A few nuggets of info worth knowing:-
The national park is about the same size as the English Lake District. Similarly, there are lots of lakes.
There are no towns or villages in TDP. There are limited hotels, refuges and campsites. Accommodation is expensive.
You have to buy a ticket for entry into the park. You can buy online well in advance and a ticket can cover 3 days.
There are some settlements just outside the park offering cheaper accommodation.
The nearest town to TDP is Puerto Natales. It is possible to commute from there either in a hire car or book an excursion although you will find yourself getting up early and the days will be long. Puerto Natales also has an airport.
There are no petrol stations in TDP.
The roads in TDP are mostly unmade. At best they are flat and gravelly but in many places they are covered in potholes. Expect average driving speeds to be relatively low in TDP.
The potholes don’t stop the mini-buses and coaches coming in. There are many and can slow you down.
Most of the trails are not circular. You come back the same way.
The iconic 1 day walk to the TDP viewpoint (photo below) takes 8 to 10 hours there and back. There is a visitor centre near the car park which sells a bit of food and drink. There is also a refuge half way up which also sells food and drink. This is the kind of walk where walking poles are very useful. Expect lots of people on this walk, especially in the summer. The lake at the end is worth the 22km hike though.
