The GPT is not a trail that can be hiked efficiently. The trail will change you plans without asking and inevitably stop you from time to time and turn you around. Also the period of normally suitable hiking weather is in parts quite short. In particular in the north you need to wait until December for the snow to melt and the rivers to fall to be forded safely. And fierce snow storms may make the route again impassable in late March or during April.
One must also consider the rhythm of Patagonia in neither rushed nor focused on efficiency. One significant way hikers will encounter this is with siesta, strictly observed in almost every small and many of the larger towns throughout the region. Businesses close (roughly) between 1-4 pm, though even those hours are subject to whim. Shops rarely have posted hours and even if they do, these are not observed. You may note on some a small white buzzer which you must press to call attention. Do not be shy in these circumstances, ring the bell and be prepared to wait patiently. If you bustle in brusquely, expect for services to be rendered even more slowly.
For profit buses, like businesses, operate at their leisure. If there is a schedule posted online, it is often inaccurate or incomplete. For bus schedules, ask at the kiosks or other local shops. Do not expect bus stops to have signs posted. Here again, communicating with locals will play an integral role to your experience and that will be defined by how you approach and treat them.
