Argentina - Iguazu: Crossing from Brazil to Argentina

Here's the scenario:

My wife, my kids and my in-laws are heading to Iguazu and they plan to stay at the Sheraton resort there. At the same time, I need to be in Rio. However, on the Friday, I'm hoping to fly from Rio to Iguazu and meet them there for the weekend.

My question is this: how easy is it for me to get off the plane at IGU on the Brazil side and get transport over to the Sheraton on the Argentine side (and therefore, how easy is it to cross the border?) Would I be better off coming back to BsAs, and then flying from AEP to IGR?

Unless you REALLY need the Lan kms, I'd go ahead and cross the land border. Your options are bus (super cheap, but involves connections and waiting) or taxi (I'm not sure what the Brazilian side charges, but we were able to get the use of a taxi for the whole day to take us from our hotel in Argentina to the Brazilian park and back for AR$140). The border crossing is relatively straightforward: An exit stamp on the Brazilian side and an entry stamp on the Argentina side. Doesn't take very long (~30 minutes all-in depending on lines). If you have the time, visit the bird park on the Brazilian side, it's awesome!

we were able to get the use of a taxi for the whole day to take us from our hotel in Argentina to the Brazilian park and back for AR$140).

How long ago was this?
That seems very cheap at today's prices.

How long ago was this?
That seems very cheap at today's prices.

This was the end of this past July (2010). I suppose we didn't technically have use of his services while we were at the parks (Falls and Bird). I should also point out that we weren't at the Sheraton (where the taxis may charge a premium), but we weren't in the town of Puerto Iguazu either. The driver also seemed to be friends with the hotel owner, not sure how much that influenced the rate.

I understand that Argentine immigration at the land border crossings are still not ready to collect any reciprocity fee so me thinks that flying down to AEP/EZE is a waste of time & money.

The Last time I was there i stayed on the Brazilian side at Hotel das Cataratas and rented a car. It was fast and easy to clear customs both sides and the rental cost R$35 per day. Most rental agreements prohibit driving outside Brazil, but many people do it anyway.

Thanks for the responses. I wasn't sure exactly how fluid the border up there was going to be. I'll take my chances and book straight to IGU from Rio, and a one-way from IGR to AEP.

The Last time I was there i stayed on the Brazilian side at Hotel das Cataratas and rented a car. It was fast and easy to clear customs both sides and the rental cost R$35 per day. Most rental agreements prohibit driving outside Brazil, but many people do it anyway.

Hmmm... I would not worry so much about the rental agreement, its more an issue about insurance coverage being void because its not a MercoSur policy. If this is that case and one has an accident... it can get very very pricey very very quickly.... :eek:

I understand that Argentine immigration at the land border crossings are still not ready to collect any reciprocity fee so me thinks that flying down to AEP/EZE is a waste of time & money.

Apologies, I haven't been following these threads for some time now. So I am out of the loop as far as the reciprocity issue goes.

Is it the intention of Argentine immigration to collect the reciprocity fee at land / water entry points at some time in the near future ?

Thanks very much.

Hmmm... I would not worry so much about the rental agreement, its more an issue about insurance coverage being void because its not a MercoSur policy. If this is that case and one has an accident... it can get very very pricey very very quickly.... :eek:

Because my personal insurance does cover rental cars throughout mercosur I felt less worried. I also asked my insurance company if I would be covered in Argentina driving a Brazil rental that prohibited driving in Argentina. they said i would be covered. The Hetz wording, for example, explicitly stated insurance will be void, rather than cannot drive there.

Obviously one needs to examine both a rental agreement and the insurance. That said, it is quite easy driving around the area. There is fairly little traffic on both sides and roads and signage are good.

Anybody visiting the area really needs to see both sides and should allow at least a couple days to do so, preferably more.

This was the end of this past July (2010).

You got a bargain.....in fact, this could be the first case on Flyertalk of a tourist ripping off a taxi driver. :D

I've taken the trip in the opposite direction i.e. taken a taxi from the Sheraton to the airport on the Brazilian side to fly to Rio. It was easy and the taxi driver took our passports inside to a Brazilian border office...we never came face to face with a Brazilian official during the crossing and it took two minutes at most. There's no way I'd fly to AEP/EZE to get there.

When is the rainy season in Iguazu?

The rainy season is generally the summer, December-February. It is also fairly hot and humid then. When the Falls are in full flow there is about 450,000 cubic feet/second and it is truly magnificent.

The best views are on the Brazilian side, but the forest on the Argentina side is much better and the national park there is gorgeous. I would stay in the Hotel das Cataratas, run by Orient Express, in the national park on the Brazil side: http://www.hoteldascataratas.com/web/ogua/hotel_das_cataratas.jsp
If I were addicted to SPG it would be the Sheraton on the Argentina side also in the Argentine National Park: http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1152

Both of these are very nice.

To answer the question posted above, I have no information on Argentine immigration collecting the reciprocity fee at land entry check-points.

As the OP of this thread, I wanted to add just one extra piece of information:

I've been recently told that the Sheraton is scheduled to undergo some renovations in the near future and will have some limits on capacity (and obviously noise and construction work going on.)

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/15690751-post143.html

:)

We have just come back and you are in for a spectaular view / show. Due to the high rainfall in Brazil the falls are very full right now. Also the Grand adventure is something to do BUT do it at the end of the day because you will be soaking WET!!!

You could also consider using one of the guide companies down there - they will pick you up and handle all the technicalities at the border.

Remember if you have a US Passport you need to have a VISA
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