Filling up along Ruta 40
¿Where are the Service Stations?
Tips and information for a peaceful trip
Ruta 40 in Argentina crosses areas with very low population density: towns and gas stations are far apart. Knowing where the next gas station is, is critical to be able to plan your journey. Here you will find complete details on fueling stations along the highway.
Your Road Trip along Ruta 40, South America's mythical highway will be easier if you know beforehand where to fill up your petrol tank.
Important tip: Keep your gas tank topped up
Don't wait for the red light to show up on the dashboard to remind you that your fuel levels are low. Argentina in general and the Ruta 40 in particular has far less gas stations than you have in the US, Canada, Australia or Europe, they are also quite a distance from each other and, sometimes they run out of gasoline.
We once waited for several hours in Rio Mayo, Chubut, Patagonia for the tanker truck to arrive with its precious cargo to be able to fill up our gas tank, and a friend drove on his empty tank trying to find a service station with fuel in Santa Cruz.
So, just fill up your tank at every service station and play it safe
How gas is pumped in Argentina
There are no self-service gas stations in Argentina. Nobody pumps his or her own gas. The service station attendant will pump it for you.
Some places may not accept credit cards. By law they must accept debit cards, but don't bet on it. Always carry some cash to fill your tank. Gasoline costs between U$S 1.00 and U$S 1.30 per liter (95 and 98 octanes respectively).
98 octanes is the "Premium" and the 95 octanes is known as "super". Tell the person at the pump if you need gasoline by saying "nafta" (pronounced naf-tah) or diesel fuel ("diesel") pronounced "dee-eh-sell", because they could make the mistake of pumping gasoline into a diesel fuelled car or vice versa. Check this when you rent the car, there should be a label on the fuel door.
The main players in the market are YPF, Shell, Axion (who purchased the Exxon network), and Puma which was formed when Petrobras stations were sold to Dutch oil company Trafigura. Then there are independent gas stations known as "Bandera Blanca" or "white flag" stations.
Find your Service Station
Search each Province
Click on the province below to see which towns on Route 40 have gas stations -they are listed by region from south to north:
Patagonia
Cuyo Region
North Region
Service Stations Networks
Shell, YPF y Axion: Argentine locations
The websites of the main oil companies have maps that show the location of their service stations. The Argentine Ministry of Energy and Mining has a website that shows ALL of Argentina's gas stations and the price that they sell the fuel at:
Towns with Gas Stations in each Province
We also included those towns that are relatively close to the Ruta 40 in case you are doing a side trip or there are fuel shortages along the main highway.
Patagonia Region
It comprises the provinces of (from south to north): Santa Cruz, Chubut, Río Negro and Neuquén. We start with Santa Cruz and list each province's towns from South to North:
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, las localidades con Estación de Servicio:
Tip: Visit the Website of the provincial roadworks entity, it has information on road conditions and gas stations in the whole province of Santa Cruz.
Río Gallegos
28 de Noviembre
Río Turbio
Tapi Aiken
La Esperanza
El Calafate
El Chaltén
Tres Lagos
Gobernador Gregores
Bajo Caracoles
Perito Moreno
Fuera de la Ruta 40
Lago Posadas ex-Yrigoyen
Los Antiguos
Tip
Keep your tank full and top it up whenever you can. Patagonia is large.
The ACA is the "Automóvil Club Argentino" (The Argentine Automobile Club - just like the AAA of USA or the AA in the UK). The ACA sells YPF gasoline and has a network across the country.
Chubut
Gas stations along Ruta 40 in Chubut, south to north
Río Mayo
Gobernador Costa
Tecka
YPF
Esquel
Epuyen
El Hoyo
Close to Ruta 40
Aldea Beleiro
Alto Rio Senguer
Corcovado
Cholila
El Maitén
Lago Blanco
Lago Puelo
Rio Pico
José de San Martin
Sarmiento
Trevelin
Three tips to save fuel
- Travel light
The more load you carry the more energy you need to move it: more fuel consumption. Lighten up your car's trunk and take only what you need with you. - Accelerate gradually
The ideal situation is to travel at a steady speed, to step on the throttle means wasting fuel. Accelerating and slowing down repeatedly uses more gasoline. - Turn off the airconditioner
Most of us use the airconditioner year round, in winter it keeps the windows from misting up, but it requires power from the engine to run the AC and that uses more fuel.
Rio Negro
Gas stations on Ruta 40 in Río Negro.
El Bolsón
Villa Mascardi
S. Carlos de Bariloche
Dina Huapi
Check your tire's pressure
Defated tires have a wider tread-step on the road surface, increasing friction and requiring more power from you engine to move the vehicle. Read the manual to find out which is tthe correct pressure for your car and check the pressure every two weeks to keep the tires correctly inflated.
Neuquén
Filling stations in Neuquén
Villa La Angostura
San Martín de los Andes
Junín de los Andes
Zapala
Las Lajas
Chos Malal
Buta Ranquil
Barrancas
Fuera de la Ruta 40
Aluminé
Confluencia
Loncopue
Villa Pehuenia
This complete's the Patagonian section, now we continue north into the "Cuyo Region".
Cuyo
Mendoza, San Juan and La Rioja are the three "Cuyo" provinces along Ruta 40.
Mendoza
Fill your tank in Mendoza in these towns along Ruta Nacional 40:
Malargüe
El Sosneado
Pareditas
Eugenio Bustos
San Carlos
Tunuyán
Ugarteche
Luján de Cuyo
Maipu
Mendoza Capital
Jocoli
Close to Ruta 40
La Consulta
Vista Flores
Tupungato
Uspallata
San Rafael
San Juan
Ruta 40 gas stations in San Juan province
Media Agua
San Juan Capital
Jáchal
Near Ruta 40
Calingasta
Las Flores (Iglesia)
Tips to use less fuel
Anything that alters the flow of air around your car will generate "drag" and slow it down, meaning that you will need to use more power (and gasoline) to keep the same speed. Racks on the car's roof and ski racks, bikes, trailers, caravans and even sunroofs or open windows disrupt the car's aerodynamics.
Anything that makes wind-noise when you are driving will cause drag.
La Rioja
La Rioja and its stations
Guandacol
Villa Unión
Nonogasta
Chilecito
San Blas de los Sauces
Close to Ruta 40
Aimogasta
Famatina
This concludes the "Cuyo Region". Now we will head north into Argentina's Northern Region.
Northern Region
Catamarca, Tucumán, Salta and Jujuy provinces
Catamarca
Where to fill up your petrol tank in Catamarca (R.Nac. 40):
Belén
Hualfín
Santa Maria
Near Ruta 40 (on the Sixthousands Route)
Tinogasta
Fiambalá
Tucumán
Tucumán, Fuel close to Ruta 40:
Tucumán has the shortest segment of all of Ruta 40, and has no gas stations on it.
Tafí del Valle
Mollar
Salta
Fill up on Ruta 40 in Salta:
Cachi
Cafayate
San A. de los Cobres
Near Ruta 40
Chicoana
Carril
Salta
Rosario de Lerma
Jujuy
Jujuy Gas Stations:
La Quiaca
Susques
Fuera de la Ruta 40
Tilcara
Paso de Jama
Humahuaca
Abra Pampa
Important comment
We try to provide reliable information to our visitors so that they can plan their trip along Ruta 40. To this effect we have checked the official sources and those of the oil companies. Nevertheless, this information may become outdated, service stations may close, others open, some may go bankrupt, etc. So we strongly recommend that you check out this information before setting out on their Ruta 40 road trip. All information on our website is for information purposes only and shall not be construed as the giving of advice or making of any recommendation and this website should not be relied upon as the basis for any decision or action. The contents may not be comprehensive or updated. All information is provided in good faith but without warranty of any kind, express or implied, and any use of information or material contained on this website is at the users sole risk.
Hotels & Accommodation along Ruta 40
Find your room in each province along the highway
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>> Hotels in City of Salta
Hotels in each province along Ruta 40
Must-See stops near Ruta 40
>> Find your room in Salta Province
