My husband and I are planning our trip for March or April. We will have about 12-13 days. Other than Rio, this will be my first trip to South America. I am thinking of BA for a week and can't decide where else to go. We are not into hiking.I have eliminated Igauzu Falls. We are not opposed to rental cars if the driving is easy, inexpensive and safe. We would need an automatic car. We certainly would take another flight if needed. Any suggestions?

We have been to Argentina before and we are considering a similar question, where to go in addition to BAires, at about the same time of year. You should look at:

Mendoza (wine center of Argentina)

San Carlos de Bariloche (incredible setting in the foothills of the Andes)

Salta and its surrounding regions (great geography and touring, with a guide perhaps)

Patagonia (glaciers and vast vistas)

There are lodgings from the luxurious to the simple in all these places. The research on these destinations will take some time, each offers different attractions. Have fun planning.

Where would I find a guide for hire and how much would it cost?

In what part of the country? Budget or upscale? With or without his/her own transportation?

For free in BA, I suggest you research a group called the "Cicerones" http://www.cicerones.org.ar/index_en.html

Most of the reports I have read about them are quite favorable.

Thanks for all the suggestions for places to visit. I am looking into them now. As to the issue of guides, I am willing to pay, and I was thinking of a driver/guide perhaps to get from place to place from Salta. I have, taking avooster's suggestion, looked up Cicerones' web site and will get in touch with them when more of the trip is planned. The idea of Salta, would be more attractive to me if I could get a competent, reasonable priced driver and guide.

For a Salta guide, I suggest you research Angie, who posts here as Flintstones.

Type "Angie" both in this forum's search feature and in http://tinyurl.com/nw9f4
and draw your own conclusions.

I did an overnight bus ride to Cordoba on a very comfortable bus. The seat recline all the way and I slept the night through. Woke up in Cordoba and spent two days there. It was an interesting city and I also went to Alta Gracia which was Che Quevara's birthplace. There seemed to be many areas to explore outside of Cordoba. One of the great things was that it wasn't expensive to travel or to stay there. Salta is fantastic but the prices are way up there for air travel and then you have these fancy boutique hotels that charge a lot of money. Although I think you can find other places that are more geared to Argentines. These boutique places just seem to attract an Americano and Europeo turista. Muchos pesos, amigos!

How is the country side around Cordoba? And how is the city? Some pretty plazas and things to see or, is it mostly industrial? As for the area around Cordoboa, is it very pretty, or mostly flat?

We are also thinking about Cordoba and its surroundings, as an alternative to Salta. It seems easier to get to and there are a couple of estancias near to Cordoba that look great. Estancia La Paz, for example.

Also, it seems like the Salta area requires a lot of time in a car traveling from place to place. Gracias

I spent three days in Cordoba earlier this year. I loved the city. Good food and a large pedestrian street downtown...great shopping..and everything is less expensive than in Buenos Aires. I took a day trip out in the countryside...beautiful! Next time I will plan to stay in one of the small towns or Estancias in the region. Less time in a car than Salta, but Salta has a very different kind of beauty (kind of like Utah or Arizona)....

Thank you Dawggy.

What time of year were you there? We are wondering how the temperature in Cordoba (or Salta) will be in April? The internet seems to say everything from sunny and warm to rainy. Gracias.

I would imagine that the weather would be nice that time of year. We were in Cordoba August 2007 which was winter then. However the weather was warmer than in BA. We difinitely could have stayed more days exploring the area.
Another place you might consider is Uruaguay. Its practically next door and in March and April the beaches might be still nice. That is a terrific country too.