Buenos Aires in May
 

Alejandro: I'm in BA from May 17 to 25. Will I have trouble getting out of town on May 25? I didn't know it was a national holiday when I booked. Can you recommend the best places to change $? thanks.
Seraph2 :confused:

Hi Seraph2-- Welcome to FT. Not to worry, May 25th may be a holiday but you will have no issues in leaving town that day, just book an airport transfer with a car service, taxi or similar and you will be fine.

Cheers,
Gaucho100K

Electricity and Internet
 

This is a great thread, but there are few things I can't find in it. Can anyone tell me what type of electrical adapters I will need in BA. I will have a 220/110 converter but need to know the style of adapter. Are they the same as Europe?

I am staying at the Marriott Plaza and they state that they have an internet connection (does not say high speed connection). I'd like to have high speed service in BA. Does anyone have internet advice. I E. Wireless provider, subscription to an ISP in BA, etc. I have seen two types of telephone adapters as well. Will I need both? Are RJ11's common?

To Gaucho 100K. Thank you for creating this thread. You have probably done more than any official ambassador from Argentina to foster tourism and goodwill between the flyertalk community and Argentina. I salute you.

Thanks in advance for any info regarding the above questions.

WNF

....................

they use the 2 round prongs in most places. 220

If I remember correctly, I believe that I have several options in terms of transportation between Buenos Aires and Iguazu:

• Pay the ridiculously high airfares on Aerolineas Argentinas now
• Either wait until I arrive in Argentina and try to obtain a cheaper airfare, or at least get a travel agent in Buenos Aires to book a lower airfare for me
• Pay a lower airfare on Southern Winds airlines and take a chance, or
• Take a luxury bus (cama class?) on an 18-hour overnight trip.

At first, I immediately dismissed the last option of taking a bus, but I thought about it and realized from the accounts of others:

• The seats are comparable to first-class seats on an aircraft and can actually lie flat for sleeping
• Meals are included in the bus fare
• If both bus rides are overnight, that would save me on two nights’ hotel room rate accommodations
• I understand the bus fare costs approximately the equivalent of US$40.00 or so.

Can someone please answer the following questions and give me further details, as I am now considering this option?

• Which bus companies service the Buenos Aires—Iguazu route?
• What is the actual cost of the bus fare, either one-way or round-trip?
• Would taking a bus be a better option than flying on an airplane?
• Could I purchase the bus fare via the Internet, or do I have to wait until I get to Buenos Aires?
• Is the bus ride comfortable?
• Are the meals, the service and other amenities any good?

I think those are all of the questions I have at the moment. Thank you in advance for you response.

In newer establishments they will probably have outlets the accept both the 2-round prong (the thicker ones sometimes found in Europe are too big), or 2-flat angled type of plugs. Hotels will undoubedly have adaptors you can borrow (they're also available everywhere). For a laptop you should not need a converter, since all modern laptop bricks are multi-voltage.

I've only seen RJ11 style telephone jacks everywhere.

4/5 star business hotels that cater to business travellers should have pay internet in-room via hard-wired ethernet (and probably not cheap either). Older hotels, and those that cater to leisure tourists might only have a free or pay by time computer near the lobby.

Some establishments have free WiFi, including Persico (ice cream to die for), and Cafe Martinez.

Why don't you just contact the hotel and ask them what they have and their rates? English fluency is required of many of the front line hotel employees in BsAs (expecially the IT people), so don't worry about communication difficulties.

John

WNF-- Thank you for the kind words. Im glad you have decided to come down to EZE and visit, I hope you have a great trip. Your questions have been mastered by the other EZE veterans here, so all I can add is that I hope you can come back to this thread after your trip and tell us how it all went.

Cheers,
Gaucho100K

FWIW, I stayed at the Marriott in February, and they DO have high speed in the rooms. In addition, they have high speed in the business center, which is really reasonable by US standards.

I have to second this. Most people have never heard of this varietal (I don't think it's cultivated outside of Argentina). It has a very distinctive and pleasant primary aroma, usually light-bodied and easy-drinking.

Susana Balbo's Crios Torrontes is a good place to start (Balbo is ex-Catena, if I'm not mistaken), but I'm sure Gaucho100k can recommend others.

There are 3 classes of bus service
Semi-Cama - equivalent to a very nice US Y seat (UA+?)
Coche-Cama - US F seat
Primera - Fold flat bed

Meals can very, about the standard of an unimaginative US airline. Movies are usually not first run, and can occaisonally be a hideous 80´s flick, or a German made for TV movie dubbed into Spanish, or an interesting Spanish film you´ve never seen. Tickets are cheap. $30 US Semicama, $40 CocheCama one way is a ballpark. There are a number of bus companies that do the run, the Retiro bus station will give you an idea.It is a Looooonnnng bus ride up to Iguazu though. If you have limited time I´d recomend flying down here and booking a last minute ticket. It´s highly unlikely there won´t be space available, unless you hit a holiday weekend, or the like, and the prices of AR are usually reasonable.

¡Vamos a Buenos Aires!
 

On a relatively short trip, I spent two weekends in Bs As (and a day in Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay) and spent several weekdays in Iguazú. Southern Winds and Aerolineas Argentinas were serving it from Aeroparque Jorge Newbery in Bs As reasonably - we were the only two in the J cabin, trhough it didn't cost much more than Y at the time.

We stayed at the Sheraton at the falls - it is the only hotel on the park grounds so you maximize your time there - and other than at your first entry, admission is covered. I would say there is five times more to see on the Argentine side of the falls as the Brazilian side; get out on the trails first thing in the morning, you should see lots of fauna - parrot flocks, toucans, monkeys... We really enjoyed the three days we spent here, and the single day on the Brasil side - which pretty much exhausted what was over there, including the bird park, etc.

BTW, I haven't read every post, but in Bs As I recommend a very "típico" parrilla - it might appear slightly touristy, and don't expect fancy Euro-fusion plates, just lots of tasty meat and decent wines: Las Nazarenas - Asador Criollo, Reconquista 1132, open noonish to 01:00AM. Picturesque, with a traditional spit in the front window and a huge grill. Service is friendly and very professional.

We'll be there later this week, not to mention at Cabaña Las Lilas with a nice bife de chorizo accompanied with a Weinert Malbec Estrella - the 1977 I had the last time was ¡delicioso! ¡Salud!

(¡Que bárbaro! Gaucho100K, you've really started and supported a great topic here!)

Angostura-- Yes, you are correct on all counts. Torrontes is a great choice for an easy drinking white wine. For those that have never tasted it, Torrontes will usually confuse you, since to the note it appears as a sweet wine - but in fact is almost always dry. I say almost because lately some sweet dessert wines from Torrontes are being made.

Susana Balbo is in fact ex-Catena Zapata. She makes not only some fine Torrontes but also some very interesting Malbecs and Cabernets, some of which have received 90 points and above from Wine Spectator.

Now you have my interest :) ... I don't drink red wine (blasphemy, I know) so am looking for local alternatives while my friends enjoy their Malbec. Are there other variations aside from Torrontes I should consider? Thanks.

Change
 

Don't, and I remark this, don't change money at Global Exchange in the airport, they will offer you a rate that is miserable. Try to find the Banco Nacion, also at the airport (it is hidden behind the Global Exchange, by a newspaper stand) and they will offer you a much better rate (i.e 2.5 $ for a dolar in Global Exchange vs 2.85 at Banco Nacion).

Good luck and don't worry about the 25/5

Javier