As I was in Iguazu 24 hours ago, I can offer a fresh insight regarding visiting the Brazilian side WITHOUT a visa. It is absolutely not a hassle and quite simple to do.
Mrs. MileageAddict, MileageAddictJunior and myself were charged a total of $100US (thats $33 each) for the company of a terrific guide named Walter. Not a taxi per se but a car and driver for hire. They do this every day of the year for tourist and have the five hour excursion planned almost to the minute. The tourist desk on the lower level of the hotel arranges everything.
We started out around 1pm and reached the border 15 minutes later. He took our passports and left us in the car for five minutes as he chatted with his buddies at the border crossing. We proceeded across the bridge and stop exactly on the border (the guard rail changes from blue/white to green/yellow) where Wallter pointed out that you can see Paraguay as well as Argentina and Brazil. We proceeded to the Brazilian border station where all that was required was to step out of the vehicle to wipe our shoes on the agricultural disinfectant mat.
Another 15 minutes drive and we arrived at the Brazilian park entry. The Brazilian park fee is $10US per person (US-Canadian resident fee) Once paid, you board a bus for a 10 minute ride deep into the park.
Walter gave us 3 hours to explore and get back to him. Afterwards, he took us to a humongous gem and gift shop the size of a Costco (tourist trap but very cool) where we bought a few trinkets.
The Brazil crossing heading back did not even require stopping and he stopped briefly back on the Argentina side to inform the boder patrol that we had returned.
It was worth every penny paid and the Brazilain park is quite different from the Argentinian one. DO IT!
The Devils Throat was roaring with "full anger" but many of the lesser falls were substantially reduced in volume or dried up. As I had never been there before, I found the park fascinating and truly one of the most amazing places I have ever visited. Wildlife was plentiful. I hope I can go back someday to see it in full force as a comparison.
The staff at the Sheraton upgraded us to one of the eight suites after the first night in a regular room. Substantially roomier (duh, its a suite) with a much nicer bathroom and an outside patio the size of a NYC studio apartment.
The food in the restaurant is overpriced and mediocre but the snack menu in the bar was substantial enough to fill us up. We were there for two evenings and planned to go into town for dinner but ended up being wiped out by the end of the day and didnt feel like heading into town even though the staff recommended a couple of restaurants.
I’ve incorporated the good ideas in this thread for my trip next November. The Falls are a side trip from the conference I will be attending Nov 11 - 15
I have a three night award at the Sheraton November 7 - 10, will walk on the Argentine side, tour on the Brazil side, arrange the boat tour under the falls, and see if it is a full moon for the night walk.
Questions:
I will try for an AA award SFO-MIA-GIG. For the Falls, I’ll be flying from Rio. The GIG flights look better than the SDU ones, and only to IGU, not IGR. Are there other things to consider?
I think because I am planning to stop in Rio both before and after, I won’t be able to make the IGU round-trip part of the award. Expedia has TAM which has a good departure but the return is later than I like. I don’t see the Gol Transportes Aereos flights anywhere yet except on the OAG - they have an earlier return, though they do have a stop. I’m not sure where to buy these intermediate tickets online - expedia is showing around $600 but it is too early to put in my actual dates.
I will just arrange the transfer at the airport desk. Suggestions for Brazil side tour? Should I just let Sheraton arrange? Or the driver Walter who was named below?
Breakfast is included in my award. The rest of the food at the Sheraton doesn’t sound very appealing. While I am walking around and exploring in the park, I see restaurants described, sit-down and fast food. Any experience with them? Any grocery stores? Maybe a stop with the taxi from the airport for water and some food to keep in my room?
It was once true that flights could be booked on that site only using credit cards issued in Brazil. I have heard that non-Brazilian American Express cards are now accepted on the GOL site.
I recall the "fare" being about $20, but we had to negotiate it as I don't think the taxi authorities allow them to run the meter to cross the border. But it is simple to do. Crossing to ARG they will check the trunk for contraband; coming back the other way we had to step out of the cab and onto a mat containing a chemical solution designed to keep some kind of cattle disease out of BRA.
Thanks LAXGUY
Now I get to play dumb bunny(a favorite pasttime)and ask if this is the fare from the Brazillian side airport(anybody know the code?)to the Sheraton?
Also-do I catch the flight from GIG or GRU?
Going in march and I am just trying to work this out.
Thanks in advance for the advice.
I have a three night award at the Sheraton November 7 - 10, will walk on the Argentine side, tour on the Brazil side, arrange the boat tour under the falls, and see if it is a full moon for the night walk.
Several thoughts:
1. I'm envious.
2. $600 sounds really expensive for an rt ticket. I was flying from BsAs to IGR and waited until I got to Argentina before buying a ticket (through a travel agent) which cost under $200. I remember that when I checked Exepedia, etc. before leaving, I couldn't find a fare anywhere near that.
3. Three nights at the Sheraton may feel like one too many. However, if you arrive on the latest flight on the 7th and leave on the first out on the 10th, you would really have only two full days which is more than enough time to enjoy the falls. The Sheraton added a spa when they recently renovated, and it looked really nice. You would have time to book a spa treatment or just enjoy relaxing on the grounds after seeing the falls at a leisurely pace.
4. I am male, and I was travleing with another guy. We never felt at all unsafe. We had the desk call a cab to take us into town for dinner our first night. We had local fish dishes with a good Argentine wine. Delicious! The cab driver picked us up in a couple of hours and arranged a Brazil-side tour for the nexr morning for about $35 each. Our experience was exactly like MileageAddict's. The driver couldn't have been a better host even though he didn't speak any English. We were fine with "travelers Spanish." I think an adventurous women traveling alone would be okay, but I'm not sure. I would definitely want the hotel to know the driver of the cab I was using.
5. Breakfast at the Sheraton was substantial and good. The manager comped a lunch (buffet) with wine because of a room problem. I thought it was very good. The dinner buffet seemed overpriced so we had bar snacks the second night (mentioned in prior post) and the platters were large and more than we could eat. Sitting on the terrace drinking wine, snacking, and looking at the falls from a distance is about as good as it gets.
6. The restaurant and snack bars in the park didn't look very good. Stopping for several bottles of water would keep you from having to pay inflated prices in the park, but you'd probably only save $10-20. There is nothing at the Sheraton but the Sheraton. You should definitely go into Puerto Iguazu for one evening meal and a cab tour of the town. Don't however let anyone talk you into a "guided" tour of the park. The water level was too low for the boat trip when we were there. That was our only disappointment.
Thanks for the link, Hayvenhurst. The website doesn't have IGU/IGR as a destination, but OAG lists flights. I'll wait a month and start looking more carefully. I think I'd be nervous about waiting 'til I got to Rio a few days before to purchase, but I could find a Rio travel agent.
Thanks for expanding on the bar snacks, sushibear. That definitely sounds like an option for one meal. I'm traveling alone. If I find others to join at the hotel, an evening trip into town sounds nice. Otherwise I'll explore in the daytimes. Yes, I'm have two full days with those three nights, which does sound like enough.
Thanks for the link, Hayvenhurst. The website doesn't have IGU/IGR as a destination, but OAG lists flights. Sylvia
Actually the Gol website does list flights to IGU. To find the flights that go there scroll down the “Para: Destino” menu on the site until you find “Foz do Iguacu” – this is the name of the Brazilian city near the falls. Gol has non-stop flights to IGU only from CWB (Curitiba); to fly to the falls from GIG on Gol you would have to make a connection. For flights in November 2006 the Gol site is quoting round-trip fares of about $380. (But it may be difficult to purchase tickets on the Gol site using a non-Brazilian credit card.)
Unfortunately domestic flights in Brazil tend to be quite expensive.
GIG domestic security - computer out, bags and self through scanners, no attention to shoes, liquids.
At the IGU airport I used a driver whom I hired for the next two half days. Paulo Sergio, cell: 45 9106 2844. He was quiet, on time, had good suggestions, spoke enough English. I went one morning to the Brazil side, one morning to Itaipu. I was awed by the hydro-electric plant, took the longer tour.
I crossed out of and into Brazil three times. I was not asked for any documents at the Brazil side and at the Argentina side my passport was stamped out and in. The driver said a visa is not needed for a one day trip from Argentina to Brazil.
I stayed at the Sheraton Iguacu. I enjoyed being able to walk right to the falls at several different times of day. Staff were friendly and helpful. Free computers/internet in lobby. Buffet breakfast included, nice enough, large selection of sweet breads and pastries. Lunch, Dinner, buffets 89 Pesos, Afternoon tea, 20 Pesos, only other thing nearby Park concessions selling ice cream, colas, ... .
The highlight for me was having the upper trail lookout (10 - 15 minutes from the lobby) all to myself at 8 AM on a clear cool day - waters, foliage, birds, ...
Departing to GIG, hand baggage was weighed, 5 KG, TAM weighed at the gate, and gate-checked, GOL weighed at check-in.
Programs: AA Plat, DL FO, Marriott Rewards, LANPASS PS, Relais & Châteaux 5C Club, Club Swiss Gold
Posts: 917
I have made several visit to the falls and as for visiting the Brazilian side but rather than paying for the "tour" that you can book in the Sheraton, I made arrangements with one of the remise drivers who are in front of the hotel and the last trip the cost for the entire day was $arg 120 or a little less than $40USD. We were a party of three and departed around 10 AM and returned at 5:00 PM.
I too like staying in the Sheraton as well, not a great hotel but certainly makes visiting the falls easy. I did visit the Iguazu Grand Hotel and Casino one night and had a great dinner (river fish) and spent a few hours at the tables too. Small casino but nice. The IGH is pretty damn nice, I did not see a room but the public areas and pool area looked 5*.
As for flights from Buenos Aires I normally book mine on the LAN website and normally get good fares, last time was about $230 USD AI for fully flex ticket.
How was the flow ? Is the flow dependent upon the time of year ?
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The flow was great when I was there in January, but it varies day-to-day, in addition to with the seasons. The tour guide at the falls said that there is/are dam(s) that are upriver and controlled by the Brazillians that can vary the flow dramatically from day-to-day.
