Buenos Aires to Santiago....2 1/2 weeks!
 

Hi there.

I'm going to Argentina at the end of March for about 17 days. I'm flying in to Buenos Aires and out from Santiago, Chile.

I'm trying to work out an itinerary and need some help!

The only things that are concrete is as follows:

-start with a few days in BA
-end with a couple of days in Santiago
-I don't want to do only city sightseeing. I want to have a few days in the middle to enjoy nature and be in a more peaceful surrounding.
-I won't have my own car the whole time, I mean I can rent a car for a few days but I'm mostly on public transport.

My first route option was maybe as follows:

1. BA to Cordoba. A few days in Cordoba area (renting a car?) then to Mendoza then to Santiago.

However, there's so much of Argentina I want to see with so little time! I also want to see the northwest as well. Would I have enough time to go from BA up to the northwest (Salta, etc) then back to Mendoza for the Andes crossing?

Any better itinerary plans based on what I've said above? I'm open to all suggestions, I've never to South America. I want to see lots of great things but don't want to spend 10 hours every day on a bus trying to see too much, know what I mean?

Also, my trip will have me ending up at Easter in Santiago. Is it going to be hard getting transportation and accommodation at Easter?

Thanks!
WT

I can help with the last question! Bus transportation for Easter weekend is usually packed.(Perhaps more going to Mendoza than coming from there).If you are planning on coming from Mendoza to Santiago around then, you must get those tickets as soon as possible. You can probably buy them in Retiro station in BA. You won't be able to book online from outside Argentina, I think. Even travelling on the Wednesday before Easter would help if buses looked crowded. It is not likely so early in the year, but possible, that heavy rain could close the pass and you not be able to cross.
Accomodation should not be a problem, except in places like Viña del Mar where people go for the long weekend.