Herminator101

Dear fellow travellers!

We are very excited about spending our first wedding anniversary in Argentina during the second half of October. Young and adventurous and don't mind packing the trip to the brim (I always hear my itinerary is too busy, but it turns out perfect, although on this occassion I think I have outdone myself by one location too many!)

I have a few questions and would much appreciate experienced Argintinean travellers' advice on below, and how we should perhaps tweak our itinerary for any unknowns.

1. Am I right in saying to get to most places by air, you'd have to travel through BsAs first...which is where I went wrong with my planning, as the extra leg eats up too much time (and money...flights are much more expensive than I thought!)?

2. Is Aerolineas Argentinas the best airline to use? They seem to offer the most flights at the cheapest prices, but perhaps I am missing out on some local airline I haven't come across in my research?

3. Our itinerary follows below. To make it work in the time we have (16 days) I expect I will have to cut out one of the locations (which will naturally help the budget due to flight costs). The most important point we need advice on is whether or not to cut out Salta, or whether (because we'll see the glaciers in El Calafate anyway for more of the same) we should cut out a day in Ushuaia and keep Salta on our itinerary.

4. Also regarding the itinerary, as we prefer warm to cold weather, we thought to save Iguazu for last...does that make sense? I noticed on most itineraries it appears as the first stop.

5. I see on XE.com that the official USD to ARS is 5.77, but I read that the unofficial rate is more like 9.00 USD to ARS and that wherever you use a credit card, you'll be charged the (worse) official rate. Is there any way to pay for flights (in advance) and obtain cash (in Argentina) at the unofficial rate?

6. Any other points you think we should know about or incorporate / amend / remove from our itinerary!

Any feedback would be tremendously appreciated! Thank you in advance and best of luck with all your adventures!

Herman & Iwona

Fri 18th: Arrive BsAs 07:35 and spend the rest of the day acclimatising, resting and familiarising - OVERNIGHT BsAs

Sat 19th: BsAs full day city tour: 9 de Julio Avenue, Obelisk and Corrientes Street, Plaza de Mayo, Cathedral and the Cabildo (Old City Hall, San Telmo neighbourhood (old colonial houses and the cobblestoned streets), La Boca Neighborhood in the south of the city (colourful zinc houses), Puerto Madero (old port of the city), Palermo (741 acres of gardens and artificial ponds), Recoleta for Recoleta Cemetery and ending up there in bars, cafes and restaurants. OVERNIGHT BsAs

Sun 20th: Full day at Fiesta Gaucha. OVERNIGHT BsAs

Mon 21st: Fly to Salta, check in and stroll to plaza, visit Iglesia San Francisco and baroque Salta Cathedral, lunch in the sunny courtyard of Casa Moderna, Vte Lopez 423, visit the MAAM (known locally as mummy museum), enjoy a Torrontes wine at Café Van Gogh on the plaza before dinner at restaurant José Balcarce. OVERNIGHT SALTA

Tue 22nd: Take cable car to San Bernardo Hill, take taxi to hilltop village of San Lorenzo (lunch at the Tuscan-style El Castillo de San Lorenzo hotel), taxi to Mercado Artesanal (renovated millhouse) for afternoon tea amid genuine local products, head to Salta's nightlife street Calle Balcarce for music session at Café de Tiempo followed by and numerous clubs nearby. OVERNIGHT SALTA

Wed 23rd: Fly to Mendoza and conduct half day tour to Wine Cellars and Great Wineries, around two collards in the heart of the Central Region of Mendoza that comprises Maipu and Lujan de Cuyo, visiting two cellars. OVERNIGHT MENDOZA

Thu 24th: Drive west into the Andes, first south out of town and then west on RN 7 to Potrerillos and on to the Chilean border, after Uspallatathe winding mountain road takes you to the base of Mt. Aconcagua (highest mountain outside Himalayas, with photo opportunity at the mystical Puente de Inca en route, return via the winding spiral, cliff-hanging Ruta 52 past the thermal springs at Villavicencio. OVERNIGHT MENDOZA

Fri 25th: Take the Pan-American Highway RN 40 toward the town of Tunuyán (rolling hills, poplar-lined country roads, and Andes mountains), stopping at impressive Bodega Salentein (including interesting art gallery and spooky, fascinating cellar), lunch at their vineyard cafe or nearby Posada Salentein before returning to Mendoza for the flight to Bariloche. Were going to overnight Bariloache, but advised Villa la Angostura is a less touristy and better alternative. OVERNIGHT VILLA LA ANGOSTURA

Sat 26th: Cycling along the northern shores of Lake Nahuel Huapi. Instead of overnight Bariloche, OVERNIGHT VILLA LA ANGOSTURA

Sun 27th: Victoria Island navigation and disembark for walks along different paths on the island, continue sailing towards the Arrayanes Forest with rare “arrayan” trees (Luma Apiculata) for mountain bike along tourist path, finishing sailing at Pañuelos Pier before returning to Bariloche and flight to El Calafate. OVERNIGHT EL CALAFATE

Mon 28th: 80km by road to Perito Moreno glacier with Andean pre-cordillera sites en route to Los Glaciares national park, spotting floating icebergs along Brazo Rico to the glacier. OVERNIGHT EL CALAFATE

Tue 29th: Full day excursion to Ice Rivers, departure from Punta Banderas. Sightseeing of the Upsala Glacier, Iceber barrier, Landing at Onelli area, navegation among Icebergs and returning to Puerto Bandera. OVERNIGHT EL CALAFATE

Wed 30th: Fly to Ushuala. Excursion to Tierra del Fuego National Park for the lakes, lagoons and rivers within its limits, and their exit towards the Beagle Channel, characteristic that makes the difference with the other national parks of our country. Tour Seal’s island starts at the pier along the coast of Ushuaia, with a view of the most important building. From this point on, the landscape is a combination of sea and mountains. OVERNIGHT USHUAIA

Thu 31st: Arctic cruise to Cape Horn. OVERNIGHT USHUAIA

Fri, 1st: Fly to the Iguazu Falls on straight on to the Brazilean side for the four main rapids: Floriano, Deodoro, Benjamín Constant and Salto Unión (Devil´s Throat). OVERNIGHT IGUAZU (Arg)

Sat, 2nd: Tour of the Iguazu Falls on the Argentinean side for 3 circuits on catwalks: Lower Path (1.2km / 2hrs with views of majority of rapids and falls from a front and lower point of view), Higher Path (1.3km / 1hr with steep walks along the edge of some waterfalls with cliff-point outlooks), Devil’s Throat (via the Ecological Jungle Train stopping for stroll along the catwalk for 1.1km ending in balconies located on the edge of falls). OVERNIGHT IGUAZU (Arg)

Sun, 3rd: Return to BsAs for onward flight home at 14:25. OVERNIGHT CRAMPY ECONOMY CLASS SEAT ON BA.

jgg

I would say you are trying to fit a bit too much in. You've got 15 nights (the 16th is on the plane) with 7 locations - that would be too much moving around for me. I can't tell whether this is a tour or whether you are just doing parts as a tour so not sure how much flexibility you have. We did a twelve night trip that included Buenos Aires, El Calafate and Iguazu (btw, we ended with Iguazu and we liked saving the warmest place for last too!!)

We flew on LAN rather than Areolinas. It is slightly more expensive but from everything I had read AErolinas was just so unreliable I decided to go for the better airline. It is true that we always had to fly through BA, which was not ideal, and even ended up having to spend one extra night in BA instead of Iguazu when they changed the times of our connecting flights a few weeks before we were set to leave.

Haven't been to Salta or Ushuia so can't make any recommendations on whether to replace one for another. But here is a link to my trip report along with pictures that you may find helpful:

http://www.fromhometoroam.com/catego...ica/argentina/

MarnieWDC

My only thought is that the real charm of Salta, for us, is exploring the gorgeous areas N and S of the town itself. We liked the town, but would not recommend a stop there in so strenuous an itinerary....without seeing the area.

Just another aside: there has been (locals can say if it is still operating) a direct flight between Salta and Iguazu Falls...you might want to explore that to cut down on some of your airport time.

crellston

I agree with jgg except that I think you are trying to fit in WAY to much. The question is what to leave out and only you can decide that as it is all about what YOU enjoy.

Reading the above program, it does seem as though this has been lifted from a travel agents itinerary. If so, I would look for another travel agent as this programme is just OTT. With 7 locations over 15 nights you are going to be spending most of your time in, or on the way to airports and in the air seeing very little of the country.

Highlights of my time in Argentina were a driving tour of the NW from Salta, Iguazu, truly one of the wonders of the world, peninsula Valdez to see the whales up close and BA an amazing city. Mendoza held very little attraction for me. That said, I do regret not going to El Calafate and Ushaia.

With the time you have I would suggest sticking to three locations.

I don't really think it matters too much what order you do this trip in as you will be flying mostly through BA anyway ( there are now flights from Salta direct to Iguazu though).

I did post re getting the blue rate for forex recently click on my screen name to find the post. Avrooster has also posted a lot on this.

thursdaysd

I did a much longer tour of SA last year and didn't get to either Salta or Ushuaia, but from what I've read I would definitely pick Salta, which I was saving for another trip. I didn't see any reason to go to Ushuaia unless i was going on to Antarctica.

Villa la Angostura is just as touristy as Bariloche, but smaller, and therefore with fewer options. Also, Bariloche has stunning views if you go up the mountains.

As crellston says, that reads like a tour, or at least a travel agent's suggestion. You can do better, but go slower. Click on my name for my TR, including most of the places you list.

Herminator101

Thank you so much to thursdaysd, crellston, MarnieWDC and jgg!

Should have said that this is my own itinerary, which we're putting together on our own without the help of a travel agent, and yes, most of it has been lifted from other itineraries I looked at - before I started looking at flights...obviously!

So flexible, yes, and too busy, I get it. I'm from South Africa originally, so if I can convince my wife to cut out Mendoza (wine region, I understand) then I will retain Salta instead of Mendoza. Might skip the far south too and save an artic (or antartic trip) for another day.

Many thanks and very much appreciated. Will have a look at the links you recommended on currencies too crellston, thank you.

Will keep looking out for any further posts if others have any further recommendations other than those already made.

Best wishes,
Herman

flintstones

I would suggest you to come to the NW if you like culture, amazing sceneries, great food, fantastic wines and more amazing sceneries... You will not regret!!!
flintstones..

Herminator101

So for better or worse, we are thinking of dropping Ushuaia (which looks a bit samey to El Calafate in some ways) and Bariloche / Villa la Angosturo (which looks a bit like many of the Swiss / French ski resorts in summer). I'm sure many will have good reasons to object, but I would appreciate your feedback nonetheless...PLEASE! I do appreciate that every reply to my request is one helpful traveller taking time out of a busy day to respond...and is accordingly VERY much appreciated.

So the net result of all of my research will leave us with 7 flights (ouch for the budget!) and the following number of nights / location:

BA (3 nights)
Mendoza (4 nights)
Al Calafate (2 nights)
Salta (4 nights)
Iguazu (2 nights)

and therefore 1 night spare (it's 16 nights in total...slight mis-calculation earlier...apologies!)

Please do let me know if you're thinking I'm making a huge mistake...and in case I'm not, which location deserves an extra night!

Thank you again, one and all, and happy travels!

H

thursdaysd

Well, I thought the views at Bariloche were just stunning, but I haven't been to Medoza or Salta yet. That does seem rather a long time at Mendoza - how many wineries do you want to visit? And I think you may be short changing Iguazu.

Have you looked at buses instead of flights?

Herminator101

Thanks again ThursdaysD. My Argentinean friend just wrote an email to me, basically saying the same - Bariloche is a must - and now I'm completely lost! But in a way, that's the fun of planning a trip...always leaving something for next time...just don't know what! In Mendoza we were thinking of car rental and driving around the mountainous areas all the way to the Chilean border...but perhaps that time will be better spent in Bariloche?! Decisions...

I'm slightly averse to bus travel as I'm quite tall and not the world's most patient person when it comes to long distance travel (too much of that for my work). So I'd rather spend the extra dollar on a flight and save time given how little holiday I get and wanting to make the most of our two week trip. Again...decisions!

But you certainly made me re-think dropping Bariloche...would you say it's similar to the Swiss / French Alps (if you'd been) or totally different. If the latter, I would strongly reconsider adding Bariloche back into our itinerary...

Thanks again...lots!

H

crellston

Too long on Mendoza IMO. Having been to both Mendoza and Salta I much preferred Salta and, if you are considering driving the north and south circuits of the region, which I would highly recommend, you really need 5, preferrably 6 nights.

As Thursdaysd say, do check out the buses. It may seem like they take longer, but they are very comfortable and travelling overnight you save on accommodation costs and taking into account waiting time at airports etc. the time saving is not as great as you may think.

thursdaysd

Well, mountains are mountains, but I can't say I was thinking Alps in particluar.

Maybe my photos will help? See: http://kwilhelm.smugmug.com/Travel/S...2012/Bariloche

avrooster

Herman e-mailed me, asking for my opinion.

Well, here I am.

Why I didn't post in this thread?

Simply because I feel Herman's itinerary is crazy, but since he started by saying he does not "mind packing the trip to the brim" and "it turns out perfect", I thought: well, if that's the way these young people like to travel, that's great, but I'm having no part of it! LOL!!!!!

This is the way I'd do it, particularly if I were "young and adventurous" as Herman and Iwona are:

Land in BA with no preset travel plan. Once here, start by exchanging enough foreign currency into pesos at the "blue" rate to cover all the expenses which can be paid for with a credit card (including hotel and travel), saving nearly 40%, at this writing. Obviously, be careful with that cash. There is a recent post about that by http://www.fodors.com/community/profile/posty/

Cut your itinerary as follows: Choose between a) BA, Iguazú, Salta, Mendoza and BA or b) BA, Iguazú, Bariloche/Villa La Angostura, El Calafate and BA.

In other words, a) Iguazú and our NW and West OR b) Iguazú and part of our South. Save what you missed this time for your second anniversary.

You should be able to fly from Iguazú directly to Salta and then by bus to Mendoza, saving time and money. I know you are tall, Herman, but it's just one night and our buses are rather good. You should also be able to bus it from Bariloche to El Calafate.

Once you have chosen, I'm pretty sure (not 100%) you'll be able to purchase your local plane tickets in cash pesos with the significant savings mentioned above. I wouldn't touch Aerolíneas with the end of a long pole, but that's just me and it's probably just a matter of luck, meaning that if you are lucky you may get a good flight with them and if you are unlucky you'll get a bad flight with any airline.

With the savings obtained, perhaps you'll be able to afford the best of each location, such as the Sheraton in Iguazú, tour Salta with Angie, the Llao-Llao in Bariloche, Los Notros in El Calafate an so on. You need to rent a car in Bariloche and El Calafate.

Stay for a couple of days in BA at the end of your trip. Get rid of any pesos you have left.

Have a great time in our country, your way or my way.

laurie_ann

I didn't read all the above posts but I have been to both Mendoza and Salta. Do not dismiss Salta and the area around as a wine region. If wine is your reason to go to Mendoza I believe you can get more than enough of that experience in and around Salta.

avrooster

Certainly, Salta is also a wine region, but not as well-known for this as Mendoza.

thursdaysd

I managed just fine in Bariloche and El Calafate without a car. I took tours booked through my hotels, and used buses. Of course, I sayed IN Bariloche, not out at Lao Lao.

avrooster

Maybe I should have said: "IMO, for maximum enjoyment, you need a car in those two places."

Herminator101

Many thanks all, and especially so to AVRooster for the time taken to respond - all comments are appreciated!

We're actually thinking about cycling around Bariloche (circuito chico, I believe the route is called), but will consider car hire also.

We also decided to give Mendoza a miss, after all, only because we are blessed with many wine regions in Europe ("old world") and I'm South African ("new world") where I've been to most wine farms and our wines aren't too shabby. Also, as laurie-ann and avrooster point out, we will hopefully have time in Salta to experience some of Argentina's finest!

So we'll still likely have too hectic a tour for most of you, but we don't get so many days off from work and our idea of resting is a busy holiday In fact, this is probably one of the "slowest" 2 week holidays I've had, compared to others in Peru, Uganda & Rwanda, India, China, etc. So our programme will be as follows:

BA (3.5 days, city tour & Fiesta Gaucha)
Al Calafate (2 days, walk around glacier, boat trip)
Bariloche (4 days, cycling, perhaps hire car also)
Salta (4 days, hire car and travel around)
Iguazu (2 days, Arg & Brazil)

That's down to 6 flights (1 of them connecting through BA from Bariloche to Salta (need to check still if this works), but will also look at a bus trip (as an adventure / something different) from Al Calafate to Bariloche.

Will certainly consider avrooster's list of "best hotels".

Also heard of a method from a friend to book flights at the dollar blue rate, but not convinced until I did it...will certainly post if it works! So about to book flights tomorrow in case anyone has any views to offer before our programme is fixed...as always, any feedback is much appreciated!

Best wishes & happy travels!

Herman & Iwona

avrooster

Hi, Herman & Iwona!

1) If you decide to bring cash, remember it is better to bring dollars, not euros.

2) I'm not at all sure you are the "Fiesta Gaucha" kind of people.

3) If you are so much into strenuous activity, I wonder why you have not considered El Chaltén, near El Calafate. Deduct that from the days in Bariloche.

4)Please tell us about the "method from a friend to book flights at the dollar blue rate" and let us judge its merits.

Have a great time in our country.

thursdaysd

Agree about El Chalten. (BTW, it's EL Calafate, not AL.)

Is that three nights for Iguazu? I loved it there.