Has anyone been to Argentina?

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  idontalwaysnotlie on 04/02/2017 - 10:14

  Yeah I went in 2015, it was great. I spent most of my time in Patagonia and it was so beautiful. Bleak and windswept but really nice.
  south america flights are always expensive, but there are a number of smaller cheaper airlines these days. They dont come up on the the normal sites like skyscanner and their sites are usually all in spanish. have a look around and you should be able to find some cheap flights.
  busses are a cheaper option and really nice (think massive lazyboy recliner) but will take much longer. Argentina is a massive place.
  Just use the atms there to pull out money. Dont get peso here in Oz.
  Local sims should be the cheapest over there but data is expensive and reception is bad outside of the main cities.
  Other than that just follow the locals (buy water then they do, eat where they do etc) and you should be fine.

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    Dink on 04/02/2017 - 12:18

    Thanks for your help, will do some more research re flights. Sounds like it may not be worth bothering with a sim card, will have to make do with wifi when we can get it.

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  spacemansam on 04/02/2017 - 10:23

  I was there about 4 months ago and went from Salta all the way down to El Calafate.

  The ATMs run out of money all the time so if you manage to find one that still has cash left, withdraw as much as you can. Therr was a day that we went to 10 ATMs in the thr central area and all had run out of cash!

  Book flights as soon as you can, prices rise dramatically as you get closer to the date but keep in mind that Aerolineas is the only airline that does internal flights and their track record isnt the best. Just make sure your itinerary is flexible as there are often delays and cancellations (our flight was cancelled and it took us another 24hrs to arrive somewhere that would have only been a 3hr flight)

  Things are pretty pricey in Argentina (think London prices for food, accom, tours) so have plenty of moeny saved up

  Despite these negatives that I've mentioned the country as a whole is spectacular and varies greatly from city to city.

  Feel free to ask any more questions or PM if you'd like a link to my blog:)

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    Dink on 04/02/2017 - 12:20

    Thanks for your help, sounds like we should make it a priority to stock up on pesos when we are in Buenos Aires. Would love to read your blog, will send you a pm.

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  bengal tiger on 04/02/2017 - 13:57

  I spent several months in Central & South America many years ago during my backpacker days. I can't help you much with the current questions you've posed above but I can offer you some info on planning for Iguazu Falls.

  You're right that the flights from BA to Iguazu aren't cheap, best to book as early as possible once you set your dates. I did the 18hr bus ride from BA's Retiro bus station to Puerto Iguazu, it wasn't that bad as far as I can remember (though I think it may be looking back with rose-tinted glasses as Argentinian buses felt like First Class plane seats compared to the buses in Bolivia). The long distance buses have a 2-2 seat configuration and you get a good recline angle for evening sleeps. If you can afford the air ticket then best to go for that option but there's always the bus if you're time rich and money poor.

  There's not much in the border town of Puerto Iguazu and one full day is all you need to see the Argentinian side of the falls. Most people who make the trip there also allow for time to cross the border to Brazil to see the falls from the Brazilian side. Note that Australian passport holders will need to apply for a Brazilian entry visa beforehand, though EU/NZ/many other passports can enter visa free. It's possible to apply for the Brazilian entry visa while in Argentina but they'll hold your passport for potentially up to a few weeks and it's less hassle to apply for it while in Australia. It may be possible to see the Brazilian side of the falls as a day trip from Puerto Iguazu but it might be a little rushed or a really long day; I stayed in the Brazilian border town of Foz do Iguaçu for two nights which allowed me to spend a full day at the falls but that was at a relaxed pace, one night in Foz would be probably suffice for most people. You also may want to brush up on some basic Portuguese if do spend time in Foz, the majority of the locals there don't speak any Spanish.

  It is possible to also visit the falls from the Paraguay side (entry visa also required for Australians) but from what I recall hearing from other backpackers it wasn't worth the trip.

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    Dink on 05/02/2017 - 12:01

    Thanks, have looked into the buses and they do look great but we don't have a great deal of time. We were planning to spend a full day on each side of the falls, travelling on UK passports so I don't think we need a visa but thanks anyway for the tip.

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  Bredo on 04/02/2017 - 16:59

  I'm from Argentina :)

  Yeah buses are the cheapest way to travel, and you can get anything from regular service all the way to 5 stars with meals, drinks and bed. Of course distances are big so if time is a constraint, the flights might be your only option. Flights aren't cheap, and sales are very rare (sales aren't great either anyway). Soo book as early as possible and allow time for the usual delays. The cheapest will likely be Aerolíneas Argentinas, also check LAN (now called LATAM).

  SIM cards, you should be able to get local SIM card easily

  Money: every time I go to visit the family nowadays, I would just use 28 Degrees and Citi plus. You'll be fine with that. The ATM running out of money happens normally in small towns or villages or remote places where they get loaded only once a week :)
  Having said that, it's smart to take some USD with you (forget about AUD, they are useless over there). However having USD means you will need to exchange it at some point, to do that (been a tourist) you'll be better to stick with the banks and avoid clandestine exchangers whom have better rates but there is too much risk involved (they might approach you in some places, specially in Buenos Aires). You may also find that in some few tourists places like El Calafate some shops (hotels, restaurants, etc) will also take your USD.

  Feel free to ask me if you have more questions

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    Dink on 05/02/2017 - 12:07

    Thanks for your help, sounds like we need to get on to booking the flights asap, no point waiting for a bargain like we do here! Good to hear the 28 deg and citibank are fine, will stock up on pesos in BA, just a bit hard to judge how much we will need for a week in Patagonia, more research required I think.

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  subywagon on 04/02/2017 - 18:18

  How safe is Argentina?

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    spacemansam on 04/02/2017 - 22:11

    +1

    Depends on the city but most felt completely safe. It was mainly Buenos Aires and Cordoba that we ever felt uneasy, the rest of the country was fine

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  tagniteroi on 04/02/2017 - 18:37

  Been to argentina and love it… we had good times only, but i dont think its 100% safe in there… i mean, walking in empty streets at 3 am etc.. during the day youre fine.last hostel we stayed , someone entered to rob it and 2-3 ppl got shot… so like any other poor place there are ups and downs.. its a cheap place, travel by bus, local trains etc…. and make sure u know some spanish… in brazil to get a local sim you need a cpf, like a tax nr, so im not sure in argentina. You prob use your sim to roam, use wifi and if gou need to call use skype. Let me know if you decide to go brazil.. i can help on that one as im brazilian, born n raised :)

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  scozbargain on 04/02/2017 - 19:39

  Hi, leaving for Argentina in two weeks. You don't need a visa but do need to pre-pay a reciprocity fee of US$100 if travelling on an Australian passport. You have to obtain online and cannot board a plane to Argentina without evidence of the fee being paid. That is bad enough. The interesting part is that the Argentina Immigration website, where you have to pay the fee, does't work most of the time. Try googling for examples of how long their website has been a problem - it is years. No one will assist. You have to keep trying 1000 times and you might luck and be able to apply. If I were you I would start trying to pay the reciprocity fee now and you might have a chance of a receipt before you leave for your trip.

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    Dink on 05/02/2017 - 11:54

    Wow, what a pain! Fortunately I don't think we need to pay the fee as we are travelling on British passports but thanks for the tip and I hope you have an amazing time over there.

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    Chavigv on 02/05/2019 - 22:53

    The fee was taken down
    They shouldn’t charge it anymore

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  [Deactivated] on 06/02/2017 - 16:50

  -1

  my workmate got held up in argentina by 4 kids with 'guns'

  he had a feeling they were fake but didn't want to risk it..took his DSLR and wallet