First time in Argentina
 

Hi all,

I just booked a flight to Buenos Aires and departing out of Montevideo for December 1-11. I'll be traveling alone (23 F)...went to Peru earlier this year with people and have traveled extensively in the US and Europe alone. I read over the posts in this forum and you all have great advice, so I'm hoping you can help me with my itinerary.

Right now, I'm thinking of spending 4 nights in Buenos Aires, 2 nights in Iguazu, 1 night in Montevideo, and 2 nights in Punta Del Este. The flights to Iguazu are so expensive on Kayak! Are there any LCCs I should look into? I am looking to chill out on the beach for a few days, and Punta Del Este looks great from all the reviews and guidebooks I've been looking at, but is it all it's cracked up to be? Is Mar Del Plata nicer? And finally, what's "enough" time to spend in Buenos Aires? I want to hit the essentials and take a tango class and wine tour, but I also want to see the other sites as well. Patagonia and the Tierra del Fuego look great, but right now I'm saving them for another trip.

Thank you!

Mar del Plata is rather dumpy. Punta del Este (never been) would be more the spot for a younger person, but peak season doesn't start until January, so it might still be somewhat quiet in early December. Sounds like you might be packing too much into this trip. But if you want a few days of beach, this would be the place to go. I hate to say it, but Iguazu might have to go on this trip, if you want to do everything you want to in BsAs. I'd suggest MVD as the last night, if that is where you are flying out of. Assuming an evening departure, the evening prior and then full day should be plenty (checking out and leaving your bag at the hotel) then going to get your stuff and getting to the airport. To get to PDP, you might want to take the Buquebus to Colonia, spend several hours there, and then take a bus.

As it sounds like "you'll be back," you'll have gotten some major things "out of the way" so next time you can focus on other things, and know if you want to return to where you've been.

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Great advice above... forget Mar del Plata. The only two beach resorts in Argentina are Carilo and Pinamar.

I think 2 nights in Iguazu may be too much, one night should be enough.

I would give the beach a miss....Buenos Aires has plenty of spaces and places to chill out and relax in without the hassle of getting to Punta del Este.

Two nights up at Iguazu is about right....you want a full day without traveling to see the falls without having to hurry.

+1. Argentina has some amazing places but don't come for the beaches. As has been mentioned Punta will not be in full swing in early December so I'd give that a miss too. You don't want to be rushing around - allow enough time to soak up all that Buenos Aires has to offer - 4 or 5 nights is about right. Definitely allow 2 nights for Iguazu - it is an amazing sight and will not disappoint.

There are no LCCs unfortunately to get you up to Iguazu. There are cheaper fares but these are restricted to residents of Argentina. The only cheaper way to get there is a long (about 17 hours) journey on the bus

Thank you for all the tips! If I skip the beach, what should I fill in there? I do want to chill out a bit after BA. Also, it looks like all of the domestic flights are on LAN or Aerolineas Argentineas...are there any other airlines I'm missing? The flights to Iguazu are expensive and the times aren't great. I don't want to take a long bus ride because I really want to maximize every day of my vacation.

Also, are there any can't miss sites/restaurants/clubs in BA?

Thanks again :cool:

I have a trip report on here, but here are some highlight from BA:

-Check out the Tango Dinner and Show at Elviejo Almacen
-stroll down Florida Street
-Sampled Great Cuisine (Beef is First Rate)
-Sampled Great Wine
-Stroll along Peurto Madero and San Telmo

Some good restaurants in Buenos Aires...

Happening Costanera Norte
Pura Tierra
Oviedo
Sottovoce Libertador
La Cabrera
El Grill del Marriott Plaza
La Dorita
M Buenos Aires

My wife and I had an excellent lunch today at Happening in Puerto Madero. She had salmon and I had one of the best steaks I've ever had. The service was impeccable and we were extremely pleased with the whole experience. We walked by Sottovoce Libertador last night and will probably go back for dinner later this week.

Excellent advice here I'll have to make use when I go to Argentina soon!

Salmon? That's good to hear. ^

Was the bill reasonable?

I read your trip report to EZE, I'm a bit shocked on how unprivate the cabin is.

The bill for 2 substantial lunches plus 2 glasses of wine each was 316 AR pesos, plus tip. If you go, pay attention to where you sit. We were seated in the smoking section and didn't notice until it was too late to move (it was crowded when we went), and there were several heavy smokers seated around us.

I take it you must have been seated outside then? BA has a strict no smoking policy inside restaurants and cafes.

We started outside but it was breezy and cool. When we asked to go inside, they seated us in a separate inside smoking area, which we didn't notice until it was too late to move. If there is a universal "no smoking inside" law, it certainly wasn't enforced.