Getting Here & Around

Getting Here & Around

Air Travel: The Aeropuerto Internacional Ingeniero Aeronáutico Ambrosio Taravella (phew!) is 13 km (8 mi) north of Córdoba City. Aerolíneas Argentinas (www.aerolineas.com.ar) runs more than 10 daily flights between Buenos Aires and Córdoba; Chilean carrier LAN Airlines (www.lan.com) does three to four daily. The flight takes just over an hour. You can take a private shuttle or the local bus to the city center.

Bus Travel: There are dozens of daily buses to Córdoba from Buenos Aires' Retiro bus station. Companies like Chevallier and General Urquiza run semi-cama services (standard with reclining seats, air-conditioning, and sometimes videos) as well as cama or ejecutivo services (sleeper services with fully reclinable seats, refreshments, videos, and shorter journey times). From Córdoba City, local bus companies connect you with most mountain towns. Buses leave once or twice an hour from the central bus station, Nueva Estacion Terminal de Omnibus de Córdoba (NETOC). In Córdoba City itself, most sights and hotels are within walking distance. This is a relief, as routes in the 24-hour electric trolley bus system are messy, there are no maps, and drivers are unhelpful. If you do decide to brave the system, you need to buy a cospel (token) or tarjeta magnética (multijourney pass) from a kiosco (kiosk) before getting on.

Car Travel: Two roads act as the main north-south axes just outside Córdoba City: running along the province's northeastern side is Ruta Nacional, or RN, 9, which takes you to Ascochinga, as does the winding E53 (also known as RN53), a longer, more scenic route. To the northwest, RN38 passes through the Valle de la Punilla. Ruta Provincial, or RP, 17 crosses the region's north and takes you past Ongamira. Farther south is RN156, which meanders through the mountains between Jesús María and La Cumbre. RP5 is the main access for Calamuchita, south of Córdoba City.

Taxi Travel: Taxis are a relatively cheap and convenient way of getting around Córdoba City. Official black-and-yellow cabs are everywhere, and all run on a meter, which includes luggage and all passengers. If you're looking to hire for the day, arrange a chauffeur-driven car; as well as avoiding expensive metered fares, you'll enjoy the driver's experience with popular visitor routes (which is sometimes a problem for local taxi drivers). In smaller towns there are no official taxis; instead remises (private fixed-price taxis) do the job. You can call for one or go to an agency. Some remises may do longer trips or stick with you for a whole day; arrange fares with the agency in advance.