Mendoza: Getting there & around

Mendoza has the region's only international airport. Aerolíneas Argentinas (tel: 420 4185; Av Sarmiento 82) flies several times daily to Buenos Aires. Lan Chile (tel: 425 7900; Rivadavia 135) flies regularly to Santiago de Chile, while Southern Winds (tel: 429 3200, 429 7077; España 943) flies to Buenos Aires, with connections through the country.

If you're traveling by bus, Mendoza is a major transport hub from where you can get just about anywhere in the country, including Buenos Aires (13-17hr), Río Gallegos (41hr), Córdoba (10hr), Puerto Iguazú (36hr) and Tucumán (14hr). Departures are from the city's bus terminal (tel: 431 5000, 431 3001; cnr Av Gobernador Videla & Av Acceso Este, Guaymallén).

Numerous companies cross the Andes every day via RN 7 (the Paso de Los Libertadores) to Santiago de Chile (7hr), Viña del Mar (7hr) and Valparaíso (8hr). The pass sometimes closes in winter due to bad weather.

Several carriers have connections to Lima, Perú (60-70hr), via Santiago, and there are at least two weekly departures to Montevideo, Uruguay (22hr), some with onward connections to Punta del Este and Brazil.

Plumerillo International Airport (tel: 448 2603) is 6km (3.7mi) north of downtown on RN 40. Bus 68 (Aeropuerto) from Calle Salta goes straight there.

Mendoza's bus terminal (tel: 431 5000, 431 3001; cnr Av Gobernador Videla & Av Acceso Este, Guaymallén) is really just across the street from downtown. Otherwise, the Villa Nueva trolley (actually a bus) connects the terminal with downtown. Local buses cost very little and require a magnetic Mendobus card, available at most kiosks.

Rental car agencies can be found at the airport and along Primitivo de la Reta.