Best Bus Company to Iguazu Falls
Oct 3rd, 2011, 01:02 AM
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Best Bus Company to Iguazu Falls
We prefer to take a comfortable bus, rather than fly, between Buenos Aires and Iguazu Falls. I have seen many recommendations for overnight bus companies. Just wondering who Fodorites recommend and why.
We will be in Argentine in December, and hope this is a good time to go there.
We will be in Argentine in December, and hope this is a good time to go there.
Oct 3rd, 2011, 03:54 AM
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I have bused around a lot "comfortable" bus is kind of an
oxymoron for me always go for the biggest best downstairs
if I have to take them the upstairs are cramped lurchy and
thief infested the gangs that rob always go for the cheap seats.Put NOTHING in the overheads if you elect to go up there
have seen folks lose thousands of dollars worth of stuff especially cameras...
Any way you cut it bus SUCKS but Expreso Singer (to Iguazú) calls it Cama Total (Total Bed) Tigre-Iguazú and Crucero del Norte call it Cama Premium (Premium Bed) your best bet if you
must.
Personally I fly www.despegar.com not that much more on sales
www.spg.com Sheraton Iguazu gets great deals priceline.com
Splurge for a falls view room amazing.
argentinaforless.com wowargentina.com for bookings if needed.
weather2travel.com Climate Guides Dec. fine usually.
Happy Travels!
oxymoron for me always go for the biggest best downstairs
if I have to take them the upstairs are cramped lurchy and
thief infested the gangs that rob always go for the cheap seats.Put NOTHING in the overheads if you elect to go up there
have seen folks lose thousands of dollars worth of stuff especially cameras...
Any way you cut it bus SUCKS but Expreso Singer (to Iguazú) calls it Cama Total (Total Bed) Tigre-Iguazú and Crucero del Norte call it Cama Premium (Premium Bed) your best bet if you
must.
Personally I fly www.despegar.com not that much more on sales
www.spg.com Sheraton Iguazu gets great deals priceline.com
Splurge for a falls view room amazing.
argentinaforless.com wowargentina.com for bookings if needed.
weather2travel.com Climate Guides Dec. fine usually.
Happy Travels!
Oct 3rd, 2011, 03:59 AM
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Sorry forgot www.insuremytrip.com always best comp travel
cover from $1-2 per day usually Patriot or Amex Global
Travel shield has saved me a bunch last year in Ecuador
when civil unrest was triggered by El Presidente Loco
aka Correra fond of singing "Hasta Siempre Che Guevara"
with his buddies Chavez Morales and Ortega.
Happy Travels!
cover from $1-2 per day usually Patriot or Amex Global
Travel shield has saved me a bunch last year in Ecuador
when civil unrest was triggered by El Presidente Loco
aka Correra fond of singing "Hasta Siempre Che Guevara"
with his buddies Chavez Morales and Ortega.
Happy Travels!
Oct 3rd, 2011, 01:46 PM
#5
Try to find a Trip Report by Crellston for an alternate view.
I think qwovadis' cautions are valid and important to be aware of, but many others do seem to enjoy the really good inter-regional bus transportation.
I think qwovadis' cautions are valid and important to be aware of, but many others do seem to enjoy the really good inter-regional bus transportation.
Oct 3rd, 2011, 10:45 PM
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I totally disagree with qwo,comments. We trasvelled extensively throughout SA without incident and found them to be efficient, extremely comfortable and safe. When we ruturn to SA we will use buses in preference to planes almost without exception.Full Cama or ejectivo provide comfort similar to airline business class. I am ravelling at the moment but will post details of the bus companies used later thi week.
Oct 8th, 2011, 12:37 AM
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Hi Leburta,
As I said in my previous post, buses were our preferred method of travel during our 5 months in Argentina, especially so given the reputation of Aerolinas Argentina for cancellations and delays. When factoring in the inevitable delays plus check in and travelling times to from airports etc., the additional travel time is not as great as it first seems. An added benefit is the saving on one nights accommodation costs.
We did not experience any safety issues at all on any of our many bus trips. The only note of caution I would make is that we always waited and watched for our bags to be put safely in the hold of the bus on departure and got off the bus quickly upon arrival just to make sure that they were not left behind or picked up by another passenger. As with airline travel, do not pack valuables in the hold.
You should definitely book "Full Cama" or "Ejecutivo" as these will provide big lie flat seat/beds and are usually on the bottom deck where the swaying of the bus is less than on the top deck. Some companies even have Cama Suites. Food is generally good (similar to, if not a bit better than most airline food) - wine and sometimes champagne was served on most of our journeys.
In terms of which company to use a good starting point would be:
http://www.omnilineas.com/argentina/...puerto-iguazu/
We used most of the companies on that list all were pretty good, Andesmar especially. They always provide a god service as did Via Bariloche. On our trip from Puerto Iguazu to Concordia (which is en route to BA) we used a Brazilian company which I THINK was Crucero del Norte which was very good (unfortunately I did not note there name on our blog so can't be sure.
There are usually decent films playing on the video system but it is pot luck as to whether they will be in Spanish or English with subtitles (we found this really useful for practising our Spanish!) Otherwise a good book or an iPod will help to pass the time. As with night time flights, I find that eye shades and ear plugs are useful to take on board.
Many of the sites will allow online booking but some have experienced problems with their credit cards being used from overseas. It is easy enough to book seats at the bus station but for ejecutivo it is best to book a few days in advance. semi cama seats are usually available up to and even on the day of departure.
Here is a link to our blog with some photos of Iguazu etc.
http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blo...ai/1/tpod.html
entry #82
Hope this helps. if you have any other questions i will do my best to assist.
As I said in my previous post, buses were our preferred method of travel during our 5 months in Argentina, especially so given the reputation of Aerolinas Argentina for cancellations and delays. When factoring in the inevitable delays plus check in and travelling times to from airports etc., the additional travel time is not as great as it first seems. An added benefit is the saving on one nights accommodation costs.
We did not experience any safety issues at all on any of our many bus trips. The only note of caution I would make is that we always waited and watched for our bags to be put safely in the hold of the bus on departure and got off the bus quickly upon arrival just to make sure that they were not left behind or picked up by another passenger. As with airline travel, do not pack valuables in the hold.
You should definitely book "Full Cama" or "Ejecutivo" as these will provide big lie flat seat/beds and are usually on the bottom deck where the swaying of the bus is less than on the top deck. Some companies even have Cama Suites. Food is generally good (similar to, if not a bit better than most airline food) - wine and sometimes champagne was served on most of our journeys.
In terms of which company to use a good starting point would be:
http://www.omnilineas.com/argentina/...puerto-iguazu/
We used most of the companies on that list all were pretty good, Andesmar especially. They always provide a god service as did Via Bariloche. On our trip from Puerto Iguazu to Concordia (which is en route to BA) we used a Brazilian company which I THINK was Crucero del Norte which was very good (unfortunately I did not note there name on our blog so can't be sure.
There are usually decent films playing on the video system but it is pot luck as to whether they will be in Spanish or English with subtitles (we found this really useful for practising our Spanish!) Otherwise a good book or an iPod will help to pass the time. As with night time flights, I find that eye shades and ear plugs are useful to take on board.
Many of the sites will allow online booking but some have experienced problems with their credit cards being used from overseas. It is easy enough to book seats at the bus station but for ejecutivo it is best to book a few days in advance. semi cama seats are usually available up to and even on the day of departure.
Here is a link to our blog with some photos of Iguazu etc.
http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blo...ai/1/tpod.html
entry #82
Hope this helps. if you have any other questions i will do my best to assist.
Oct 8th, 2011, 08:42 PM
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Aloha, crellston!
Thanks for all the information.
My husband, affiliated with airlines, feels the same way about South American airlines, so bussing is his preferred method of travel there.
Can you tell me what there was to see or do in Concordia? We are thinking of stopping off somewhere on the way back to BA to break up the trip and see something interesting. We would consider stopping overnight somewhere if the stop was worthwhile. Any other place you can recommend?
Thanks for all the information.
My husband, affiliated with airlines, feels the same way about South American airlines, so bussing is his preferred method of travel there.
Can you tell me what there was to see or do in Concordia? We are thinking of stopping off somewhere on the way back to BA to break up the trip and see something interesting. We would consider stopping overnight somewhere if the stop was worthwhile. Any other place you can recommend?
Oct 8th, 2011, 09:37 PM
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Hi Leburta -
Can't really help with Concordia as we were dropped off on the road outside of town so we could cross the border into Uruguay to the town of Salto before travelling on to Montevideo and Colonia and then on to BA by ferry across the river. This was a lot easier than it sounds but we did have a minor problem getting from the bus drop into Salto (probably a lot easier in the daytime!). Salto itself is a quiet town but its main attractions are the hot springs nearby. Concordia would be around 5 hrs from BA by bus so maybe not worth the effort.
One option you may wish to consider is to travel via Montevideo and Colonia both of which are definitely worth a look and, Colonia particularly, is easily reached by ferry (2hrs)from BA.
Here is a link to our blog which describes our time in these places and has some photos:
http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blo...ai/1/tpod.html
Entries #82-85
Can't really help with Concordia as we were dropped off on the road outside of town so we could cross the border into Uruguay to the town of Salto before travelling on to Montevideo and Colonia and then on to BA by ferry across the river. This was a lot easier than it sounds but we did have a minor problem getting from the bus drop into Salto (probably a lot easier in the daytime!). Salto itself is a quiet town but its main attractions are the hot springs nearby. Concordia would be around 5 hrs from BA by bus so maybe not worth the effort.
One option you may wish to consider is to travel via Montevideo and Colonia both of which are definitely worth a look and, Colonia particularly, is easily reached by ferry (2hrs)from BA.
Here is a link to our blog which describes our time in these places and has some photos:
http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blo...ai/1/tpod.html
Entries #82-85
Nov 18th, 2015, 11:08 AM
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I must just warn you: avoid FlechaBus! If you book with them, they may betray you and sell you a ticket which is actually a bad quality local's bus for most of the way and only a small part of your trip then in an actual Flecha Bus. Of course for the price of the full trip in FlechaBus...
This happened to me, when I was booking a trip in the FlechaBus office in La Quiaca going to Salta. (Of course, that is a different route than the one to Iguazu, but I can imagine that this may happen to you also on their other routes.) I had to spend over five hours in a cheap bus (Arco Iris) with neither air conditioning nor bathroom and only the last two hours were actually in a FlechaBus. When I protested before boarding that I had requested a trip in a FlechaBus, the staff at the FlechaBus office told me that I would be changing from the cheap bus into the FlechaBus after 15 minutes. Well, this was a pure lie!
If that's what you're looking for, well, then you sure can book with FlechaBus...
This happened to me, when I was booking a trip in the FlechaBus office in La Quiaca going to Salta. (Of course, that is a different route than the one to Iguazu, but I can imagine that this may happen to you also on their other routes.) I had to spend over five hours in a cheap bus (Arco Iris) with neither air conditioning nor bathroom and only the last two hours were actually in a FlechaBus. When I protested before boarding that I had requested a trip in a FlechaBus, the staff at the FlechaBus office told me that I would be changing from the cheap bus into the FlechaBus after 15 minutes. Well, this was a pure lie!
If that's what you're looking for, well, then you sure can book with FlechaBus...
Dec 2nd, 2015, 04:57 AM
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http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic..._District.html
The company crellston recommends seems to be very popular.
I can't believe we lived in Buenos Aires for so many years and never went to see the Falls ...
The company crellston recommends seems to be very popular.
I can't believe we lived in Buenos Aires for so many years and never went to see the Falls ...
Dec 13th, 2015, 04:16 PM
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I went with Via Bariloche and found the bus very comfortable (coche cama seats on upper deck) and the food served was very good. However, we arrived well over an hour late, which didn't bother me, but may be a consideration for others, if they only have a short time to spend at the Falls. The driver told me that the bus is always around an hour late. Also, a thief got on the bus when we stopped at a town on the border with Paraguay, and stole cameras and money which had been left on the overhead racks. Someone discovered that he had been stealing and we had to go to a police station and wait there for six hours while the police sorted everything out. This could happen with any company though, so I can't fault Via Bariloche for that, and they did do what they could to feed us and keep us informed of what was going on.
Dec 14th, 2015, 08:24 AM
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I understand this thread is mainly in regards to bus travel in Argentina, but just FYI and apropos of crellston's remark "When we return to SA we will use buses in preference to planes almost without exception".....
if anyone is considering travel to Brazil, domestic flights purchased sufficiently ahead of time are often equal to or very close to the price of a bus ticket and can save endless hours of boring 'interstate' scenery on longer routes. I have used Brazilian buses as well, and caution that, although they are quite comfortable, they are usually air conditioned to an arctic level, so you should make sure to have warmer clothing so as not to catch a cold. Is this a consideration on Argentine buses?
if anyone is considering travel to Brazil, domestic flights purchased sufficiently ahead of time are often equal to or very close to the price of a bus ticket and can save endless hours of boring 'interstate' scenery on longer routes. I have used Brazilian buses as well, and caution that, although they are quite comfortable, they are usually air conditioned to an arctic level, so you should make sure to have warmer clothing so as not to catch a cold. Is this a consideration on Argentine buses?
Dec 14th, 2015, 11:02 PM
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I imagine leburta has been and gone by now (or is maybe still stuck on a bus somewhere!)
With regarding my much earlier comment about returning to South America and using buses rather than flying. We did return in 2013 and did use buse almost entirely to cover Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and parts of Argentina and Chile. The exception was from the Rurrenabaque to Sucre via La Paz in Bolivia.
Our experience then made me question whether we had indeed made the right decision. We had to disembark the first plane twice due to mechanical faults. When we landed in Sucre we taxied past the previous flight ( an identical plane) which had crashed off the side of the runway down a steep bank. A tad concerning!
Re SambaChula's question re AC on Argentine buses. I don't recall that being a problem at all. All I remember is the exceptional comfort and great service. On Peruvian buses, especially overnight routes, the opposit seemed to be the case. They always seemed to turn up the heating to ridiculous levels and took great exception if one asked the to turn it down. At least we didn't have to share the bus with chickens and pigs as in Ecuador..
With regarding my much earlier comment about returning to South America and using buses rather than flying. We did return in 2013 and did use buse almost entirely to cover Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and parts of Argentina and Chile. The exception was from the Rurrenabaque to Sucre via La Paz in Bolivia.
Our experience then made me question whether we had indeed made the right decision. We had to disembark the first plane twice due to mechanical faults. When we landed in Sucre we taxied past the previous flight ( an identical plane) which had crashed off the side of the runway down a steep bank. A tad concerning!
Re SambaChula's question re AC on Argentine buses. I don't recall that being a problem at all. All I remember is the exceptional comfort and great service. On Peruvian buses, especially overnight routes, the opposit seemed to be the case. They always seemed to turn up the heating to ridiculous levels and took great exception if one asked the to turn it down. At least we didn't have to share the bus with chickens and pigs as in Ecuador..
