iahphx

So I plan to spend about 10 days travelling around Argentina in November before heading to Chile. The flying options are a bit troublesome with confusing residency requirements, obscure low fare airlines and their dodgy websites, and seemingly random pricing (expensive one day, cheap the next). But I can handle that. But what do I do about hotel and car rental reservations? .How do I know what the ACTUAL cost of these purchases will be on the ground? Like I know some of the hotel chains display US dollar rates at the official exchange rate, but you can pay less than that with the blue rate. Is there an easy way to figure out the real cost and compare "apples to apples"?

iahphx

So here's an example. I want to rent a car for a couple days in Bariloche. Using Autoslash (which I recommend) I get a pay-at-pickup rate of $117 dollars. But the confirmaton from Priceline says I will actually owe ARS 40,842. At the Blue rate, that's only US$56. So have I just landed a very good deal?

EDIT: And some car rental companies maintain their rates in dollars. On Priceline, Europcar prices in dollars and your confirmation will remain in dollars. But can I reasonably assume that, at the counter, you would have an opportunity to pay in Pesos and the rate they would convert your reservation into would be the official exchange rate -- which would also reduce your cost by about half?

Again, this is both confusing and seemingly unpredictable.

OskiBear

I just got back a few days ago and it's relatively straightforward compared to prior years because credit cards now do the conversion and offer you something better than the official rate, albeit less than the daily blue rate.

As an example, if you book a hotel that shows 100USD as the rate, you'll be charged the equivalent of 100USD in ARS when you check-out and pay. Let's assume it's officially 350ARS to 1USD and 700ARS to 1USD as the blue rate. So, on check-out day, you will be charged 70,000ARS.
If you had converted your USD to ARS at the blue rate in advance, you'll be paying with a giant bundle of cash, but benefit from a 50% discount (although you'll be charged 21% VAT for paying with cash at the hotel).
If you use your credit card, you'll be charged 70,000ARS and the credit card converts it for you. Most recently, it was somewhere near 650ARS to 1USD. Visa seems to convert immediately when the transaction occurs and MC/AMEX credit you 7-10 days after the fact.
You'll pay a bit more for things using a credit card, but much easier not dealing with a lot of cash. This is a huge improvement over prior trips where everything had to be done in cash to take advantage of the rate. I was more than happy to take a slightly lower exchange rate as what I considered a convenience fee for being ab le to use my credit card.

On this last trip, we used credit cards for all the hotels and some meals. Everything else we handled via cash and it was fairly painless except for carrying a bundle of cash in my pocket all day.

For pre-booking/pre-paying things, unless you can absolutely confirm they are charging you in ARS, you may be charged in USD, thereby losing out on the better rate.

theroz

I agree, but with most if not all all 3rd partys if they show you a rate in USD thats what they will charge you. eg book a hotel via Priceline and its a prepaid PL will charge you the amount they showed in USD and use their CC and they will benefit when the hotel charges them in ARS and get the MEP rate.

BuqueBus (the boat to Colonia), showed us USD and charged us USD

Id say anything that you will pay for once you are there will be charged to your CC in ARS with the amount based on the reg rate when you are charged. Anything you prepay for showing USD you will pay that amount in USD

OskiBear

Which is why it's best to avoid pre-paying anything in USD prior to arrival, if one can avoid it.
As to airfares, perhaps there is someone here or in the airline forum that can advise - it was my understanding that Aerolineas no longer has resident-only fares but YMMV.

iahphx

I am definitely going to try to avoid paying for anything prior to arrival. I have a couple of hotels reserved on loyalty points, and I'll try to find "pay later" rates on the rest. I'm sure something will "go wrong," but I'll do my best. With cars, I figure that if I don't pay in advance, I'll get billed in Pesos and get the Blue rate. We'll see.

Aerolineas' fares are certainly interesting. They are now selling "good deals" in foreign distribution chains, so I assume there can't possibly be a residency requirement for these (not sure where I'd even find such a restriction). I bought a ticket from Mendoza to Bariloche for US$60 -- including a full size carry on and a checked bag. I can't imagine that's cheaper anywhere else. Most other Aerolineas fares seem a bit higher than the low fare airlines, but not obnoxiously so. I read that somebody was able to buy a cheapo ticket on Flybondi in Pesos and get the Blue rate with a foreign credit card, but that later foreign transactions wouldn't go through.

iahphx

So one thing I want to buy in advance is a bus ticket from Argentina across to Chile. I've never taken an inter city bus in Argentina, but I understand that busbud.com is a good way to do it. I see on their website that they quote you in US dollars and seem prepared to charge you in US dollars. But there's a way to change your residence to Argentina, in which case they will charge you in Pesos. This would save you almost half the cost using a US credit card.. Will this transction go through, and is there any problem in doing it this way for a foreigner?

Flying Machine

Try this site: https://www.andesmar.com/en

theroz

We didnt rent a car at all, but with the ferry we had problems booking it and as posted above we were quoted in USD and charged in USD , we could have saved if we booked once we got to AR but we didnt want to find out the times we wanted and needed were soldout

We had expiring Citi pts we used for our IGR-AEP flight, it was quoted in USD and charged in pts accordingly although Citi travel probably got the MEP rate. Our hotel in Iguazu,AR was non refundable booked in USD but converted upon checkin and we laid a bundle of Pesos on the counter to pay

I suggest you book what you know you want and if you wait might not be available and forget about getting it for the lowest possible buck, even if its in USD, our flight from IGR ended being soldout and was the only one that really worked for our needs, so we havent shead a single tear that we could hav egotten it for alot less had we waited

fedechat

In theory, any reservation even if in USD, they should be converted at the official rate. Prepaid works different, because many times the one who process the charge will be an US company, while when you pay locally, it will be charged in Pesos (AR$) and the USD amount should be converted at the official rate.

For Rental cars, always book directly and if is possible, the Argentina version. Alamo for example, have the lowest rate in Buenos Aires and the official Alamo Argentina is www.alamoargentina.com.ar, same for Avis, is Avis.com.ar, you will always be quoted in AR$. Some companies even when they show you USD (Avis, Hertz, Alamo, Budget), after making the reservation, the confirmation email will show you the amount in Pesos instead of dollars.

theroz

FWIW, this morn the VISA rate was 619 and the Blue Rate was 735, they move all over the place but The Blue has stayed above 700 for awhile now. If your game is to pay the least then bringing 100s to change at a Cambio would be your best bet

yyckiwi

Just bear in mind that Argentina is having elections on the 22nd October. So depending on the result, there may no longer be a blue or MEP dollar rate. We enjoyed our two visits earlier this year, but I am waiting until after the elections before making any plans for our next visit. I do not want to be committed to a US$ reservation if there is a massive devaluation.

Eastbay1K

Well, do you like Argentina? Like it a lot? Or just want a bargain or super bargain destination? I first came here in the late 90s, when hotel prices were comparable to NYC. While it might not be the bargain paradise soon, I doubt it will be particularly expensive. My Cabify fare was about $1350 a couple of hours ago. Even if I had paid at the "official rate," it would still have been reasonable on a world standard. I gave the driver $2000. So, I'm out under $3 for a ride that would have been at least triple that back home, and that's afer a huge percentage tip.

detony

I read this thread but do not see how to manage air booking, as the original post mentioned. I try to go thru duckduckgo to be anonymous but still seem to get airfares that exceed $1,000USD for a round trip from Rio to AEP. Not reasonable. I guess they see my IP and say he is US citizen...anyway, if someone know how to make a booking that is more in line with the market, I would appreciate the thought. (Even Lan is about $450...still high; but AerolinasArgentinas comes in around $1,000).

theroz

did you check fares to EZE?