I used a driver Ana Luna who was excellent and a very nice person as well. She used to live in Miami and spoke perfect English. She gave us recommendations for shopping (local bargains) and restaurants. She immediately responded to my email request and was waiting for us with a sign at the airport. Everything was included for $20 US. www.ana-luna.com

Just getting a taxi at the airport is probably cheaper but Ana was so wonderful and knowing that she would be there when we arrived was worth the extra couple of dollars.

Shorts are just not acceptable on adults in any city outside of the US. You can get away with them at beach resorts maybe, but not in the city. I wear loose washable silk or cotton dresses - which are a lot cooler than shorts - or capri pants. If you are going to any religious sites (this includes Recoleta Cemetary or other cemetaries) it can be considered disrespectful to wear shorter skirts than knee length.

Thanks
 

Thanks for all the replies about airport transportation. I'm currently booked for the Hilton "limo", but I may change my mind.

Also, thanks for all the information about not wearing shorts. Being that I live in California, I was planning to wear shorts and flip-flops during my entire trip, except possibly for going to clubs at night. I guess I'll have to rethink my wardrobe and packing.

Would it be acceptable to wear shorts on the plane to Iguazu, and while visiting the Falls?--I imagine it will be quite hot and humid in February.

Itinerary Suggestions Needed
 

Greetings! Just found out about this forum, and am delighted.
We are flying to Santiago on Jan 19th, and have 10 days to visit Chile and Argentina before we leave on Jan 30th (Our first trip).
Does this tentative itinerary sound doable:
Rent a car in Santiago, and drive to Puerto Montt on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday board the bus/boat through the lake district to Bariloche. Spend Monday in Bariloche, and fly to Buenos Aires on Tuesday. Enjoy the beautiful, but hot city until Friday, when we fly to Mendoza to tour the wineries. Take the bus across the Andes back to Santiago on Monday for a 10:30 pm flight back home.
We do not have reservations yet, and are thinking about finding lodging as we go so we are not set in any time restraints.
Will we have problems finding lodging at this time of year?
We are open to any ideas.
Thank-You!

Ana has been known to be flakey, she stood me up once. She's a nice person and all just be aware that you may end up needing a backup plan. For me its the blue and white taxi stand outside the terminal door for $50AR

I've seen quite a lot more shorts on the trips to Iguazu. That said, I still recommend light pants .... just in case insects are out.

The Hilton "limo" used to routinely be a simple Mercedes back when the hotel opened c. 1999 and for the first couple of years thereafter. However, since then, they appear to have either changed vendors or gone downscale .... but the prices haven't. Now you generally get a somewhat simpler car -- a four door simple sedan, but clean with a generally friendly driver.

Here is my suggestion for the hotel limo issue. Contact the hotel to make the reservation, but ask for specifics about the car service. If the specs of the service contracted does not match what was sold/advertised/promised, then at check in you can raise the issue with the front desk.

Most hotels have various vendors with very different vehicles... the thing is that most clients dont seem to care (notice?) what car they are being offered. Maybe its just me because Im a car person, but I think that perhaps its worth it to look into the details.

What should be and what is isn´t always the same in BA. I´ve found a fixed price taxi for 37 pesos before, but when I arrived in BA on the 1st, the best I could find is at the taxi booth inside at 52 pesos. Taxis stopped at the curb wanted between 55-75 pesos.

Mixed reviews on Ana Luna
 

I booked Ana last May when I came to BA on the recommendations of friends. She never showed up, and even after I called her cell phone multiple times and she never answered. I waited about 40 minutes, but then just took a normal taxi since I had an appointment to get my apartment.

I did meet her afterwards, and she was pleasant enough. However, I would have a back up plan, and not be too upset if she doesn´t show. She seemed to have an awful lot of problems with her vehicle, and doesn´t seem to be well capitalized. I know some people who love her services, and others that were quite displeased because she never picked them up, and never had the courtesy to give them a call.

I live both in the SF Bay Area and Buenos Aires. I dress the same way in both locations when not at work - and that would include shorts in summer during the day.

In my neighborhood in BsAs (Las Canitas), there are lots of people wearing shorts during the day. I generally don't wear shorts to restaurants in the evening in BsAs or SF either.

It's unbelieve to suggest that adults don't wear shorts in cities outside the US. I grew up in New Zealand, and it's part of the dress code in summer. Same for many other South Pacific locales.

I would advise however against wearing flip flops in BsAs - the sidewalks in many areas are in poor condition, the dog dodo can be problematic, and if it rains flip-flops provide little traction on slippery streets.

There seems to be a myth the the Portenos are always dressed in style. While many of the women tend to dress nicely, you will often seen guys in nice restaurants in worn jeans and scruffy shirts - moreso than in equivalent restaurants in SF.


John

I agree with John about the shorts issue....... I think you can use shorts as long as you also remember to use good judgement. A lot of flexibility is shown when dress code issues are evident with tourists, but I think there is no need to take things to the extreme (one way or the other).

Need your help
 

We will be going to BA and on to Mendoza. Because of the restrictions on baggage for internal flights, does anyone know where we might be able to store some of our bags while we travel to Mendoza?

I also understand that there will be a Tango festival in BA while we are there (last week in February). Does anyone have any information on that?

Thanks in advance.

Jim

Jim, are you staying at the same hotel before/after you trip to Mendoza? If so, why not just leave the extra baggage there?

John