Absolutely correct, stay away from Global Exchange - they take you to the cleaners.

No no no... no blasphemy. Wine is about enjoyment, therefore its an absolute no no to tell someone what he/she is supposed to drink (and not). If you are more comfortable with whites, then there are great things to explore. In the Chardonnay Department, I suggest the following labels:

Familia Zuccardi Q Chardonnay
Catena Zapata - Chardonnay Alta
Angelica Zapata Chardonnay
Doña Paula - Seleccion de Bodega Chardonnay
Luca - Chardonnay

Also, dont forget sparkling wines.... Argentina has made HUGE improvements over the past 3-4 years, and there are some great values out there. Some names to consider:

Luigi Bosca - Bohema
Rosell Boher - Brut
Chandon - Eternum
Baron B - Unique

Finally.... one way to come close to red wines is to start by drinking the more approachable read that are out there. Not all reds have to be huge, structured oak doors... :D

Hope this helps,
Gaucho100K

Thank you for your response, cj001f.

To relieve the burden of this already-lengthy thread, I have decided to solicit for more advice and answers to my frustrating travel situation in the Transportation from Buenos Aires to Iguazu: Advice Needed thread.

If anyone has additional advice to offer me, please address it in that thread.

Thank you in advance. I greatly appreciate the assistance.

Gaucho100K:

You may get a new airline to Buenos Aires. I have flown Continental (Business-First or so) from Houston to GRU ... that was one of the best flight I ever had: Very friendly service, excellent food, good wine selection, 2-1-2 seating ...

This is good news... I hope it brings more US tourism down to EZE and other parts of Argentina. Texas will be the first state to have to large cities with flights to Buenos Aires (American flies from DFW). Good news indeed.

I have to thank all the various posters on this board--especially Gaucho 1K- thought I did not get to meet him--for a wonderful holiday in Argentina. My wife and i thought it was one of the best places we have visited--the people were friendly and with our limited knowledge of Spanish we managed very well. We have visited 46 countries ( lots left) so feel comfortable in giving Argentina a good grade.
We visited Salta ( the Train to the Clouds was an unforgettable experience) and the day tour to Humahuaca was enlightening. Then Back to BA and after a coupls of days we took the bus to Mar del Plata. The bus service was extremely impressive and comfortable. If we had more time we would have liked to travel more on buses!
Returned to BA and then off to Ushuaia for another fabulous trip. we found the planes punctual, service was friendly. The Ushuaia Hotel was very accomodating althought the breakfast was extremely meagre. Our guide Horacio with Prestigio tours was very well spoken and knowledgeable.
Lastly--the food!! What can we say-- we don't think we have eaten as much meat in 2 weeks as we did in Argenitina!
Hotel in BA was the Sheraton Conference centre. Of course we got Executive Level access but no suites. The rooms had great view and one of the people even reduced our nightly rate seeing we were staying there so many times!

Airfare and Hotel Ideas
 

Alejandro,
Thank you for your nice thread and service.

My wife and I will be visiting BA in late Mar 2006. We will be staying in Santiago prior to our arrival in BA. Two questions:

1. What's that best way to get deal on business class flight (one way) from SCL-EZE? Our return flight is aboard Lan Chile back to the states via SCL so I only need the one way ticket for my wife and me.

2. What's the better hotel? Alvara Palace or Four Seasons? Recommendation on getting best rate at preferred hotel?

Many thanks Alejandro!
Steve

Steve-- Im not your best choice for tips on the one-way C tickets from Santiago to EZE, perhaps someone that flies LAN may be able to help you further on the Lan Chile forum.

As for your hotel question, both the Four Seasons and the Alvear Palace are excellent hotels. So is the Sofitel on Arroyo and also the Ceasars Park. If you are between the 4S and the Alvear, I would suggest the Alvear for an old world type luxury experience, and the 4S for a more modern luxury feel. Either way, you should be very well taken care of. Just in case you are part of their loyalty program, the Alvear is a member of Leading Hotels.

Cheers,
Alejandro (Gaucho100K)

1st time traveling to South America, and very excited!
 

Yikes! Screen froze while I was sending this post sorry if it's a repeat.

Hi. I have found the previous posts very useful in my search for information, and I'm doing my best to absorb the knowledge that you all have gained. Thanks so much for sharing what you know!

I am a 23-year-old, female going to Rio and Buenos Aires. I would love suggestions on what to do and where to go (tours & shows maybe?). I will arrive in late June, departing in July. If there are any friendly portenios, or seasoned SA travelers, who could offer advice or show me a place or 2, it would be appreciated. :) I do tend to prefer local haunts (that are SAFE!) to the more "touristy" spots.

I am also very interested in information on dancing. Places to witness, and places to participate in.

Okay, last question, for now anyway :D . Is the Buquebus to Colonia a worthwhile sidetrip? I'd love to check it out. I did notice that someone asked about it in a post from last year, but I couldn't find a response.

Well, thanks in advance, and happy traveling! :)

Transport from EZE to Capital Federal
 

In Nov. 04, I flew into EZE and took a Manuel Tienda Leon remise to the Wilton Hotel at a cost of 63 pesos. On Apr. 27, 05, I flew into Eze and took a Manuel Tienda Leon remise to the Wilton Hotel at a cost of 72 pesos. My hotel said that was too expensive and to compare prices next time. I had always used Manuel Tienda Leon because they were recommended on several travel forums. Well, I left BsAs for a few days and returned to EZE on May 1, 05. This time I walked past Manuel Tienda Leon into the arrivals hall and went to a booth marked "TAXI". I booked a taxi from TAXI EZEIZA to the Wilton Hotel for 48 pesos. Their prices are clearly marked on the outside of the booth. You can pay in $AR or USD. However,you cannot use a credit card as you can at Manuel Tienda Leon. I hope this is helpful to someone flying into EZE. It certainly doesn't cost anything to compare prices.

why so much
 

Manuel bus is under 22 pesos each way from the airport to the
hotel of your choice, how did you end up paying 63 pesos is
beyond me? but I do recommend the taxi, for 53 pesos, you
leave when you want, no transfer and what the hell, you
are on vacation, what a great place BA is, I love it there. :) :)

airfare sale
 

Hi everyone, if anyone is looking for good fares to Buenos Aires Lan is having a pretty good sale right now, I just booked LAX-EZE for September, the total was $593.00 with all taxes The sale applies from other cities as well :)

What a great thread, but what a long one! I'm going to EZE the end of June and hopefully fitting in a few days in Bariloche for some early season skiing. Is the beginning of July too early for any decent snow? Where have FT's stayed in Bariloche? Any recommendations for high end accomodations would be appreciated. So far I've read about Edelweiss in town and Llao Llao, which seems a ways out. Thanks

Snow conditions vary greatly from year to year.... best bet for best snow is usually in August. In my opinion, the best place to stay in Bariloche if one if flexible in terms of budget is the Pire-Hue.

http://www.pire-hue.com.ar/invierno/...home/home.html

Hi Gaucho100k-
So nice to communicate with you after reading so many posts (I'm about half way through the entire thread). I went to the Pire-Hue website and it looked lovely. Unfortunately, my dates are set, so I'll have to pray for snow. Also, unfortunately, it appears Pire-Hue only accepts reservations for 7 nights minimum and I will be there only 3 nights. Any other suggestions? Also, what is the best way to fly to Bariloche from Buenos Aires? One more question: what are the temperatures like in B A at the end of June? thanks, sleeper