Si terminamos el viaje en Perú, tendríamos que partir en Colombia.

"If we end the trip in Peru, we would have to start in Colombia."

I hope I'm not being too picky here... Shouldn't this phrase be one of the following?

- Si terminamos el viaje en Perú, tendremos que partir en Colombia.

- Si terminábamos el viaje en Perú, tendríamos que partir en Colombia.

At this point I can't tell the difference. I think the first conjugated verb terminamos is the correct one (present tense). Maybe the second conjugated verb should be tendriamos based on "would have to start". I am comparing it to gustaria --> gustariamos. This is an example of what I think, we needed someone to explain. I don't think you are too picky. It is a very good point of discussion..

I like the original construction.

"We end" sounds like the simple present to me, so terminamos.

"would have to" looks like the conditional, so tendríamos sounds right.

Terminábamos is in the preterite, right? I don't see any reference to the past in this sentences.

Just my dos centavos. More educated minds will prevail!

Dan

I certainly agree with you that the present tense is the most natural one to say. I'm wondering though - perhaps more from a written / strictly grammatical perspective - that one is more correct than the other:

- If we finish the trip in Peru, we will have to start in Colombia.

- If we were to finish the trip in Peru, we would have to start in Colombia.

Just missed your post, Dan! Same comments as to Aurora, though "terminábamos" would be in the imperfect and would communicate a hypothetical possibility.

Ah, here's a stickler. I bet the second phrase would invoke the subjunctive - particularly in the context of a question. Cristian!!!

- Si termináramos el viaje en Perú, tendríamos que partir en Colombia?

I wondered about the subjunctive at first also. But I have not yet studied the subjunctive and maybe I am being too literal about the "would have to" phrase.

I have seen the pattern "If , then " for expressing things like this in a recent Rosetta Stone lesson.  Here, termináramos is imperfect subjunctive and tendríamos is conditional.  In this case, the subjunctive appears first.  So I think, "si termináramos el viaje en Perú, tendríamos que partir en Colombia" would translate to "if we finish the trip in Peru, we would have to start in Colombia".

That's my take on it as well. So I think you all are right in saying that the original phrase is correct as is.