Argentina with a touch of Chile and some help needed
 

Two ladies in their early sixties are planning a trip in late October for 14 nights. Because we are using miles for flights, it was possible to fly into Santiago and out of Buenos Aires. Our plan is to stay for 2 nights in Santiago, take the bus to Mendoza and rent a car. Our other areas of interest are Salta, Iguazo Falls and Buenos Aires.

2 nights Santiago (early am. arrival)
3 nights Mendoza area (rent car)
4 nights Salta (how to get around? take tours? rent a car?
2 nights Iguazo Falls
3 nights Buenos Aires (evening departure)

Besides taking a bus to Mendoza, does it make sense to take a bus for any of the other transits? We don't sleep well at night on a flight, so I'm sure a bus would be worse. I've used RometoRio.com to check distances, so I know they are long . Would you cut out either Mendoza, Salta or Iguazo Falls?

We have traveled together in India so have done a trip with long transits before.

I am sensitive to altitudes. In Cusco last year I really suffered. Is it possible to do the Salta area and avoid the really high altitude spots and still make it worthwhile?

Thank you for any input. I've read old trip planning posts and gleaned some info from them; hope some of the same experts are still posting.

Many thanks.........Kathy

Hi Kathy, your itinerary seems as pretty reasonable use of time. I wasn't as impressed by Mendoza as I thought I would be, so I would probably cut the time there to 2 days, just take a full day tour and not bother with renting a car.

I would add the time to Salta. We have visited three times now love it there. We have always rented cars and drove the various circuits of the Northwest. It is pretty straightforward and we love the flexibility of stopping where and when we want, changing our minds etc. The driving will be on gravel roads for part of the way but doesn't present any problems. We have used Hertz and budget to rent from. Both were good, newish, well maintained cars. Go for the full, no excess insurance option for peace of mind.

You can avoid the really high altitudes - don't go via San Antonio de Los Cobres ( you are not missing much as it is not a great place! Salineras Grande is worth a visit but is at 3500m a similar altitude to Cusco and, as I recall, we had to drive over a pass at 4000m - the car suffered a bit but we were ok.

Re Cusco; I assume you flew into the city? In which case, it is the abrupt arrival at altitude which affects most people. Ascending gradually is the way to go and, doing that you should be fine. I really wouldn't worry about that too much.

Bus travel in Argentina is great. I don't sleep on planes but I do on Argentine buses! Book the best class, variously known as Ejecutivo, Suite, Super Cama etc. What you get is a full, lie flat bed, very comfortable, similar to first class on a decent airline. Food and drink are supplied. The Ejcutivo sections usually comprise 6-8 seats downstairs - book well in advance. If Andesmar operate from Santiago to Mendoza, I would go with them. My experiences of Chilean buses are they they are not a patch on Argentinas.

That said, I have done Salta to Iguazu twice, once by bus - 24 hours was too much! Last year we flew Salta - Iguazu- BA . It was quicker but not as quick as we expected. aerolineas argentinas changed our flights something like 8 time in 6 months including changing our "direct" flight from Salta to Iguazu (2 hours) to Go via BA (7 hours!) - not happy!

If you do fly with AA either book with them direct or register your flight with their call centre and they will email you with changes. They are the only option to fly Salta to IGU but I think Latham fly IGU to BA? If Latam is an option, I would go with them.

If I were to cut anything it would be possible be a day in Santiago or Mendoza completely ( but that's just my subjective view).

Adding the time saved to Salta would allow a more indepth relaxed trip around the Northwest, which, like Mendoza, also has some great vineyards. I would also consider adding a day to Iguazu and getting to see the Brazilian side of the falls for a completely different and more panoramic, view of the falls. If you are a US citizen or Australian, you need a visa but its worth it.

I would love to show you some photos of our him there on our blog but Travelpod has closed down and I haven't yet got around to transferring the entries. However, happy answer any questions I can.

Hope this helps a little

If you are concerned about altitude, then you do not want to go from Santiago to Mendoza by road. You go over a very high pass. Better to fly.

Just want to second Crellston's suggestions above, and to add that a quick 'uphill' drive to the Salt Flats is also difficult on the altitude adjustment...either skip it, if you have been to other Salt Flats, or go up s l o w l y ! The NOA is a fabulous part of the country - culturally, geo/beauty wise, food and people wise. His recommendation visit both sides of I Falls is also a good one...and you could include a visit to the Birds on the Brazilian Side.

Concur with Crellston.

Loved Salta and Jujuy Province north of it. Rent a car and explore. Some of the most beautiful country I've seen.

Didn't go to Mendozo so can't help you there, but did take the bus from Posadas to Cordoba and from Cordoba to Salta. Very good experience and good way to save money by not getting a room for the nite you'll be on the bus.

I would recommend three rather than two nights for Iguazu, so you can visit both the Brazilian and Argentinian sides, but that will require a visa for Brazil if you are from the US.

Photos of the Brazilian side:
https://kwilhelm.smugmug.com/Travel/...Iguazu-Brazil/

Photos of the Argentinian side:
https://kwilhelm.smugmug.com/Travel/...a-2012/Iguazu/

If you had trouble at Cusco, try to stay under 3300 meters where sensitive people apparently start to suffer (whether they've spent a few days lower or not). Flying in is not a solution, it usually makes things worse as crellston said.

Thanks all----we have added 2 days to our schedule. A bit torn where to put them. Also we have been able to book a daytime flight upon departure, but unfortunately have the dreaded overnight flight on arrival into Santiago.

Altitude: I flew into Cusco, but went directly to the Sacred Valley for 3 days, including one day in Machu Pichu, before returning to Cusco. I still was gasping when I encountered a hill, but fine sitting or just walking on a flat surface. Also had problems in the Sacred Valley and Machu Pichu when climbing the stairs. Any inclines really did me in. I'm in the process of working with a pulmonologist to see what's up, but she did find I have lowered oxygen during exercise. I'm on an inhaler now, but x rays and blood tests haven't uncovered anything yet. For now, I'm going to get the Diamox and avoid the highest altitudes.

Do they carry oxygen on the bus? It seemed like everyone in Peru had oxygen available.

We will definitely add a day to the Falls; seems like there's lots to do and a different environment.

We both like wine and the vineyards around Mendoza. Is there anything to do in Mendoza city/town?

Santiago

Posted before complete. Here's what I'm thinking at present:

Santiago 2 nights (early arrival which gives us one
day in Santiago)

Mendoza 3 nights bus to Mendoza, stay at Lares de Chacras

Salta 5 nights! Seems like a lot. Not sure about renting a car?? I can only drive an automatic and they are very expensive. Stay in Salta or ???

Iguazu Falls 3 nights

BA 4 nights will only have 3 full days
Best area? Palermo or San Telmo---need safe!

Does anyone have an recommendations for very nice and safe, yet fairly inexpensive to moderate (under $200 a night) hotels.

Thank you!!

BA - Palermo.

http://duquehotel.com

>>Mendoza 3 nights bus to Mendoza<<

The buses which go over the pass from Santiago to Mendoza reach an altitude of 10,500 feet, very nearly the same as Cusco. I think you should rethink this route from Santiago to Mendoza and fly. There will be no oxygen on the bus and, once you start feeling bad, oxygen isn't much help anyway.

Palermo covers a huge area, there are several subsections of the district. Choose somewhere close to a subte line for ease of getting around. Avenida Santa Fe served us well on past vists. We have always stayed in apartments so can't really suggest any specific hotels.

I love Salta and always stay at http://www.lacasahernandez.com.ar the owners, Alex and Reijke have become friends over the years and are great hosts. However it is a little way out of Salta city in San Lorenzo but if you are ok with renting a car, it's a great place to stay.

Automatic cars are few and far between in Argentina, but a self drive is by far ten best way of exploring. Parts of the region can be done by bus or tour, but you would be missing a great deal. A private tour is the other option but I think that would be very expensive.

I can't recall the last couple of places we stayed at in Iguazu, but I wouldn't recommend them anyway! I would go for somewhere central for the eating options. There are many hotels on the road to the falls but they are too far out of the way and don't really save a lot of time anyway.

In BA I didn't care for the subte -- it was often packed and stifling hot. Taxis when we were there last were not expensive so that would be my preference. Mostly walk around the city though as its easy to do that.

I would not want to spend all 5 days in Salta. Get out into the countryside - maybe drive down to Cafayate which is an easy drive. Angie/Flintsones was a guide frequently recommended on this site if you need someone for a day or too. I found this contact info on one of AVRooster's post. "E-mail for Angie Valdez, top independent Salta guide, with her own transportation: [email protected]

I love San Telmo oand stayed there one visit to BA. But its a touch further away from everything. SO I would go with either Recoleta or one of the Palmero's .

Before deciding to stay in San Telmo you might want to read this:

http://www.fodors.com/community/sout...e-at-night.cfm

Have to disagree with Crellston about one hotel in Puerto Iguazu (Argentina side).

The Grand Crucero Iguazu Hotel is outside of the city but there is a bus stop just down the hill from the hotel for busses to both sides of the falls and it has a great breakfast and pretty good lunches and dinners. The eating choices in downtown Puerto Iguazu aren't all that great anyway, IMO.

The bus stop makes it very easy to get where you want to go. When I stayed at the Hotel last fall, I asked at the desk about taxis to the Falls, and the response was--"take the bus as it is just about as quick and much less expensive." Although it turned out not to be "just about as quick" because of the wait time for the bus--they appear sporadically--it did turn out to be very much less costly, and more fun as there were a lot of interesting people on the bus. I had plenty of time to see both sides of the Falls despite the delay in the arrival of the busses.

BTW--that advice shows the attitude of the people at the hotel--very helpful and friendly, and obviously not "on the take" from the taxi services waiting just outside the door of the Hotel.

ctkathy--

Concur with yestravel on not spending all your time in Salta. Salta is worth a day to see the Plaza and the Museum of the Children of the Mountains and maybe to walk around a bit, but the real beauty of the area is the Quebrada de Humahuaca in Jujuy Province north of Salta. One of the loveliest places I've ever been.

Although an automatic is expensive, I'd rent one--either in Salta or in Jujuy City (San Salvador de Jujuy)a fairly short bus ride away-- because any other option is likely to be either much less satisfactory or much more expensive. You'd probably have to reserve a long time in advance, though.

Of course, the other option would be to learn to drive a standard shift before you go, which isn't all that difficult.

We are staying 3 nights in Cafayete and 2 in Salta. I've gotten in touch with Angie for two days of touring. Was thinking of hiring a car for our two days in Salta but might just hire a taxi or do,a tour. My Spanish is very limited and I'm not keen to drive in Salta itself.

How is the Jungle Lodge in Iguazu?