mattr12

I'm pretty sure I'll have to show my US passport at the airport in EZE to get back home. I'm not sure if they will ask for the receipt there. I don't see why they would, unless the receipt is attached to the passport like a visa would be.

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

I assume you would have to show your U.S. passport to the airline check-in representative at EZE. But are you sure you can't just show your French passport to the EZE out-migration inspector? (I don't know the answer to that question; I'm just posing it for you to look into.)

mattr12

That's what I do when I exit CDG, so yeah, US for airline, French for out-migration. Fun stuff

mattr12

I caved! After trying all sorts of combinations with different carriers, I caved and will leave from LAX. The flight is the shortest: LAX-SAL-LIM-MVD with only 1h30 connect time in SAL and LIM, and business all the way, total 17hrs. It leaves LAX at 6:30am which is a problem for me but i'll figure something out, but arrives at 5:30am in MVD which means I'll have not lost an entire day. It's really the best flight.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions, it helped A LOT.

sdsearch

When a couple years ago I got an early morning flight from SAN that I couldn't get from (or was way way way more expensive from) LAX (I don't remember which, I just got an affordable hotel near SAN and drove down there the previous evening. I was in business on the plane, so I was going to get breakfast on the plane, so I didn't worry about the hotel not having breakfast or not starting breakfast early enough for me, I just needed a place to sleep from which I could get to the airport early. The modest cost of the hotel more than made up for the savings I got by flying from SAN instead of LAX in that case.

So you may want to look into that in the reverse way. You can get decent LAX airport hotels (meaning on the airport side of the 405!) starting around $100ish, sometimes even $80ish, depending on day of week, season, how far ahead you book, etc. And since you're on a 6:30 am flight in business class, you'll get breakfast on the flight too.

... Although you'd think that driving from San Diego to LAX in the middle of night (the obvious alternative) you'd get no traffic, think again. That's when CALTRANS loves to shut down multiple lanes, ramps, or even entire freeways!

Your math doesn't seem right. Uruguay is only 4 hours east of California, so 17 hours plus 4 hours is 21 hours, and 21 hours after 6:30 am would 3:30 am in MVD. So either you leave later than 6:30, or you arrive earlier than 5:30, or your total flight time including connections is 19 hours, not 17 hours.

Giggleswick

You're forgetting about Daylight Saving Time. In the fall, after California falls back and Uruguay, being in the southern hemisphere, springs ahead, the time difference is 6 hours. As if factoring in time zone changes weren't annoying enough already.

Dieuwer

The only problem you might have with that itinerary is getting some sleep. With two stops and three relatively short flights (each about 4:30~5 hours) you have hardly any time to rest.

mattr12

Yes I've been stuck on the 405 at 3am..

It's probably a DST thing:

LAX->SAL 6:30->13:35 Duration 5h.
SAL layover 1h30
SAL->LIM 15:08->20:28 Duration 4h20mn
LIM Layover 1h24
LIM->MVD 21:52->05:27 Duration 4h35mn

Total 16h52mn

mattr12

Yes, it was this or 7 hour layover in SAL, or 11h layover in LAX, or even shorter flights with even more hops, etc.. I couldn't find a long flight like the 10h30 one I have when I return.

I cannot sleep in planes, so I usually take a 5 hour nap at arrival, but here I arrive very early, without possibility of the accommodation being ready. I'll try not to collapse!

Any suggestion for this, btw? Any tip on how to stay awake after this type of flight? At least the time change is not too dramatic.

466SHH

Drive up to LA and spend the night in an airport hotel there before your early morning flight.

Otherwise you will be so sleep deprived you will probably get sick on your trip. And even if you don't get sick, you'll feel miserable for most of it.

If you start out reasonably rested, your system will recover much faster.

Dieuwer

^
Also, I suggest to just book a half day or day early in MVD. When you get to your hotel around 6:30 am, stay in bed until late morning.

mattr12

466SSH, sounds like a good idea.
dieuwer2, I didn't think it was possible, I will check how that works, i'd love to have a nice 6:30am->11:30am nap, then be fresh and visit Montevideo!

THanks for the tips !