Antarctica Travel Forum

I am very interested in seeing the Antarctic and was wondering:

1) What would temperatures be like in August (centigrade?)

2) How would I go about reaching it from the UK? I am not easily able to get to New Zealand unless this is the only way. I have also heard permission is required if you are not travelling as part of a tour, is this true?

3) What are the best parts to see all of the best birdlife?
Thanks.

Type in Antarctic tours in search and take your pick,i'm sure a lot go from s.america.
As to to going as not part of a tour,i think that's a big 0 .August is cold and take sunscreen factor x

Hi,

I thing it is the best to reache in the Web for offers to go to the Antarctic - and plan your trip well in advance. I was riding my motorcycle around SA, ended up in Ushuaia for new years. When I was thing about what to do next I talked to my landlord in the small Hostel I was staying. By the way very friendly people down there. I was staying in the Tango B&B, the owner lived long time in the States so we had nice chatting in English. He also payed lots of instruments and teaches dacing - I guess it looked like Tango... He told me that best way to learn about going to the Antactica is asking fo an itinerary from an argentinean TA - they know the marked better then a european Agent. He gave me the mail-address of his doughter, which is currently working in a Travel Agency in Buenos Aires. When she was living in Ushuaia she organized the tours there. If you want to go to the Antarctic is is maybe worth to give her a try too. Her name is Paola de Luca and you can reach her under paola@argentinago.com - send her greating from me, she will know how THOMAS is. By the way, I didn't go to the Antarctic but finally I got someone whom I can trust when returning to Argentina.

Best regards
Thomas

Typically, the only way for most people to visit the Antarctic is through tour groups - these tours generally operate between November and March - the weather is fair (usually above freezing).

In August the ice pack nearly doubles the size of the continent. The weather is well below zero (tomorrow the high is supposed to be -26 Celsius at McMurdo - and it's not even the dead of winter yet), and there won't be many penguins to see as they will be huddled together to protect themselves from the cold. I don't want to even think of how rough the Drake Passage is in August.

There are two places where you can catch tour ships to Antarctica - In New Zealand or in Ushuaia, Argentina - travelling from Ushuaia reduces the sail time to Antarctica by over a day I believe.

I believe that special permission is required to visit Antarctica outside of a tour group - however I believe that this permission is only extended to organized expeditions - there would be no chance of a solo traveller being given this opportunity (lots of issues - such as how would you get around, food supplies, lodging etc - these just don't generally exist in Antarctica)

Oh dear You cant just go there. There is not any hotels or rental cars. It has only research stations. You will need to go to Argentina and join the 35,000 people who jump on a variety of vessels that touch the peninsula or do the real thing and go to New Zealand and spend 26 days on a Russian icebraker that takes you into the heart of this most isolated but beautiful place on the planet. Quark Expeditions are the ones. In the last 12 months only two trips there. Just the best. Although expensive hay if you want to go to the moon you will have to pay for it.

You wont be going any where near Antarctica in August. As the others have said NZ or Ushuaia are the only places tourists can go from. The antartic peninsula is good for wild life.