etch5895

I am looking at making my first trip down to Argentina this June, probably part of a RTW itinerary including Cairo and Japan. I'll only have two weeks for the whole itinerary. That said, I'd like to spend some time in Argentina.

I would like to spend one day skiing, and the other days doing nature / cultural tourism around the country. I think I will realistically have about 4-5 days in Argentina. I'd like to see some of the amazing natural scenery as well.

EZE would almost certainly be my entry / exit point, as I'm trying to use LH as much as possible for miles. Are intra-Argentinian flights reasonable and the best way to get around the country? I'd probably rent a car anywhere I flew into.

Are there any recommended smaller towns outside of BA that are less hectic and still a good place to soak up 'Argentina'? (Sorry if that question sounds weird, but I like a somewhat slower pace of life when visiting.)

Any other info you would care to share about Argentina and recommended sights would be greatly appreciated.

Gaucho100K

June is not the best month for skiing.... usually snow conditions dont get optimal until July. If you cant push back your dates to be in Argentina until at least mid July, I would suggest forgetting about the skiing.

For natural scenery, that time of the year I would suggest heading to Salta, Tucuman and Jujuy. The Iguazu falls are also an option. Buenos Aires will give you all the cultural tourism you will need, although most of the cities you will visit in the interior of the country will also have their fair share. While in Salta, you could also visit some of wine country, if this is of interest.

I do not suggest you rent a car... for various reasons. First, prices are very high and cars are nothing special. Second, arranging for private transportation with a driver is reasonably priced. Also, for a first trip, I dont think its a good investmet of your time to have to worry about how to get to places, parking.... also, driving around in Argentina if you are not fluent in Spanish will be somewhat challenging.

Please note, I love to drive and have done so in all continents, and it can be done in Argentina.... however, I think that for a first trip here I would opt for other options.

etch5895

Thanks. July 2007 is not an option. July of 2008 might be. Looks like I'll end up pushing the BA visit back until then.

gnaget

I did extensive research into skiing in Chile and Argentina and my conclusion was Las Lenas or forget about it if you are travelling from North America or Europe. But Las Lenas is a pain in the rear to get to and also quite expensive; it apparently caters to wealthy Brazilians and prices did not drop one cent post 2001. When I researched it several years ago they had charter type flights only once a week to Malargue from BA so you were stuck there a full week, and it was hard to not buy a hotel room for a full week. Otherwise you would have to fly to Mendoza and then travel 450 km over land, which could be part of your adventure. I have no idea if it is feasible to not live in the "development" and drive from elsewhere every day.

But that's not a place that you can go for a day.

Also, the risk of not having good snow is apparently quite high in Argentina, even Las Lenas. I remember reading an article in a Swedish snowboard magazine in the late 90s about some kids who did it on the cheap. (I think they stayed in some village as well to try answer my earlier question and had quite the adventure in getting there from Mendoza). But then there was hardly any snow when they finally got there.

Gaucho100K

I agree that Las Lenias is not a huge bargain... but Im not sure about the pain to get there part. If you book early, you will be able to get flights, and the availability of charter flights from AEP or EZE is plentiful during the ski season.

Regarding the snow, yes, Argentine resorts are prone to snow issues, but if you go skiing during August (the best month), you will know by the second week of July how the season is shaping up in terms of snow.... at that point you are still able to book something for August and have a solid base of information to know if Las Lenias is the only option, or if you can also consider Bariloche and/or San Martin de los Andes.

Another point to note is that there are a couple of up & coming resorts being expanded further south in the country... Cerro Bayo comes to mind, and there will be more resorts coming on-line in the next couple of years. I will try to dig up some more information and let you guys know.

gnaget

So it's no longer true that the charter flights are weekends only, i.e. you are not stuck there for a full week? That's what really killed my interest in the proposition of going to Las Lenas.

rustyr

san rafael (AFA)is nxt closest a/prt w/limited schedules. I tried to fly there on a Thursday and catch the charter flight back late Sat from Malargue during this past Cow-do over Labor Day, but gnaget's research was right- it was costing too much $$ for time involved. U might try going to this website for general info about SA skiing: www.andesweb.com. $$ rndtripAFA-AEP were US$245 it is daily and they offer a grnd transfer to Las Lenas $50 rnd trip shared van ride; this is 2006 info, which I found from www.laslenasski.com. The biggest draw to Las Lenas is the amount of skiable area via the Marte Lift. But if bad weather shuts it down and it has for a couple of days at times, you have a much smmaler area to ski. That's why most trips are set up for a week. Yes, u can stay in nearby towns which have daily bus service up to the resort; Los Molles comes to mind about 10 miles away, I think.