Argentina destinations and flight HELP!
 

Greetings travelers, I'd like to plan a trip in October to Argentina for our 25th anniversary. Our thought was Buenos Aires, Iguazu and Mendoza over 2ish weeks. I would love to be able to throw in a trip to Montevideo as well. We could possibly stretch the 2 weeks. Every time I start researching, I get a bit overwhelmed. Should I look at round trip airfare from the US to BA? I know we will need to fly within Argentina to Iguazu and Mendoza so should we spend our time in BA and then return from one of the other destinations? And how long do I need in each spot? Any suggested itinerary for these spots or additional must see's along the way? Any help is much appreciated!!!!

Hi joannala and welcome to Fodors South America forums.

Firstly, I think you may as well just get a return flight from wherever in the US to Buenos Aires as I doubt you will find many flights direct to Iguazu or Mendoza etc.

If you did settle on those locations then do bear in mind that many, if not most internal flights in Argentina will route through BA so to get from say Iguazu to Mendoza will mean a change in BA which would probably take up a whole day.

In terms of time, with two weeks I would allow say 5 days for BA. Iguazu needs 2 days - one full day for the Argentine side of the falls and half a day for the Brazil falls. Choose the right flight times and you could probably do it in two night but three would be safer. Montevideo could be done as a very long day trip by ferry but an overnight would be better. Colonia del Sacrmento is closer and IMO a better option for a visit to Uruguay.

That leaves around a week for Mendoza. If you are oenophiles then Mendoza is great otherwise, I cant say it is my favourite place in the country. With a week to play with , I would head for Salta province and, if you are happy to drive, take a road trip around the region. Some details and photos of one of our trips around the region are in our blog https://accidentalnomads.com/categor...ica/argentina/ - use the destination tab to click onto Uruguay and you will find a couple of posts on Montevideo and Colonia. Salta has the added benefit in that there are direct flights there from Iguazu.

Another option would be to consider Patagonia where October would be on the cusp of the season.

I am no expert on Argentina as I have only visited twice. Normally I plan most of our trips to Europe, Asia and Central America but for Argentina and Chile I used a travel agent in Buenos Aires who I recommend without reservation. Contact Isabel at Buenos aires tours and she will help you plan your trip. Our first trip involved Buenos Aires, Salta, Cafayate, Salinas Grande, Quebrada and lastly Iguazu. Spent the night at Estancia Colome which is around 9000 feet high in Northwest Andes and beautiful and unique. Isabel will watch over you like she did us which was good because a sudden strike at Aerolineas Argentina required her to change our airlines and flights at the last minute. Apparently strikes of all sorts are common in Argentina. Isabel knows Argentina and it's surrounding countries quite well as she has been in the business for a long time. Our last trip right before COVID was to Patagonia via Buenos Aires. I sent Isabel a sample National Geographic tour and she bettered it with all private transfers and guides and 4 nights in Torres del Paine (very expensive) vs National Geographic at less cost. This trip involved BA, Bariloche, the Cruce Andino boat crossing the Andes to Puerto Varas in Chile. Private transfer to Puerto Montt. Flight to Puerto Natale then bus to Torres del Paine. Private transfer to Calafate, then flight to Ushuaia and the Beagle channel and the Tierra del Fuego National Park. Flight to BA. She will tailor your trip to your interests and budget for a very reasonable fee.

I should also add that you have to do your own research first before deciding on itinerary for your holiday. Like this forum, it is difficult to give much advice as to what to do without knowing a bit about your interests, time of year, budget and special needs etc. I always buy several guide books to read through before deciding on the basics of my trip. I found Rough guides and Lonely Planet to be useful for Argentina. I agree that you should start by looking for air transport to and from Buenos Aires as you will most certainly start and end your trip going in and out of BA.

Thank you!

Thank you, sounds like Isabel may be a nice option

Thank you, yes I was thinking that I should read some books as well. That is what I have done with Europe travel and is very helpful.