Park, its coihue forests, Cerro Tronador and the Circuito Chico to the Llao Llao peninsula can be explored from day one; the Seven Lakes Road, El Bolsón and the alerce forests are a few stages away, and the Chilean lake district lies just across the border.
The three partner companies offer camper vans as well as 4x4 campers designed for gravel roads, with prices observed from €206 per day in October 2026. San Martín de los Andes, Puerto Madryn, Mendoza and El Calafate, other departure cities of our partners, open the way to long one-way trips across Argentina. The best time remains the southern summer, from December to March, when the days are long and the lakes come alive.
