Driving from El Calafate to Torres del Paine National Park and back?

I will be traveling to Patagonia in January with few friends and wanted to know if I could drive to Torres del Paine.

Specifically, we were thinking of:

Renting a car in El Calafate
Driving to Torres del Paine
Parking in Torres del Paine while we hike the 'W' trail
Driving back to El Calafate.

Any advice would be appreciated. Though I guess, I am most concerned about whether it is possible (or safe) to park somewhere in Torres del Paine, and whether we will run into trouble crossing the Argentina-Chile border.

Pictures about "Driving from El Calafate to Torres del Paine National Park and back?"

Driving from El Calafate to Torres del Paine National Park and back? - Brown Rocky Mountain Painting

Driving from El Calafate to Torres del Paine National Park and back? - Low angle of aged historic construction with columns and arched entrances decorated with sculptural ensemble with quadriga of Aurora in Citadel Park

Driving from El Calafate to Torres del Paine National Park and back? - People Walking on Snow Capped Mountain

How do I get from El Calafate to Torres del Paine?

The distance between El Calafate in Argentina and Torres del Paine in Chile is 157 miles (253 km) and can be reached by car in three and a half hours. The trip requires you to cross the Argentinan border into Chile, and you'll reach Torres del Paine by driving on Route 40.

How many days do you need to see Torres del Paine?

The Torres del Paine W Trek is the classic. We believe that most trekkers can do it a day less than the the traditional 5 days and still have plenty of time to take photos and fully enjoy the views.

Can you drive to Torres del Paine?

There is only one road to Torres del Paine From Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales there is only one road: Chilean route 9. It's a good, two-way fully-asphalted highway all the way. After Punta Natales, the asphalt continues for another 50 km to Cerro Castillo, where it crosses into Argentina.

What is the best way to get to Torres del Paine?

The Nearest Airport: Punta Arenas The Punta Arenas airport, located 360 kilometers and 5 hours south of Torres del Paine National Park. It's the closest airport to the park and has daily non-stop flights from Santiago.

Torres del Paine Patagonia by car from El Calafate

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Gotta Be Worth It, Pixabay, Enric Cruz López, Hugo Heimendinger