We will arrive in EZE at around 10:40 a.m. There is a 12:45 p.m. flight to SCL that we hope to catch. Will two hours be sufficient to make the connection?

And sorry, I didn't mean to imply that the 21% VAT is a Hilton policy. I just wanted to make sure that people aren't shocked by the final hotel bill.

If your connection to SCL leaves from EZE, you will be fine.

One more question - are there showers at the RCC at EZE so that we can freshen up before flying to SCL to meet friends?

Im afraid I havent used this RCC for over 3 years now.... I dont remember there being facilitie there, if I remember correctly arrivals by United were usually offered at a Hotel in the City.

No showers at the RCC EZE.

Hello!

Here is another argentinian, although one that has been away for a while!
Anyway, if you are going to go in March (late Summer early Fall) I would say you should check the weather before you head north to Iguazu. It would be my first recommendation too, but it can get really got during the Summer (i.e. in the 40's C => above 105F).

Not a day trip, but for 3 or 4 days you might also want to consider heading south to the Patagonia, in particular de city of Calafate and checking out the Glaciar Perito Moreno. The mini-trecking above the gaciar is something that you should not miss!

Other destinations in the south could be the city of Ushuahia, (I believe it is the southernmost city in the world) where you can take some nice boat trips to check out the penguins...

Anyway, just my $0.02

E.

P.S.: Gaucho100K, gracias por hacer esto! Estas ayudando a que la gente tenga una mejor experiencia en Argentina y asi es mas facil explicar por que la extra�amos tanto... ^

Enmascarado-- thanks for the kind words. Make sure you stick around and help us with information on Argentina, there is a lot of ground to cover and help from everybody is very welcome.

This is my first message and best describes me as to whether I'll figure out how to retrieve a response. Maybe message me as well??

Anyway, my boyfriend and I need to plan our 2-week trip ASAP. I've tenatively decided on the following:

4 nights - BA
2 nights - Igauzu Falls
2 nights - Bariloche
3 nights - El Cafate
2 nights - BA (to include day-trip in Colonia)

Any suggestions re the foregoing?

We probably will be traveling on New Year's. We don't need any sort of celebration, but any trip guidance for this time (e.g., no land tours, transportation, etc., due to the holiday)?

What are we missing by not going to Salta?

Should we hire a guide while in Bariloche? We won't have a car.

Muchas gracias.

My wife, 6-yr old daughter, and I are heading to EZE on maybe some of the last Delta Skysavers in existence (but that's another thread).

We will be there for nine nights in mid-August. We have the first three nights on points at the BA Hilton, and the last two night on points at the Holiday Inn Express, also in Puerto Madero.

The question is what to do for the other four nights. We definitely want to go to Colonia, but it seems that spending 4 nights there is too much - 2 at most. Some options for the remaining 2-3 nights would be

--stay in another section of BA "different from" Puerto Madero

--go to Montevideo from Colonia and then boat back to BA

Just wondering which of these seems better, or if there are other places in either Uruguay or close to BA, say smaller towns a short train/bus ride away from BA or Colonia that would be interesting in the winter season. We are definitely not avid skiers but in decent shape, usually doing a lot of "city-hiking" and "city-hopping" when we travel.

Thanks for your advice!

1 night in Colonia is enough.... why dont you add a trip to the Iguazu falls? Salta is another option, 2 nights there is doable considering your overall schedule.

While New Years day is of course a holiday, services you booked will of course be provided.

Salta is very nice, great scenery, lots of historical sites to see... and if you guys like wine, there is also wine country.

IMO, Colonia is a day trip and not even worth a night's stayover. But Montevideo is not to be missed. One day touring a most fascinatingly laid out city and if you are interested, another going up to the (greatly underrated) wine country are certainly worth your consideration.

If you get a room for points, will you be charged the VAT based on the rack room rate? Can the VAT be paid with a credit card? We have a room on points at the Marriott in December when we will spend a night after arriving in Buenos Aires via cruise ship.

No VAT charge applicable to rooms paid entirely with points.

HHonors award stays where the whole stay is paid with points do not result in any additional charge other than for any incidentals incurred. No VAT charge for SPG award stays either. No VAT charge for Hyatt award stays either. No VAT charge for Sofitel award stays either. No VAT charge for InterContinental award stays. And the list goes on and on.

VAT based on the rack room rate is an unusual practice and not applicable to hotel award stays in Buenos Aires, nor even to paid stays. (Of all the places I travel, that VAT on rack room rate practice only happens in a few places, like select parts of India, and even then is now uncommon on award stays depending on which hotel program we are talking about.) VAT based on the actual room rate paid is the more common practice but such practice is applicable to paid stays not point-only stays in this market.

If you are being billed for your stay (ie. not paying with points), then VAT is always payable. Even if the hotel chooses to give you a discount thats equivalent to the VAT surcharge, you will be billed and will pay VAT (unless the hotel takes cash and does not issue a valid tax invoice, but thats another story).