Argentina (and Chile?): basic itinerary
 

Hi Fodorites,

I have received a lot of helpful advice here in the past and would love some input on my next stop, which is Argentina. I booked this one kind of on a whim because I got a great deal on flights but am now getting really excited. I have only done very basic research so far, as I just booked it, and would love some input about a basic itinerary to work with.

Me: 29 years old, female, British, looks like this will be a solo trip unless a friend decides to join me. I'm fairly well-travelled (have been to Turkey, Japan and various European countries in the last 18 months). I speak good Spanish as I lived in Spain for several years, but this will be my first trip to Latin America.

Time: Unfortunately, I only have a total of 2 weeks on the ground in Argentina, in April. I know, I know, this isn't enough, but I have too many work commitments to justify going for any longer. Plus, I was quite restricted with the flight deal I went for.

Budget: As always, pretty low. If I waited until I could actually 'afford' to travel, it would never happen, so I save as much as I can and do my best. I'm planning on doing some Couchsurfing, staying in budget hostels and perhaps taking an overnight bus or two (if I do decide to go out of BA).

Concerns: My main concern is personal safety, especially if I end up going alone. I know nowhere is safe, but personal safety will be a factor in the plans I make.

Soooo.........my main decision appears to be whether to stay in Buenos Aires and its surrounding areas for the whole 2 weeks and get to know the city well, or whether to travel around and explore more of the country (by bus). What I've read and heard about BA doesn't make it particularly appealing to me, but then I have friends who have been and loved it. My gut feeling would be that as I live in a big city (London) and have recently visited big cities (Tokyo, Seoul, Istanbul), I'd like to go somewhere more rural and scenic.

From what I've read, Mendoza appeals to me, as does the Andes border crossing over to Chile, although this carries the risk of spending the whole time on the bus. Chile is a country I want to visit in its own right (I have a thing about Valparaiso) and it's super tempting to try to squeeze in a few nights into my Argentina trip, but I'd be worried that I'd end up zipping around and remembering nothing about it afterwards. It would, however, seem like a shame to go all the way to Mendoza and then NOT do the border crossing.

I would love any input or ideas. If you were me, would you venture into Chile or over to Mendoza or stay in/around BA?

Definitely add the Iguazu falls to your plans. You could also take the ferry over to Uruguay for Montevideo and Colonia and perhaps some beach time.

Would you recommend the Iguazu falls over Mendoza (and possible crossing to Santiago/Valparaiso)? I think it could be too much to try to squeeze in both.

Iguazu Falls is a must (i.e. A MUST). It is spectacular! Spend at least one night there. In Buenos Aires, a boat rideon the Tigre Delta is easy to do and very relaxing. I'd also recommend a day trip to an estancia, perhaps near San Antonio de Areco. We spent a day at Estancia El Ombú and really enjoyed it.

Yes, do visit Chile. You can travel by bus very inexpensively and VERY comfortable. The overnight bus to Mendoza by Andesmar is quiet and super comfortable. Unlike an airplane, you can actually sleep well. If you continue on to Santiago, take the daytime bus and sit on the upper level, as far front as possible. Going over the Andes, the views are spectacular.

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Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie

You may also find this thread informative.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...an_Region.html

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Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie
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I didn't visit Mendoza, but I did spend two months traveling from Rio to Santiago (click on my name for my TR) and I concluded that in SA the scenery easily outshines the cities. So I would definitely prioritize Iguazu over Mendoza (and I thought Salta sounded more interesting than Mendoza). I would recommend a minimum of two full days for Iguazu, which for me meant three nights, but if you're using night buses one night could be enough. For a taste of the falls, see the two Iguazu galleries here: http://kwilhelm.smugmug.com/Travel/South-America-2012

Taking a night bus from BA to Iguazu looks reasonable, but taking a bus onto Mendoza not so much. I would look at flying that leg. I believe you can sometimes buy your internal flights with your international ones to save money, provided you use a company like LAN.

Thanks for the advice. The Falls do look spectacular, but I'm concerned about trying to do too much in one short trip - how I wish I could have booked an extra week!

Night buses work pretty well for me because I'd save on accommodation that way. Would anyone have up to date info on how much a return from BA to Mendoza and BA to somewhere-near-Iguazu would be? Flying to Mendoza looks to be quite expensive.

Kind of glad to be told that visiting Chile isn't a ridiculous idea. Going over the Andes would really be a highlight for me. Would it be reasonable to skip Santiago and head straight out to Valparaiso for a night or two? (If I did indeed decide to include some of Chile). I'm aware that the border crossing over the Andes can take forever with lines, etc. and I'd be a bit concerned about that massively eating into my short time there.

"Would it be reasonable to skip Santiago and head straight out to Valparaiso for a night or two?"

I think Santiago is every bit as interesting as Valparaiso and Viña del Mar.

Figure on about 1 hour for the Argentina-Chile border crossing.

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Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie

Yes, it would be reasonable to skip Santiago and go straight to Valpo. I did that, coming from Pucon, although I did spend a couple of days in Santiago before flying home. I preferred Valpo. I did visit Vino del Mar as a day trip from Valpo, and that was plenty of time for me. No reason to spend longer unless you want beach time.

Hello;
April you said? Have you ever thought of Salta?
Nw of Argentina is a magic place with a lot of things to discover.
And we have now direct flights between IGZ and SLA.
You would never regret.
Warm regards,
Flintstones-

I might be too late here, but I would agree with thursdaysd, IF you are limited in time. We liked Santiago (people were much nicer than portrayed on some posts) and are glad we went there, however, Valparaiso has so much character. We loved it. I will warn you though, that crime is higher in Valparaiso, so simply don't carry anything of value with you when you are out.