Drive the Circuito Chico, the Seven Lakes Route and the Andes passes from the gateway to Patagonia.
San Carlos de Bariloche sits on the southern shore of Lago Nahuel Huapi in Rio Negro province, surrounded by Andean peaks and deep-blue lakes. The Circuito Chico - a 60 km loop past Llao Llao and Cerro Campanario - starts from the city centre. Villa La Angostura is 80 km north on RN40 and RN231, the Seven Lakes Route continues another 107 km to San Martin de los Andes on paved road, and El Bolson lies 120 km south. Without a car you are tied to tour-bus schedules; with one you leave when you want and stop where the light hits the lake just right.
We list cars from local rental companies in Bariloche that require no deposit on selected models. That means no hold on your card at pick-up - the rental agreement states zero excess hold for those particular cars. The excess liability itself remains as printed in the terms, but nothing is frozen. These models are marked "No Deposit" in the search results above; apply the filter if you want only those. You pay a booking advance online to us by debit or credit card, then settle the balance when you collect the keys - the accepted methods (debit card, cash or credit card) are shown for each car during booking and again in your voucher.
Pick-up happens either at Bariloche Airport (20 km west of town) or by delivery to your hotel or address anywhere in San Carlos de Bariloche. Most travellers staying in the Centro Civico or Pioneros neighbourhoods choose hotel delivery in the morning, collect the keys over coffee, sign the rental agreement on the spot and drive away. The company brings the car, notes any existing marks on the contract, hands over the keys and explains the paperwork. Your voucher will have the supplier's contact details and the exact meeting time you selected at booking.
Winter snow runs June through September; if you are crossing the Cardenal Samore pass into Chile or heading up to Cerro Catedral in July, the company may require chains or winter tyres. A permit from the rental company - arranged in advance - is mandatory for any entry into Chile. One-way rentals to Mendoza, El Calafate or Buenos Aires depend on the supplier and often carry a repositioning charge; check the terms during search.
Choose the collection point that fits your arrival pattern and itinerary start.
Teniente Luis Candelaria sits 15 km west of the city on RN237. Most rental desks are inside the small terminal; you sign, walk to the car park and leave straight onto the Andean highway. If your flight lands at midday and you want to reach Villa La Angostura by evening, airport pick-up saves the detour into town.
The company brings the car to your hotel entrance, hostel or apartment address anywhere in San Carlos de Bariloche - Centro Civico, Pioneros, the lakefront or the western residential streets. You meet the driver at the agreed time, inspect the car together, sign the contract and drive off without a taxi ride to an office. Delivery is usually free within the urban area; the booking form will show any charge if your address lies further out.
A few suppliers maintain a counter on Mitre or Beschtedt near the Centro Civico. You walk or taxi there, complete the paperwork and collect the keys from the adjacent lot. Convenient if you land at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery, take the evening flight to Bariloche and stay downtown overnight before starting your road trip the next morning.
The city is the hub; the lakes, volcanoes and passes radiate outward in every compass direction.
Sixty kilometres of paved loop west along Avenida Bustillo, past Playa Bonita, the Llao Llao peninsula, over Puente Arroyo Lopez and back via Cerro Campanario. Stop at the chairlift base - the 1,050 m summit offers a 360-degree panorama of Nahuel Huapi, Moreno and Perito Moreno lakes framed by Tronador and Catedral. The entire loop takes two hours of driving but plan four to walk the Arrayanes grove boardwalk and drink coffee at Punto Panoramico. Any compact sedan - a Nissan March or Toyota Etios - handles the smooth asphalt and the small car parks at the viewpoints without trouble.
Twenty kilometres south-west on RP82, Catedral is the largest ski centre in South America and operates June through September. In summer the base village is quiet but the access road remains open, the lifts sometimes run for hikers, and the high refugios serve as trailheads for ridge walks. The road is paved and wide; any car will do. In winter you may need chains if snow lies on the final bends - the rental company will advise when you collect the keys. A Fiat Cronos or Citroen C4 offers the boot space for ski bags if you bring your own gear.
Eighty kilometres north on RN40 and RN231 through forest and along Nahuel Huapi's north shore, Villa La Angostura is a quieter twin to Bariloche with chocolate shops and alpine-chalet architecture. From there the Ruta de los Siete Lagos continues 107 km to San Martin de los Andes, threading past Espejo, Correntoso, Villarino, Falkner, Machico, Lacar and Hermoso lakes - all connected by paved two-lane road. The entire run from Bariloche to San Martin is about 190 km and takes four hours if you drive straight, six if you stop for photographs at every mirador. Any sedan works; a Citroen C3 Aircross adds clearance if you want to branch onto a dirt track to a hidden beach, but the main route needs no four-wheel drive.
One hundred and twenty kilometres south on RN40, El Bolson lies in a warmer, drier microclimate where hops and berries grow. The town is smaller and slower than Bariloche, known for the Tuesday and Saturday artisan feria and for trailheads into Parque Nacional Lago Puelo. The road is entirely paved; budget two hours each way. A compact like the Renault Kwid suits a day trip, but if you plan to camp at Lago Puelo or continue south toward Esquel, a larger boot - Citroen C4 or Toyota Etios - will swallow the tent and sleeping bags more gracefully.
RN231 climbs west through Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi, past the Cascada de los Alerces turnoff, to the international border at Paso Cardenal Samore (elevation 1,314 m) then drops into Chile as Ruta 215 toward Osorno and Puerto Varas. The drive from Bariloche to the border is about 130 km; the Chilean side adds another 100 km to Osorno. The road is paved but climbs through mountain weather - snow between June and September can close the pass for hours. You must arrange a written permit from the rental company in advance; not all suppliers allow cross-border travel. Any sedan can make the journey in good weather, but winter demands chains and experience driving in snow. Allow four hours Bariloche-Osorno if the pass is open.
Seventy kilometres of partly unpaved road south-west from Bariloche via Mascardi and the Manso valley lead to Pampa Linda, the trailhead beneath Cerro Tronador (3,470 m). The final 30 km beyond Mascardi are gravel - wide, well-maintained ripio that a careful driver in a standard sedan can cover slowly, though a Citroen C3 Aircross with extra clearance will ride more comfortably. The reward is the Ventisquero Negro glacier trail and the turquoise Manso river. Plan a full day: three hours of driving round-trip, two hours walking the glacier moraine, a picnic at the ranger station. Fuel up in Bariloche - there are no stations past Mascardi.
The local suppliers in Bariloche offer a range from compact city hatchbacks to family sedans and light SUVs. Below is a snapshot of typical models; actual availability changes daily, so search above for real-time inventory.
| Model | Category | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Renault Kwid | Mini economy | Solo traveller, Circuito Chico day loop, tight parking in Centro Civico |
| Nissan March | Economy hatchback | Couple, paved routes, Villa La Angostura and back in a day |
| Toyota Etios | Compact sedan | Two adults plus luggage, Seven Lakes Route, El Bolson, multi-day paved itinerary |
| Fiat Cronos | Compact sedan | Small family, ski gear in winter, good boot for camping equipment |
| Citroen C4 | Mid-size sedan | Three adults comfortable, long highway stretches, one-way to Mendoza |
| Citroen C3 Aircross | Compact SUV | Higher clearance for Pampa Linda ripio, family with child seats, rough weather confidence |
None of these models requires four-wheel drive for the major routes around Bariloche - the Circuito Chico, Seven Lakes and El Bolson roads are all paved. If your plan includes long ripio sections further south on Ruta 40 or deep into Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi's backcountry tracks, search our Argentina car rental overview for pickup and SUV options.
The city is compact, the main routes are well signed, and traffic is light outside the January-February peak. A few local details will smooth your first day behind the wheel.
Selected cars in the Bariloche fleet are offered with zero deposit hold at pick-up. That policy is specific to each vehicle, not to a category or supplier, so the same company may list one sedan with no deposit and another with a standard hold.
When you search above, every car that requires no deposit carries a "No Deposit" badge in green. You can also apply the "No deposit" filter in the left sidebar to show only those models. The car's detail page and your booking voucher will confirm "Deposit hold: Zero" so there is no ambiguity when you arrive at the rental counter. Remember that the excess liability - the amount you would pay in case of damage - still exists and is printed in the terms; we are talking only about the hold, the temporary freeze on your card, which is removed entirely for these vehicles.
You need a driving licence valid for at least one year (an International Driving Permit is recommended alongside your home licence) and the card or cash for the balance as specified in your voucher. Each car listing states the accepted payment methods for the remaining amount - debit card, credit card or cash. If the car accepts only debit or cash and you have no credit card, you are covered. If you have a debit card, check with your bank that the daily limit is high enough to pay the balance in one transaction. Full payment details are explained on our payment and advance page.
Answers to the practical questions travellers ask before they book a car in Bariloche.
Yes. Many cars in Bariloche accept payment by debit card or cash for the balance due at pick-up, and selected models require no deposit hold at all. The accepted methods are shown for each car during booking and confirmed in your voucher.
No. The Circuito Chico is a 60 km paved loop, and the Seven Lakes Route from Villa La Angostura to San Martin de los Andes is entirely asphalt. Any compact sedan - Toyota Etios, Nissan March - will handle both routes comfortably. A higher-clearance SUV like the Citroen C3 Aircross is useful only if you plan dirt side-tracks such as Pampa Linda or winter driving to Cerro Catedral.
You can collect at Bariloche Airport, at a city-centre office or by delivery to your hotel or accommodation anywhere in San Carlos de Bariloche. Hotel delivery is popular because the company brings the car to your door, you sign the contract on the street and drive away. Choose your preferred pick-up method and time in the search form above.
You can, but you must arrange a written border-crossing permit from the rental company in advance. The permit lists the car registration and your details and is checked by Gendarmeria at the Cardenal Samore pass. Not all suppliers allow Chile crossings, so mention your plan when you book. The pass sits at 1,314 m and can close in winter snow.
No-deposit availability is specific to individual vehicles, not to all cars in the fleet. Some models are offered with zero hold at pick-up; others follow a standard deposit policy. The "No Deposit" badge in the search results identifies the eligible cars. Apply the filter to see only those if avoiding a hold is important to your budget.
You need a valid driving licence held for at least one year; an International Driving Permit is recommended alongside your home licence. At pick-up you will present your licence, passport and the payment method stated in your voucher - debit card, credit card or cash for the balance. The rental company will print the agreement, note any existing damage on the vehicle diagram and hand over the keys.
One-way rentals from Bariloche to Buenos Aires, Mendoza or El Calafate are possible with some suppliers and usually carry a repositioning charge. The search results will indicate "One-way available" if the option exists for that car. If one-way is not shown, the booking requires a return to Bariloche. Distances in Argentina are huge - Bariloche to Buenos Aires is over 1,600 km - so many travellers fly between cities and rent locally.
Enter your travel dates in the search form at the top of this page, compare the available cars and secure your booking with a small online advance. The local Bariloche rental company will deliver the keys to your hotel or wait for you at the airport, and you will drive the lake roads, mountain passes and forest loops at your own pace. Free cancellation applies until the deadline shown in your voucher, so you can adjust your plans if your flights change or the Patagonian weather shifts your itinerary.