Cheapest way to travel Patagonia?
 

My friend and I are two female students spending 17 days in Argentina. We hope to skim the top part of Patagonia, and if time and money allow it, maybe nip down south some more - the places we are hoping to hit are Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Bariloche, and Puerto Madryn, but we wouldn't be opposed to squeezing one of those cities down a bit and trying to make it down Calafate.
It appears ground travel is more economic than air, so we'll start there, but how much should we expect to pay for our busses? Would it be advisable to rent a car perhaps?
Are there any other ways we can hope to save some money while still experiencing the most of Argentina and Patagonia?

Thanks for your help!

saexplorers.org/clubhouses/buenosaires great info for you
argentinaforless.con can set up cheap itinerary for you.
Cheapest way to do it buy a shoestring SA lonelyplanet.com
guide and bus around long slog not too bad if you break it up. Cars problematic expensive shakedowns theft high insurance inability to cross borders I never rent personally. Fly the long legs bus the shorties personally.

Happy Trails!

We travelled mostly by bus and found the service to be excellent. Andesmar an Via Bariloche are good companies. Check their easy to use websites for fares and times. Most long journeys are overnight thus saving on costs. Ejecutivo class is well worth the extra.Flights are VERY expensive.
For more info on the places you are considering check out our blog http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blo...ai/1/tpod.html

Salta does not appear on your list which for me was the highlight of our time in argentina. PM is great for the whales at the right time of year but it is on the other side of the country and along way to go for a couple of days

Buses in Patagonia are different than the buses in other parts of Argentina, with simpler services and mainly day buses. With 17 days you are going to have to make some choices. Distances are huge and you will have to decide whether to go south to Patagonia or north to Mendoza, Salta or Iguazu. You are going to have to fly part of the distance anyway. It is 21 hours on a bus from Buenos Aires to Bariloche, longer from there to El Calafate. A lot depends on the time of year as well. In the southern hemisphere winter you are better off going north.