mystic1947

Is there a ferry between Mondevideo or Punta de Este to Colonia? Would like to see all 3 places and looking for the best way. I plan on taking the ferry to Montevideo and then renting a car to see Punta de Este and was thinking of returning through Colonia if possible. Any ideas?
Thanks
Pat

Graziella5b

HI, you can find all this information in www.buquebus.com.
They have the following services,
Ferry from Buenos Aires to Colonia, takes 1 hour( they have a slower cheaper option that is no good)
, they also can sell the connections by bus either to Montevideo or Punta.Buses will be waiting at the Colonia port. It takes like 3 hours to Montevideo (180 kms)
and to Punta like two more hours.(140 kms)
They also have a direct ferry between Buenos Aires and Montevideo. This one takes three hours from
Port to Port.
The ticket is a little over 50 dollars one way.
They have different classes but IT IS NOT WORTH it to pay more than de least expensive ticket: tourism class.
Inside the ferries, all of them, they have a cafeteria with drinks, salads,sandwiches. You can also buy the newspaper on board. There is also a f ree duty shop.
If you plan to take any of these trips, tickets can be bought either on the last minute or ahead of time by phone or in person of course,in their offices or through any travel agent too.
Whatever you choose if you have luggage it is convenient to arrange for a car ( remise) to pick you up both in Buenos Aires or in Montevideo. In Buenos Aires taxis waiting at the port ARE NOT reliable. If you ask me by mail I let you know how to do it.
One way tickets are 50% of full fare. There is No charge for changing the dates of your trip.
What you are thinking is totally possible and a good idea. If you are returning your car in Montevideo you can take a bus to Colonia, you do not have to take the Buquebus bus connected to the ferry trip to Bue. You can take a regular bus Montevideo Colonia, and then walk a few blocks to either the Port or to town or even better you can explain to them you wish to spend sometime in Colonia take an earlier Buquebus bus, leave your luggage with them in the port and visit Colonia. Hope this is clear. Of course another option is to rent the car in Colonia using the buquebus Colonia to Buenos Aires, the ticket I believe is much less. If you do the driving everything will be faster than by bus.

Graziella5b

One more thing, Buquebus has their own travel agency and offer hotel nights in all the cities. They have good rates and I believe that transfers might be included because I have seen upon arrival an employee asking for those that have hotel arrangements with them to follow her to a special bus.

mystic1947

Graziella,
thanks so much - you are a great asset to this newsgroup with your detailed response. I will email in the near future. Thanks again
Pat

annetti

Thanks, Graziella. You provided me with a lot of useful information, too.

Graziella5b

I am glad I was able to give some useful information.
I have taken Buquebus many times also I have flown between Bue and Montevideo and Punta many times. So I shall be pleased to answer any question.

TheVillageIdiot

I know this post is old, but it is relevant to my upcoming travels. I cannot figure out how to email though this site - can someone please let me know how to travel from the Buenos Aires port safely to my hotel? If I cannot use the cabs waiting there - do I get a phone number and call a cab myself? Is it a safe area to wait at night while waiting for the cab? Thanks.

mistik321

Hi-
I will be in Buenos Aires this month and will take Buquebus hydrofoil from BA to Colonia.

I asked my hotel to arrange a pick-up from the port back to the hotel at night; they'll send me a taxi or a remise (this way I'll know it's safe).

Perhaps your hotel could set up a similar arrangement.

TheVillageIdiot

Thanks for the thought, but I'll be in Montevideo the night before and only pass through Colonia on a day trip on my way back to BA. So I won't have contact w/ my hotel until I arrive. I can try calling my hotel before I leave to arrange that, but I might as well call the cab company directly, if I can get the name of a reputable one (which I will as soon as I get to BA). Are there other options?

avrooster

Hi, Graziella!
I don't know the exact times or distances, but I DO know that Punta del Este is further away from Colonia than Montevideo.
Perhaps you can double check that info?

alan64

We'd like to head over from B.A. one morning, spend the day and night in one city and then do the bus over to the other and return to B.A. Which is better to spend the night in, Mondevideo or Punta Este? We like restaurants and small cafes, and strolling around the square(s) in the evening, and we thought that spending a night in one of those towns would be a nice break from B.A. Any hotel recommendations in either city?

Graziella5b

Villagelidiot: As I said I take the often the ferry and this is what I do:
1) If I have only hand luggage ( I usually arrive on week days at early afternoon) I simply walk away from the Port, and go up on Cordoba. There either I flag a taxi on the street if it is coming from a well known company or I walk till I find a locutorio. There is one like a few blocks up on Cordoba, may be only one block I am not sure, and I call one from there. Give the address and take the cab.
2) If I have luggage or if it is late at night I call a taxi from a public phone inside the terminal ( unfortunatelly I do not have a cell in Bs As) and I wait to be picked up.

3) Things vary in that terminal but one time I asked the girls in information to call for a taxi and they did call Premium a good and wellknown taxi company.

4) A few times I kind of push my way into one of the taxis leaving pax at the terminal. I guess the people of Buquebus do not like that but I did it anyway.

5) I must say that the solution suggested by misstik seems very reasonable. That is to have your hotel send a taxi. I would not walk at night in the area and would avoid walking on a week end because I have the hunch it might be a little desolated. During the week there are tons of people walking in that area which before reaching Cordoba does not have buildings.

Rpeoutable taxi companies,among others,
Pidalo ---4956 1200 4932-2222
Alo 4855 0455 4857 1111
Free taxi 4943 2003
Premium 5238 0000 -4374-6666

In colonia you can get a phone card and call from the public phone in the terminal to the taxi company asking for taxi to pick you up. Pidalo would be the best because I think they take calls for a later time.
Pidalo is the oldest radio taxi company in Bs As, sometimes they work with a sister company, so be sure to ask which is the name of the taxi that you have to look for.
alan:
I do not understand very well what you wish to do.
Punta in one day,by bus, I think it is too much.
You will be in the bus most of the time.
To Montevideo from Colonia is like three hours by bus, so figure it out if you wish to do it.

Graziella5b

avrooster:
More or less, Colonia is 180 Kms West of Montevideo,
and PUnta is 140 kms East of Montevideo.
Colonia -Punta should then be some 320 kms....

TheVillageIdiot

Thank you so much Graziella.

Graziella5b

Your are welcome. One more little thing, things vary in that terminal, it might be possible that sometimes they do not allow the entrance to a taxi without passangers. So I guess it is better to call a remise.
One thing is a MUST never, never get inside of one of those taxis waiting right out side the terminal.
I simply would ask the hotel to send a remise with a boardcard with your name.
Unless it is daytime and you have no luggage in that case simply walk away and call a taxi from the locutorio in calle Cordoba. Be prepare to walk a few blocks, kind of up hill. But it is ok. ciao.

avrooster

My mistake Graziella!
I thought you meant it was 140 kms from Colonia to Punta.
What you really said was it was "like two more hours" to Punta FROM Montevideo, not from Colonia.