Santiago or Buenos Aires
 

I realize that this is a very general question, but I am trying to decide whether to visit Santiago or Buenos Aires in January. I've traveled a lot, but never to South America. I don't have much more than a week. Coming from the San Francisco area, I like cities, and I don't need to visit wineries. I probably would be interested in spending a few days outside of either B.A. or Santiago as well, but not a lot of moving around. Any suggestions?

The two cities are very different. Greater Buenos Aires has roughly the same population as all of Chile. Santiago has easier access to spots outside the city and the coast and has some excellent fish and seafood. Buenos Aires specialises in steak and has more night life. Both will be hot in January, although Santiago cools off at night and BA has much higher humidity. If you go to BA, find lodging with air conditioning.

What spots outside of Santiago would you suggest?

Lots of winieries near Santiago but you said you weren't interested. The city of Valparaiso is a very unique and interesting city.The seafood is excellent.

Aside from the wine areas, you can get to the coast (Valparaíso in 1.5 hours) or into the Andes or to thermal springs (varying from the very basic to 4 star luxury)in the same time. There are many national parks within easy distance as well. If you are looking for more of a 'café society', big city experience, then Buenos Aires is best.

Both Santiago and BA are worth a visit. With 10 days you can easily visit both. If I were to suggest one for a first visit I would recommend BA since there is more to do. I would recommend spending at least part of your time in BA in Palermo a vibrant neighborhood.

We just returned from a trip to BA and the northwest. We flew into Salta and toured the beautiful northwest which we highly recommend. For some photos of the NW check out www.northwestnomad.com.

Definitely Buenos Aires. For a few resaons: steaks, tango, culture, shopping.
I'll suggest also to visit San Antonio de Areco and Tigre.

We preferred the food in Chile, seafood instead of steak, with incredible fresh vegetables and fruit..

No comparison whatsoever! Buenos Aires all the way! However, Santiago is still a very nice city. I suppose that you could do both cities in 10 days but I despise having to go back and forth so many times to EZE and if you do go to Chile and you are either Canadian or American you have to pay the $130 visa fee. Just a consideration. If I only had 10 days, I would stay all the time in BA expect for an overnight or two night getaway to Iguazu falls.

I would choose Buenos Aires, Santiago is a nice city and the country Chile is on a much better road , in my opinion, than Argentina which is in a generally bad situation. Having said this and reminding you that you have to be careful security wise in Buenos Aires ( I do not know the situation in Santiago regarding security)Buenos Aires is a great city with many attractions,
January is hot but at the same time has a distinct flavor of less people here and there which makes everything easier. The Tigre region only 40 minutes from downtown is lovely. Life by the river and the Delta is absolutely charming in my opinion. Being in fashion lately there are many new little nice restaurants etc.There are close estancias to be visited for day out, of horse riding and a dip in the pool, besides a good bar b q lunch, like the estancia www.estancialosdoshermanos.com/, even being hot it is nice. In all Bs As has a lot to offer but again one should pay a lot of attention when taking money from banks and the like. Taxis should be called not flagged in the steets.

I only wish to add, if possible the Tigre should be avoided on week ends because it is too crowded.

Graziella5b--What would be the best way to get to Tigre? What does it mean "to pay a lot of attention when taking money from banks and the like?"

Just to be fair, I do want to add that when I went to Santiago for a few days, I very much enjoyed my stay. It is an interesting city and easy to get around. I would like to go back again especially since my visa is still valid and there is more to the country that I would like to explore. However, since this is your first trip to South America and your choices are these two cities, I really think that Buenos Aires is the place to go. Its such a vibrant city and the culture is amazing. I just love the architecture in BA. If you do go to BA, something that is really worthwhile are the free walking tours of the city. You tip at the end of a wonderful 3 hours of being guided by a young local porteño/a who will share some fascinating perspectives and facts about the city. Best of luck. Buena suerte.

I missed Santiago so I can't help with a comparision. This is my report on BA, I hope it helps: http://loraltravel.blogspot.com/2010...argentina.html

As you are going for a week I recommend an apartment rental rather than a hotel. The only thing you will miss is the room service; an apartment is better in every other respect.

You can take a taxi or remise which is aprox 25 dollars, you can find out about a boat that joins Puerto Madero with Tigre, like 5 dollars each, the train is very inexpensive but I do not know if it is safe, you can find out about another train called Tren de la Costa which is ok but leaves from ....there are also charters ( that is vans that take several passanger at the same time)
which are about 4 dollars each, find out at www.ejecutivonorte.com.ar. When I say taxi a remise is even better.
About being careful when taking money from ATM machines it is what I said, be careful no one is around etc.......at all times in Buenos Aires is better be careful than sorry.
Follows information regarding Tren de la COsta:""' Tren de la Costa S.A. is a company that operates a 15.5 km (9.6 mi), 11-station light rail line in Greater Buenos Aires, between Maipú Avenue station in the northern suburb of Olivos and Delta station in Tigre, on the Río de la Plata. ''

I guess there must be touristic tours of Tigre that would be another option. There is a lot of information in the internet regarding Tigre.

Do you think that we should spend the night in Tigre, or is a day trip enough time? I realize that, obviously, both options have advantages.

Tigre is a very nice day trip. You take a train ride of about 30 minutes and spend the day, have lunch, maybe a boat ride then come back by train ..

Scarlet, have you take the train, is it ok>? Please let me know I have been told different things about it.
jag1 jag1, I have not done this but I am thinking of doing it, how about spending a night in Tigre, one in there I would do a boat ride, eat in one of the trendy new restaurants, walk by the river etc.
Next morning I would take the Cacciola to Carmelo, Uruguay and then by bus to Montevideo.
This way, I feel that I would get a full day at Tigre,pay less for the hotel, and pay less for the trip to Uruguay. The trip they tell me is beautiful. A little long but a scnenic trip and then coming back from Montevideo I would fly.
Hotels in TIgre? that is the big question but I believe there are some options in tripadvisor.

I also feel that is better to avoid visiting Tigre during the week ends.

The train trip is short enough to allow for a pleasant day trip. We enjoyed the train ride, felt it was safe and a bit pituresque in some places. One can get off the Train de la Costa and back on, in order to explore smaller towns. Some recommended sites to look at Tigre in general, and overnight possibilities in particular...and Delta Unplugged is a Tour Group that has been well reviewed and recommended on this and other Fora. Enjoy your time in Argentina. Lots of great choices.

http://www.tigre.gov.ar/

http://www.hosterialospecanes.com/

http://www.cabanias.com/subregiones/delta.asp

A few more questions. Delta Unplugged looks good, but does that work as a day trip? It looks like you need to get there early in the morning if breakfast is included.

Also, how hard is it to get radio taxis if you arrive back in BA on the train after being on day trips? All the advice suggests having your hotel or restaurant call for a taxi, but what about if you are not at one of those places when you need a taxi?

Be aware that there are two different trains going to Tigre as I explained before.


From Retiro I can guess it is not convenient at all to take ANY taxi from the station, DO NOT DO IT.
These are some reliable radio taxi companies in Buenos Aires, USTA 4383 7700, Pidalo 4956 1200,/ Premium , /www.taxipremium.com/servicio-online.asp, and others as ALO 4855 0455,
you have to have a phone to call them, public phone guess its .25, go to a locutorio where they have telephone cabins and internet, or have a cell phone, I guess that having a cell phone is a great asset in BUenos Aires.

As a rule I have learnt never take a taxi that is waiting in line. Except in cities where they have regular taxi stations.

What about taxis at the airport? Are there any remis companies that we should try to make arrangements with?

Taxi Ezeiza has a booth just outside of Customs: http://www.taxiezeiza.com.ar/ They are dependable and the least costly (besides the Tienda bus to center of town) but they take CASH ONLY.

The Remis services are: VIP; World Car; Tienda Leon. All good and payable with CC. Get a return coupon for a discount back to the airport - though I believe that the return trip is always less costly.

DO NOT take TAXIS from the stand OUTSIDE the AIRPORT !!!

When in the city, we called Radio Taxis, as Graziella recommends, and the Restaurants, Shows or Stores will call for you, if you do not have a cell phone. We did hail Radio Taxis on the street, and then wrote down the # of the Taxi, but that is probably of little worth as it is the connection to the station that is the safegaurd. We NEVER hailed a Taxi NEAR TOURIST SITES...if there are unscrupulous drivers, they will be right there looking for a mark. We found most Taxi drivers to be friendly, interesting and honest...albeit rather hair-raising drivers !

Enjoy your planning and then your visit.

~MarnieWDC

Note: there are less Locutorios than before because most people has a cell phone now. However there are quiet a few, best way to find them ask any of the PORTEROS , or handy men of buildings, they usually hang around , dressed in working grey shirts or similar, they know the neighborhood and can let you where the nearest Locutorio is located. From there ask for a BOOTH called Cabina and phone one of the radio taxis give as an address the Locutorio address and a phone number, like your hotel's.Give them a first name, a simple one for them to understand . And wait by the door of the locutorio. I understand it might be more difficult when arriving at Retiro, the Buquebus port etc, in those case you have to be more careful than ever and avoid any taxi standing there. If you have no luggage walk a few blocks to get out of the area of the station, flagging a radio taxi is an option as Marnie WDC says , however the best if to phone them because this way your name+ address, is recorded, drivers are aware of this and in itself is a deterrent to any foul play. I have to agree however that most taxi drivers are nice guys or girls, it is a question of luck to get a rotten apple. However there are rotten apples and since they will know right away you are a tourist ...
Other options are remises, they are usually very good, let us say you are going to a show you can arrange the same remise that takes you to the show to pick you up. Most remises in Buenos Aires, charge for the one way trip, and then they charge by the hour to wait for you. They are charging aprox $30 per hour. That is less than 10 dollars. This is particularly advantageous when you go to a far place.

Wow. This whole taxi thing sounds really stressful. I was thinking of staying in Palermo and of day trips to Tigre and Colonia, but that requires a variety of transportation modes. I always having trouble using my cell phone in other countries, even if I switch out the sim card, unlock it, etc. etc. I guess I need to look into that.

Yes, it looks stressful, but at the end of the day it is no big deal. You will get use to it. In Palermo there is a good subway line, use it. Walk a lot too. In two words avoid taxis waiting in line in train stations and the like and call radio taxis. The fact that inexpensive remises are available I believe is a wonderful characteristic of Buenos Aires. They are cheaper than taxis most of the time, this does not happen in NY for instance, or in Paris...so in all it is good, walking is always in my opinion a great option.

Honestly, jag1jag1, I was trying to creat the opposite of stress or anxiety around taking taxis in BsAs.

I apologize.

My DH and I (2, not-so-young and not-so-muscular travelers, with pathetic Spanish) have never been nervous or uncomfortable walking or taking buses or taxis in BsAs. I am always uncomfortable in metros, but no more in BsAs than in Paris or WDC.

I think being aware of which neighborhoods are unwholesome or seedy or dangerous at night - and of possible tourist scams - is being a smart traveler...but that is true wherever you are a tourist - and even at home in large city centers.

Having a cell phone was useful, and might be worth checking into.

I hope I have refined my earlier message to encourage you to
continue to learn about BsAs, and be an ever wiser tourist -not a stressed one - and you will have such a wonderful time; even taking taxis :-)

Your plans for Tigre and Colonia sound great. The trains to Tigre (especially the Tren de la Costa) are nice to ride and the fast ferry is a pleasant experience too (unless you hit bad weather, which is why you may want to plan that after you arrive in BsAs and know the weather prediction).

Really, jag1jag1, you are in for a great vacation ! Best,

~Marnie

Just a quick comment on BA cabs. I didn't call any by phone. The few I hailed in the street were no problem; all had working meters and provided an efficient, moderately cheap service including the final one from Recoleto to Ezezia. Maybe I was just lucky. On that final one I actually hailed a couple, but negotiated the price first. The first guy wanted 100 pesos; the second got the job for 85. He got 100 anyway at the airport, for an efficient safe ride.

On my first arrival, a month earlier, I used one of the airport services for a set return fare.

Getting around BA I enjoyed the challenge of using the trains and buses. Be sure to take Linea A at least once, just for the step back in time. For buses, buy the pocket-size Guia "T" Bolsillo at a street news stall and spend a little time studying how the book is arranged. Despite my limited Spanish I was able to work out which routes went where and how to connect between them using the combination of maps, grids and route numbers.

Going back to the original question, how different is the weather in January between the two cities? I realize it's summer there, and January can be quite warm in either. I've heard the humidity in Buenos Aires is much, much worse, 'tho...whereas the heat in Santiago/Valpariso is dry and a bit more bearable, no?

When we were in BA last January, the weather seemed OK, but maybe we were just lucky.

Stgo cannot compare to BA's cultural richness, but all the day trips outside of Stgo surpass it. Valparaiso is worth 2-3 days of just walking around. Maipo wine valley on the outskirts of Stgo by subway (BA doesn't have vineyards, but it does have good wine). Stgo is much safer if that matter at all. I love both places, but Stgo to live or wine tourism, Valparaiso for history, BA for food, museums or people watching.