Bagé to Mercedes, Uruguay is about 364 road miles (585 km): roughly 8 h 34 min at the wheel if you don't stop. You cross from Brazil into Uruguay at about mile 101.
- Level 4: Do Not Travel in Brazil: informal housing developments (favelas, vilas, comunidades or conglomerados).
Full advisory: Brazil, Uruguay. Advisory issued: Brazil August 31, 2026; Uruguay July 28, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Brazil: “Road maintenance is inadequate in many areas.”
- Uruguay: “Several of the main highways are particularly accident-ridden.”
| Distance by road | 364 mi (585 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 8 h 34 min |
| Main roads, in order | RSC-473 → BR-293 |
| Border crossing | about mile 101, Brazil → Uruguay |
| Regions on the route | Rio Grande do Sul, Rivera, Tacuarembó, Río Negro, Soriano |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 14.5 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 3 |
Crossing from Brazil into Uruguay
The route crosses at about mile 101, from Rio Grande do Sul into Rivera. Plan on two checks on each side: immigration for your passport and customs for the car.
| Entering Uruguay (U.S. citizens) | No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid for 6 months beyond your arrival date. |
|---|---|
| Driving in Uruguay | You can drive on your U.S. license. |
| Entering Brazil (U.S. citizens) | Visa required: apply and get approved before you travel; travelers without visas can't enter. Passport: must be valid for one month at entry, with a blank page for each stamp. |
| Driving in Brazil | If you'll stay more than 180 days and drive, carry an Inter-American Driving Permit with your U.S. license. |
| Rental car | Cross only if the rental company authorizes it in writing and gives you the papers for the border; ask before you book. |
Sources: U.S. State Department, Uruguay (updated August 13, 2026); U.S. State Department, Brazil (updated August 06, 2026). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
What the drive from Bagé to Mercedes is like
BR-293 (95 mi) and RSC-473 (4 mi) carry about 27% of the 364 miles. The first 101 miles are in Brazil; the last 263 are in Uruguay. It runs through 5 regions: Rio Grande do Sul, Rivera, Tacuarembó, Río Negro, Soriano. Of the 3 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Bagé to Mercedes: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| RSC-473 | 2–6 | 4 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-293 | 6–101 | 95 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| local roads | 101–306 | 205 | Rivera, Tacuarembó, Río Negro |
| connecting roads | 306–309 | 3 | Río Negro |
| local roads | 309–364 | 55 | Río Negro, Soriano |
- Mile 101 of this route: Rio Grande do Sul → Rivera (international border)
- Mile 150 of this route: Rivera → Tacuarembó (region line)
- Mile 254 of this route: Tacuarembó → Río Negro (region line)
- Mile 318 of this route: Río Negro → Soriano (region line)
Places worth a stop between Bagé and Mercedes
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Zoológico Municipal Dr. Mauricio López Lomba (mile 168), Museo del Indio y del Gaucho Washington Escobar (mile 170)
- Nature and outdoors: Chorro de Agua Fría (mile 196)
- Museums and history: Museo del Indio y del Gaucho Washington Escobar (mile 170)
- With kids: Zoológico Municipal Dr. Mauricio López Lomba (mile 168)
Zoológico Municipal Dr. Mauricio López Lomba
Reachable from Route 5 at kilometer 390, the Mauricio López Lomba reserve is a wildlife reserve in the city of Tacuarembó, Uruguay.
Museo del Indio y del Gaucho Washington Escobar
The Museo del Indio y del Gaucho, a museum of the Indigenous people and the gaucho, is located in the city of Tacuarembó, Uruguay.
Chorro de Agua Fría
In Uruguay's Tacuarembó Department, Chorro de Agua Fría is a waterfall that drops roughly 14 meters, the highest uninterrupted fall in the country.
Arriving in Mercedes
Calera Real del Dacá
On the eastern edge of Mercedes beside the Dacá stream, the ruins of the Calera Real lime works date to 1722 and are considered the region's first industrial site; recent works added visitor circuits, lighting and interpretive signs.
Alejandro Berro Paleontology Museum
In a 19th-century building in Mercedes' Parque Castillo Mauá, this paleontology museum opened in 1946 around the collection of naturalist Alejandro Berro; a well-preserved glyptodon shell found on a nearby riverbank is a highlight.
Cathedral of Mercedes
Since 1960, the Diocese of Mercedes has had its seat at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mercy, the main Catholic church in this Uruguayan city.
More drives to Mercedes
- Salto to Mercedes, Uruguay
- Rivera to Mercedes, Uruguay
- Artigas to Mercedes, Uruguay
- Montevideo to Mercedes, Uruguay
- Melo to Mercedes, Uruguay
- Buenos Aires to Mercedes, Uruguay
More drives from Bagé
- Bagé to Erechim
- Bagé to Tubarão
- Bagé to Francisco Beltrão
- Bagé to Chuí
- Bagé to Paysandú, Uruguay
- Bagé to Durazno, Uruguay
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Bagé to Mercedes, Uruguay?
About 8 h 34 min of driving without stops, over 364 miles.
How far is Mercedes, Uruguay from Bagé by car?
About 364 miles (585 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.
Where does the Bagé to Mercedes drive cross the border?
At about mile 101, from Brazil into Uruguay.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Bagé into Uruguay?
No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid for 6 months beyond your arrival date. You can drive on your U.S. license. (U.S. State Department, updated August 13, 2026.)
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Bagé to Mercedes drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Uruguay Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Bagé to Mercedes use?
In order: RSC-473 and BR-293. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Bagé to Mercedes?
Closest to the road: Zoológico Municipal Dr. Mauricio López Lomba (zoo, mile 168, 0.2 mi from the route); Museo del Indio y del Gaucho Washington Escobar (museum, mile 170, 0.5 mi from the route); Chorro de Agua Fría (waterfall, mile 196, 2 mi from the route). All stops are described above.
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on October 10, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.