There is no ferry / no road / no whatsoever. You´ll have to find a "banana boat". . Or find a cargo ship that will usually NOT take passengers - only the car, in almost all cases - EMPTY. So you´ll have to fly. Banana boats are told to be unsafe (contraband). . Neverless, I will try it summer 2004. See ya!
Alex
PS.: If you learn about any other possibility, please email me!!!!
abfall@terra.com
thx

I'm hoping to do the same trip! I don't know how yet.. .. . The crucero express was a ferry that stopped running in '96 that did exactly what we're looking for. Check our http://www.well.com/~dreyer/Drive_SA.html if you haven't already. Please, please, if you can, let me know how it goes this summer. Good luck. I'll let ya'll know if I hear anything. The Darien Gap doesn't look too promising though.
James Arnold

There is no road through the Darien Gap. It is possible to hike by way of Pucuro-Paya into Colombia, but highly unadvised because of Marxist Guerrillas who dominate the region.There have been numerous incidents involving Americans who were kidnapped or killed. I don't have much information for Venezuela, but as Colombia is listed on the Consular Factsheet as among the world's most dangerous countries Venezuela has to be safer. Also the ferry pulls into Cartagena, deep within FARC territory.

look up this company on the net and get their number then tell them when and where they should arrange it for you. they are a world wide logistics company. based in chicago just call their 800 number and start asking what they need. the company is" ch robinson "

if anyone needs more info email me at triman13@yahoo.com

". .. .. . and Guatemala and El Salvador with all their problems, are still safe compared with Colombia (specially south of Cali), Ecuador (if you go along the coast, the Andes are not quite so dangerous) and Perú (specially the area surrounding Lima. I have been through those areas about fifteen years ago (now it might be worse) and know what I am talking about.

Unless if you are willing to take all those risks, go through areas controlled by the guerrila (specially in Colombia), I strongly recommend you to travel by plane.. .. .

Regards from Mar del Plata, Argentina." From about.com South America for Vistors Forum.

With the new modern fleet of Buses connecting Internationally Mexico and Central America and all through South America or the great combo and coupon airfares one can get through a Consolidater like www.exitotravel.com who would want to drive? I drove nearly a 1,000,000 km. in Mexico and Central America over the years and it is just too much of a "challenge" these days..sold my last car,,better a live chicken than a dead hero!!!!!

Now impossible.. ..the easy way to get a vehicle to South America is to drive to Houston, New Orleans/Mobile, Tampa or Miami get a good Customs agent and put the vehocle on a container "lift on lift off" for a South American port of your choice then fly down ahead of time. Best an older vehicle you can abandon after use or give away to say an orphange. Try it.

Has anyone made the trip yet? I am planning a road trip along the Pan American as well but will begin in Chile. Anyone have any luck or contacts with vehicle shipping between Panama and Ecuador or Venezuela?
thanks,
matt.