Suggestions for Argentina

I'm going to Argentina for three weeks (late May into June) with my sister. Becuase Argentina is a such a huge country I'm looking for suggestions - best places to visit, ones that can be skipped for now. Also, any thoughts on domestic flights versus overland travel?

Thanks!

It would help if you told us your interests. As you say Argentina is huge, so please give us some more details.

My sister is very interted in hiking and natural wonders. I also enjoy it but am also interested in the smaller, perhaps more traditional cities and towns.
as a point of reference, some of the things that we would definitely like to do include visiting the iguazu falls and mendoza. This will probably limit us to the north unless there are relatively cheap flights we could take.
thanks

You could set up a pretty cool trip I would think going between Mendoza and Iguazu... Maybe go Iguazu to Salta area and then down to Mendoza (or reverse). That way you'd hit a variety of the things the country has to offer, and the northwest (Salta and Jujuy) have amazing natural wonders and awesome colonial cities and places with great indigenous influence (Purmamarca, Tilcara, and Salta are 3 of my favorite towns in all of Argentina). I don't think you would need to fly any of it, though obviously that would save time. Also, make sure to save a few days for Buenos Aires!

The following are previous posts:

Aerolineas has prices for residents and non-residents. It also has different fares for travellers arriving in Argentina via Aerolineas and for travellers arriving in Argentina via any other international airline. There is no way to get around it as they ask for your papers when you check in. Unless you live in Argentina and have the right ID you will have to pay the non-resident price. This is why the web site says something about country of origin. So you need to be careful when you get quotes that they are for non-residents and also be clear whether the quote is in dollars or pesos.

Aerolineas Argentinas is the main carrier for domestic flights in Argentina. It has different fares for travellers arriving in Argentina via Aerolineas and for travellers arriving in Argentina via any other international airline.

Round-trip flights from Buenos Aires for travellers arriving in Argentina via Aerolineas Argentinas taxes included:

Iguazu --- 354.00 US$.
Salta ------ 422.00 US$.
Ushuaia --- 374.00 US$.
Calafate --- 357.00 US$.
Mendoza -- 374.00 US$.
Bariloche -- 482.00 US$.

One-way flights:
Ushuaia-Calafate ---- 133.00 US$.
Calafate-Bariloche ---- 264.00 US$.
Buenos Aires-Rio Gallegos -- 122.00 US$.

Round-trip fares from Buenos Aires for travellers not arriving in Argentina via Aerolineas:

Iguazu ----- 458.00 US$.
Mendoza --- 486.00 US$.
Calafate --- 464.00 US$.
Ushuaia --- 486.00 US$.
Trelew --- 422.00 US$.
Salta ----- 548.00 US$.
Bariloche -- 625.00 US$.

One-way fares:

Ushuaia-Calafate ---- 192.00 US$.
Calafate-Bariloche -- 343.00 US$.
Buenos Aires-Rio Gallegos -- 284.00 US$.

Aerolineas Argentinas´phone numbers around the world:

London: 0800-0969-747
Germany: 0800-1844-747
Australia: 9234-9000
Madrid: 900-955-747
USA: 1-800-333-0276
Argentina: 0810-222-8652

LAN Argentina return fares from Buenos Aires:

Iguazu ------- 238.00 US$.
Bariloche ---- 323.00 US$
Mendoza ----- 252.00 US$.
Comodoro Rivadavia --- 474.00 US$.
Cordoba ------- 184.00 US$.
Rio Gallegos -- 513.00 US$.
Calafate ------- 240.00 US$. (As of November-08-06)
Ushuaia --- 252.00 US$. (As of November-08-06)
One-way Calafate-Ushuaia ----- 90.00 US$. (As of November-08-06)

Buenos Aires - Salta.
Andes Airline.

Maria Laura Chibán
Andes Lineas Aereas
0810-12226337 extension 610
lchiban@andesonline.com

Round-trip fares

1) 256.00 US$.
2) 269.00 US$.
3) 283.00 US$.

www.andesonline.com

Jorge Daniel Barchi.
Buenos Aires.

I personally think you should hit San Juan, north of Mendoza and go to Ischigualasto, I loved it!

Previous reports:

Normally, buses are the way to go. International flights in South America are expensive and trains are very few and far between, so most people on a longer trip use mainly buses. Especially in Argentina and Chile, these are excellent value for money ( think airline business class ) and go everywhere.

I would have to say that my 20-hour trip from Buenos Aires to Bariloche with the company Via Bariloche may have been the best night sleep I got in my entire 14-month trip in South America. I know they do the Buenos Aires to Iguazu route as well, I would recommend them 100%, it was true luxury for me, champagne, whiskey, wine, great food, movies and such, I loved it. They do provide pillows and a blanket, and the air con is strong, not Brazil strong, but strong enough that you will want the blanket for the night.

I travelled in South America last year and the bus company that we used all the time in Argentina because of their high standards was Andesmar. The seats were comfortable and you should go for "cama total" as yes, it is the closet you will get to lying almost flat! They like to entertain their passengers on longer journeys with good old Bingo...in Spanish of course so you get a Spanish lesson while travelling! They gave us food, blankets and pilllows.

I would opt for Crucero del Norte. We took their bus from Buenos Aires to Iguazu earlier this year ( 2006 ) and it was great. We used them on other routes and it was consistently good. If I remember right, their top service is called "cama suite" (seats and foot rest fold down to a bed). Different companies may have different names for this type of service (ie. cama suite, cama total, ejecutivo), so it is always best to confirm exactly what you are getting when buying your tickets. If you buy your tickets at Retiro bus station in Buenos Aires, the bus companies generally have photos showing their top of the line service.

* If you are booking at the Buenos Aires Bus terminal, there are a number of companies there offering executive service with full cama. We went both ways by Crucero del Norte with no problem but we could not advise if they were any better than the rest. Might I suggest you book one way with one and the return with another, that way you could advise us if one was better than the other. ( Just a hint, as the buses travel at night, try to avoid the very front seats as the glare of on-coming headlights can be annoying when trying to sleep).

Jorge Daniel Barchi.
Buenos Aires.

I've got two suggestions for hiking: La Cumbrecita and the area around Cerro Aconcagua. A couple of towns very worthwhile visiting would be General Belgrano (amazing, totally german just like Bavaria) and Alta Gracia (Ernesto "Che" Guevara and Manuel de Falla).

It depends on how far you are traveling, but I think flying is the best way to maximize your time. It is relatively expensive (maybe 5 times the cost of a bus ticket), but it will give you more time to explore. You can take overnight buses which are fairly comfortable, but if you are someone that can't really sleep well on a bus, you'll just lose more time making up for missing sleep. It's the typical time versus money issue.

Alan

I know it might be inconvenient to get there, but if you enjoy hiking or appreciate nature at all, you have to try to see the Lake District and Patagonia. The national parks there (including Los Glaciares) are some of the most beautiful views I've ever seen, and a highlight of the whole country for me.

as far as patagonia goes - is the weather a factor considering that I plan to be there in June?

Previous report:

* Patagonia in winter is a seriously awesome thing. Logistically it can be challenging to get out to some places, especially the mountain roads which completely lack public transport in the winter. However, having been all the way to Ushuaia in August ( Mid-winter ) I know just how possible and rewarding it is.
First thing is the weather will be cold. Not actually as cold as Bolivia's altiplano, but it will be wet as well and snowy in the highlands. That is great for scenery etc. but it can mean places such as Bariloche getting snowed in. When I went I was going the opposite way. I travelled from Chile into Bariloche - unless you ski your options there are limited and if you do not ski you will be annoyed by the Brazilian ski bunnies who over-run it. That does mean all the usual hostels etc. are open, but Brazilians are culturally, well, a noisy bunch of people so you had better hope you are in it for the skiing! The landscape there looks beautiful in the snow though, and it is a nice little town to be in. There is a great steakhouse at El Boliche de Alberto though that is worth going to Bariloche just to eat in. Oh, and the chocolate of course. The pass from Chile ( Osorno ) into Argentina was hairy - we had to put snow chains on and I think they shut it after I crossed it, and Bariloche was cut off from the rest of Argentina for a few days because of the snow. Fun! I left on the last possible day ( It got snowed in afterwards ) and headed across to the Atlantic Coast ( Loads of buses, most empty! ) to Trelew and from there to Gaiman, a bizarre Welsh village. I actually stayed the night there in a B&B ( Not necessary, but I am a Cymruphile! ) but there were very few tourists around. The tea-shops are all open though ( After 3 as per tradition ) so it is worth a day trip if you like cake or Welsh things, or just want a proper cup of tea and do not want a funny look when you ask for it "with milk" "Con leche." After Gaiman I got the bus to Puerto Madryn ( Again, there are loads of these ) to see the Whales and the Valdes Peninsula. June, July time is just coming into whale season but I would strongly recommend giving the peninsula a miss then because most of the other marine wildlife ( Elephant seals, orcas, penguins etc.) will not be around. The year-round wildlife will be but I have a far better recommendation coming up if you want to see Guanacos, Rhea and Mara etc. Best thing is to head to Puerto Piramides and take a boat trip into the gulf to see the whales, but I could not tell you how active they would be at this time of year ( I went in August, a month after you are planning ). The YHA in town is a great hostel and will be fairly quiet so, again, no troubles with accommodation. I then went down the Atlantic coast to Río Gallegos ( Which I went through three times without stopping! ), an easy if long journey of 18 hours. Because it is coastal there are not often delays on the route and plenty of buses take it, just less than at other times of the year. From Gallegos I did a quick change and caught the first bus I could over to El Calafate ( That was a long journey: from Puerto Madryn to El Calafate was around 23 hours in total ). Perito Moreno is now a year-round destination so there are no problems getting buses, tours, accommodation and food. I then headed down to Ushuaia, via Río Gallegos - yet another killer journey ( I recommend spending a long time in each place ). Ushuaia is another ski place and has other winter sports ( Like dog-sledding! ) so you will have no difficulty finding a place to stay. You can also get a bus to the national park, and it is a wonderful place to be in its element in the winter. From Ushuaia I took buses to Punta Arenas in Chile and then on to Puerto Natales ( My butt hurt after all this incidentally ). Puerto Natales in absolutely dead in winter - a real ghost town but this is the best time of year to see wildlife in Torres del Paine National Park. It can be hard finding somewhere to stay and to get a tour but we saw herds of guanaco, huémel ( very rare Patagonian deer ), condors, rhea, foxes and all sorts! Forget hiking there in winter though. And be careful if you get a bus over the border to Río Turbio - I nearly got stuck there, so I would recommend heading on to El Calafate if you go to Torres del Paine, or if you are feeling flush and have good sealegs you could always get the Navimag. As for the Fitzroy Range - that is the one thing I did not see. I believe it is open and there are sporadic buses up there in the winter but we are talking about three a week, if that. All I can say ( After that huge exposition ) is that if you want to see Patagonia in winter then go. People will think you are mad but they have no idea what they are missing because it is a phenomenal place. Forget Peru and Bolivia - Patagonia is South America at it is most breath-taking and seeing it in winter only adds to its appeal ( Although admittedly I have not been there in the summer).

Jorge Daniel Barchi.
Buenos Aires.

Previous report on the Mendoza-Santiago Cristo Redentor Pass:

* The number of days this pass is closed depends on how much it rains ( in Santiago ) and snows ( in the mountains ) and that varies quite a bit from year to year. Last winter was pretty mild, we had high temperatures often in the 20's Celsius and some pretty long gaps between rainy periods. The year before that, August was terrible. The area I lived in had problems with flooding we got so much rain, which of course translates into snow and closed mountain passes. They are saying that this year will be an El Niño year. If I remember correctly that means wetter than average.

Jorge Daniel Barchi.
Buenos Aires.

May-June will be winter so if you want mountains and scenery, I suggest Mendoza or Bariloche/Lake District. Also, I would recommend checking out Iguazu, which may be warmer than the south.

My sister and I will be doing a very similar trip in May/June. We're planning on doing BA, Bariloche, Mendoza. Still working on the research, but it's sounding like a good circle. Anyone out there know about skiing around Bariloche in May? Is it too early? Any chance at renting snowpants and stuff, rather than having to bring all the gear for a day or two of skiing?

# 14, this is a good question to begin in a new thread so others can see it...I'm sure many people ski during July months...but I'm sure more people can answer your question.