Patagonia public transportation

I've got the travel guides, but they're a bit outdated and don't provide super up-to-date info about bus schedules, cost, etc. Hoping to hear from some folks with recent experience. What is the public transportation like getting from El Calafate to the Torres Del Paine (Puerto Natales) area? Can I just walk up to a bus and hop on or is it a bit more complicated (i.e. reservations ahead of time). Then, how easy is it to bus from Torres Del Paine area to Ushuaia? Any info regarding cost, time frames, reservations, and specific companies would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Bus travel is generally easy. During the busy time of year (mid Dec to Feb), buses can sometimes fill up a day or two in advance, so it's better to book ahead when you can, and reserve a good seat. It seems like schedules change often and the info you may find online can be obsolete. All the different bus companies have sales offices at the terminals they serve, so the best thing is to do some comparison shopping right at the terminal and check out the buses while you're at it.

Several buses per day ply the roads between El Calafate, Puerto Natales, and Punta Arenas. I haven't been to Ushuaia, but I assume the same is true there, too. I paid about $9 US for a bus from Natales to Punta Arenas last December. A decent rule of thumb for buses in Chile is that the cost is approx. $4-5 US per hour of drive time. Might be a bit cheaper in Argentina. Que tengas buena suerte con tus viajes.

Easy to get to ushuaia as well. And yeah, you can basically walk up and buy a ticket. Worse case scenario is you have to spend the night in xyz town and get on a bus the next day.