Montevideo on our own
Dec 15th, 2009, 09:01 AM
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We spent a few days in Montevideo on our own but without a car. I am not sure a car would add much to your stay. The best bit for us were a visit to the covered market down by the port - amazing place for lunch never seen so much beef being barbequed!
We also got the bus out to the Punta Carretas Shoping Mall (an ex prison) and then took a walk along the promenade by the beach - remined me of the south of France. The central square is also worth a look around - lots of intersting architecture. There are afew photo on our blog at:
http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog...8420/tpod.html
We also got the bus out to the Punta Carretas Shoping Mall (an ex prison) and then took a walk along the promenade by the beach - remined me of the south of France. The central square is also worth a look around - lots of intersting architecture. There are afew photo on our blog at:
http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog...8420/tpod.html
Dec 15th, 2009, 10:00 AM
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Hello Irtayloe, I was born in URuguay, and now I live in the States. This is what I would do, I would rent a remise, that is a car with a chauffer, ( ask for a nice car, with ac) and even if the chofer does not speak English I would communicate with him some how and have him take you around for a couple of hours.
You can choose the places you are interested from any good guide book like Fodors or Frommers etc.
I was in Uruguay last November and Remises La Española which I always use ( I have nothing to do with them No commercial or any other kind of relation) and they charged me 275 pesos per hour that is like $14 dollars per hour. ( This might have gone up a little after December
1 st), it is important that they charge you by the hour with unlimited kilometers. I checked an other remise companies charge per the hour, but after a certain amount of kilometers they add by kilometer.Avoid this.
This is their Phone 622 23 23, from US 598 2 622 23 23, you have to call ahead of time to secure a car. A day or two will be fine.
I hope you have a good time. Paying so little you can certainly afford to have the remise wait for you if you feel like it.
If you have any doubts regarding places to visit I shall be very happy to respond to your questions.
You can choose the places you are interested from any good guide book like Fodors or Frommers etc.
I was in Uruguay last November and Remises La Española which I always use ( I have nothing to do with them No commercial or any other kind of relation) and they charged me 275 pesos per hour that is like $14 dollars per hour. ( This might have gone up a little after December
1 st), it is important that they charge you by the hour with unlimited kilometers. I checked an other remise companies charge per the hour, but after a certain amount of kilometers they add by kilometer.Avoid this.
This is their Phone 622 23 23, from US 598 2 622 23 23, you have to call ahead of time to secure a car. A day or two will be fine.
I hope you have a good time. Paying so little you can certainly afford to have the remise wait for you if you feel like it.
If you have any doubts regarding places to visit I shall be very happy to respond to your questions.
Dec 15th, 2009, 10:09 AM
#4
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Hello Graziella,
Thank you so much for your informative resonse. We will be arriving in port from a cruise ship and will have only part of one day to tour this most interesting city. Please feel free to share your recommendations...friends will be joining us and they think the beaches are the thing to see. I am interested in the markets, the eateries and local crafts. Thank you again. Laura
Thank you so much for your informative resonse. We will be arriving in port from a cruise ship and will have only part of one day to tour this most interesting city. Please feel free to share your recommendations...friends will be joining us and they think the beaches are the thing to see. I am interested in the markets, the eateries and local crafts. Thank you again. Laura
Dec 15th, 2009, 11:58 AM
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I guess you must consult a guide book, and from the places listed in the book make a list of what is of interested to you.
The beaches per se will tell you nothing, I mean it is a city built on the sea shore. However the sea shore and the beaches are located on the shores of the River Plate. This wide and short river joins the Atlantic Ocean and in a way it looks like the sea. However the color of the water in Montevideo, most of the time is not blue or green, it is a little murky.Nevertheless it is very nice to drive by the sea shore. Definitely you will need a car unless you wish to limit your visit to downtown, a few walking streets and some artisan shops. Also in downtown there is the Cabildo, which now is a museum.
The Cabildo is the building ( located in the main plaza , facing the Cathedral,) where the Government of the City worked during the Colonial days.
I honestly believe that it would be nice to walk for a while , and hour or two in downtown following the instructions of a good tourist guide book and then ideally call a remise, and have the car drive you to a couple of areas selected again from your tourist guide book.
It is so little what the remise charges that I am sure you can afford to have you driven let us say along the coast up to Carrasco which is a lovely neighborhood may be have lunch there
you can choose a local favorite called Garcia in Avenida Arocena, which is the main street in Carrasco. The remise can wait for you, at $14 dollars per hour it surely willl be worth it, then after lunch you can either look around or have the remise return you to your ship .
I certainly do not agree with the advice that the beaches are the place to see they might be confused with some world famous beaches in Uruguay like Punta del Este but that is 140 kms East of Montevideo.
It is not a big deal to reserve a remise you can do it from the US by calling and have the car wait for you at a determinate place....
Why don't you give yourselves a few hours to walk from the Port into the city( get a map from the internet, visit the walking streets and the Cabildo and have a remise pick you up there?
It will be a pitty not to drive by the coast from downtown to Carrasco.
The beaches per se will tell you nothing, I mean it is a city built on the sea shore. However the sea shore and the beaches are located on the shores of the River Plate. This wide and short river joins the Atlantic Ocean and in a way it looks like the sea. However the color of the water in Montevideo, most of the time is not blue or green, it is a little murky.Nevertheless it is very nice to drive by the sea shore. Definitely you will need a car unless you wish to limit your visit to downtown, a few walking streets and some artisan shops. Also in downtown there is the Cabildo, which now is a museum.
The Cabildo is the building ( located in the main plaza , facing the Cathedral,) where the Government of the City worked during the Colonial days.
I honestly believe that it would be nice to walk for a while , and hour or two in downtown following the instructions of a good tourist guide book and then ideally call a remise, and have the car drive you to a couple of areas selected again from your tourist guide book.
It is so little what the remise charges that I am sure you can afford to have you driven let us say along the coast up to Carrasco which is a lovely neighborhood may be have lunch there
you can choose a local favorite called Garcia in Avenida Arocena, which is the main street in Carrasco. The remise can wait for you, at $14 dollars per hour it surely willl be worth it, then after lunch you can either look around or have the remise return you to your ship .
I certainly do not agree with the advice that the beaches are the place to see they might be confused with some world famous beaches in Uruguay like Punta del Este but that is 140 kms East of Montevideo.
It is not a big deal to reserve a remise you can do it from the US by calling and have the car wait for you at a determinate place....
Why don't you give yourselves a few hours to walk from the Port into the city( get a map from the internet, visit the walking streets and the Cabildo and have a remise pick you up there?
It will be a pitty not to drive by the coast from downtown to Carrasco.
Dec 18th, 2009, 03:58 AM
#7
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I also will be in Montevideo for one day--on a Princess cruise to Antarctica. Which ship are you on?
This site was suggested to me on Trip Advisor:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...ontevideo.html
This site was suggested to me on Trip Advisor:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...ontevideo.html
