das

I took advantage of the great sale and am heading to Buenos Aires on UA in May. I don't think there is any bonus mile offer, but I am taking a 23 hour stopover in ORD and a 12 hour stopover in MIA...so I basically get 3 cities and plenty of status miles for only $488.

Anyway, I will be arriving on a Sunday morning and leaving Tuesday night. I am having trouble finding well-priced lodging...I guess I am spoiled by Priceline in the US. I don't really want to pay $142 at the Sheraton using my 50% off UA coupon....am looking to pay around $75-$100, and be very well located. Any suggestions?

Also, I am considering taking a day trip via express ferry to Montevideo. Is that worthwhile?

Hopefully everyone else taking mileage runs to EZE can chime in with some feedback as they return.

SanDiego1K

I vaguely remember advice on affordable hotels in Buenos Aires a month of two ago. Have you tried "search" yet? It might have been to a response in the UA forum, rather than this one.

I have taken the ferry to Uruguay as a day trip. The town at which you land is quiet, with nothing in particular to do. You spend several hours on the ferry to get there and return.

If you have never been to Buenos Aires, there are more interesting things to do. There are organized city tours, that take you to sites made famous by Evita, to the barrio where there is tango dancing in the square, and to the barrio with vividly painted houses. There are two well known cemeteries. One houses Eva Peron's body; the other that of Juan Peron. Burial sites are ornate and expensive, costing as much as a few hundred thousand dollars. And if you have stamina, go to a tango show one of the two nights you are there.

dogcanyon

I agree with SanDiego1K that for the amount of time you have, it would be more profitable to just stay in BsAs and skip Montevideo. Although I like Montevideo, there's really not that much to do and overall BsAs is a much, much more exciting and interesting place. However, if you go back another time and have longer to visit, try Punta del Este (the Uruguayan beach resort about 2 hours from Montevideo). To me, Punta is at its best in the early part of the "off season" (the 2 - 3 weeks immediately following Easter) when the crowds have left, but the weather is still warm enough to swim.

ozstamps

DAS .. point 1 .. the trips on UA I have made to Buenos Aires have always 'common rated' Montevideo on price, as the UA plane continues on to there! It is actually the shortest It'l flight UA makes, and takes about 20 minutes or something! So, unless you are dead keen on doing it by ferry, at your cost, I suspect your ticket will allow that destination free, and you'll get extra miles, and the stopover in EZE will be your legal stopover.

Hotels are tough there as they have a strong currency, pegged to the $US. I ended up needing to do as you mention, use those 50% off UA coupons, and stayed at both Sheratons alternately and winced about the price. Best I could find.

Remember the Manuel Tienda Leon airport bus is basically a free city tour from EZE in a modern big AC bus. EZE is in the countryside basically! They take credit cards for it, at their airport desk. It does via the downtown Dumos Dumont (sp?) domestic airport, and stops (and leaves from) nearly right at the door of larger Sheraton. Price very cheap .. about $8 as I recall. Which in BUE is a BARGAIN! Some trip notes here:

www.GlenStephens.com/penguin.html

ozstamps

but I am taking a 23 hour stopover in ORD and a 12 hour stopover in MIA...so I basically get 3 cities and plenty of status miles for only $488.

And remember if you are starting in NYC, and either of your two US points do not exceed 24 hours transit, niether is an official "stopover". Therefore ONE Systemwide upgrade will work NYC-ORD-MIA-EZE-MVD, for First dom, and C It'l, and is good on all fare types, and seating is confirmable NOW.

------------------
~ Glen ~

schriste

You will just love the 21% hotel tax!

Old Gold

The last time I was in Buenos Aires a cheap hotel room was about $1, about the same for a nice dinner of Bife a Caballo con Vino Tinto y Dulce de la Leche

I stayed in the city for about 3 weeks, after backpacking for many months throught South America, it was a great time for a traveler with dollars! I have wonderful memories of the city.

That was the year that Juan Peron died, 1974, I guess things have changed.

ozstamps

Old Gold .. you should have bought real estate then! I recall it also took about 20,000 pesos to mail a letter. Today it is one peso for It'l. The nutty special envelopes I did in 2000 have a 20,000 peso stamp lower right from that era. Cost to me from a Maipu BUE dealer ... 10c apiece!

http://www.glenstephens.com/a_front.jpg

fallinasleep

It is still distinctly possible to stay in BA for less than $20 a night (my South American Handbook 2000 edition has ads for $8/night/pp but that is probably for just a bed in a multi-person dorm room -- email the Metropolitan Guest House, Av Corrientes 3973, at [email protected] for info on a single room, ph 011-5411-4862-3366, they actually two locations). There is no need to stay at a Sheraton if one is willing to rough it a little. If nothing else, you will find that food (especially a good steak during lunch) is very reasonably priced (OK, not cheap but good food). I suggest going to some of the restaurants in the Puerto Madero area.

As for the currency, it has been stable for exactly a decade now, based on a very successful Convertibility Program (pegging the exchange rate at one peso per one dollar) introduced in 1991. Before that, the currency was the austral and was devaluing at a rate of 1%-5% a day/week/month, depending on what day it was in the late eighties. At the moment, Argentina is in the midst of a 2-year-long recession, so restaurant prices may be more reasonable since I was there 3 years ago.

Old Gold

ozstamps,

The peso in Argentina today is not the same peso, in fact when I was there there were two types of peso bank notes in circulation, 100 "old" = 1 "new". The rate of exchange at the time was 10-20 new pesos to $1. There have been a number of "devaluations" since then to remove excess zeros from the currency.

gsilliman

You've basically got 3 days in BA -- I lived there for 3 years, so here are some suggestions for sightseeing:

1. Explore at least three neighborhoods -- San Telmo, because they have a great street fair on Sunday, Recoleta, and Av. Florida (pedestrian street). A good guide book is "Buenos Aires Alive!". You can read while you sit at an outdoor cafe in Recoleta.

2. Cheap, good food: You can get an excellent steak sandwich (sandwich de lomo) at Bar Posadas, corner of Posadas and Rodriguez Pena, in a quiet part of Recoleta -- Outside seats too. El San Juanino is a block from there at 1515 Posadas @ Callao -- A small restaurant with excellent empanadas (little meat pies), roast chicken, and french fries -- all great -- this place is famous in the area. You'll have to eat a steak or two -- best in town (also expensive) is Cabana las Lilas in Puerto Madero. More reasonably priced: A cab ride away, in an area called La Costanera (riverfront), is "Los Anos Locos" (The Crazy Years). This place started years ago as a grill with seating under a tent. Now it's the most popular restaurant in that area, where locals go for a big family meal. Exceptionally good steaks. Tell 'em you're visiting and don't speak much spanish, and they'll take care of you.

3. If you want to see some good tango but don't have the stamina or $$ to sit through one of the many dinner shows/revues, here are 2 alternatives: (a) Cafe Tortoni, Avenida de Mayo @ Esmeralda -- every cabbie knows it -- This place looks like a stage set for Evita, worth seeing even without the tango show -- $10 cover for the Tango show in the back, with a $6 drinks minimum. (b) the Hyatt has a free 25 minute (2 dance numbers) tango show at about 10pm in the cafe. Timing is perfect for after dinner coffee. Call to confirm that it's on that night.

4. If you do take a day trip to Uruguay, it would be on Monday, to Colonia, not Montevideo. all told, it would cost you about $100. I strongly recommend (a) getting your hotel to arrange for an english-speaking guide/driver - might want to fax ahead for this, and (b) taking the fast ferry. Colonia is a town that passed between the Spaniards and Portuguese many times. It's now a UN World Heritage Site. Another way to explore there is to rent a moped, just inland from the ferry dock. I still recommend a guide for walking around the old town. It's a very sleepy place -- big contrast with BA, and that makes it interesting.
Here's a link with information: http://www.expatvillage.com/travel/details/Colonia.cfm

5. 2 small hotels where we used to put company visitors -- so they're an OK standard for U.S. corporate travellers, but you won't pay chain prices: Hotel Park Plaza, Avenida Parera between Quintana and Alvear 011-813-4815-5028 - most staff speaks English, great neighborhood; Edificio Arenales Apartment hotel 4393-6882.

6. Argentine steak is very "beefy" tasting, but it's tough compared to the U.S. (it's very lean). If that's a concern for you, I'd recommend ordering Bife de Lomo (filet mignon), Brochette de Lomo, or Bife de Chorizo (like a strip steak)

SanDiego1K

I stayed at the Hyatt three weeks ago. They've scaled back on the tango show. It is just on Friday and Saturday nights now.

mauld

Bumping this up!

My company has a fairly inexpensive Biz class fare on UA EWR-IAD-EZE and I'm thinking about going down right after Xmas for a couple of days. A couple of questions:
1-is a visa necessary
2-given the problems earlier this year, am I insane as a woman travelling solo to BA
3-chosing between Hyatt & Starwood (I'll only be there 3 nights)-- which should I go for (I'm top tier in both).
4-I have minimal spanish speaking ability--but am willing to try, will I be ok within the city itself?
5-What's good to buy (not too expensive).

And last but not least, will there be any other FT'er in town Dec 27-30???

LouGroza

Neither Americans nor citizens of the EU need visas for stays of 90 or fewer days in Argentina. English is not widely spoken in Buenos Aires but if you stay at the hotels you indicate they will have English speaking desk clerks. Waiters and so forth, doubtful if they will speak any English. Any Spanish you do have will be virtually useless on a short stay due to the unique accent and style of Spanish, which in Argentina is not espaņol but "castellano." I view it as a safe city but you should stick to the main areas at night if alone. Also, you should not hail taxis on the street. Have a taxi called for you by the hotel or restaurant, use a fake name, and don't get in the cab if they don't know your fake name.

Leather goods of all types and jewelry are excellent buys, also prescription eyeglasses if you wear them and if you have enough time.


[This message has been edited by LouGroza (edited 11-03-2003).]

chfenton

As an American living in BA for the past two year, I can say without hesitation it would be a great place to visit. Especially as summer approaches and the days and evenings are absolutely beautiful.

I need to disagree with one of the comments above. While English is not widely spoken in everyday life,all of the major hotels, most of the toursity restaurants, shopping areas, museums etc -English will be fine.

There are no Hyatts in BA, the park hyatt became a Four Seasons last year. As indicated above, the best bargains, other than food at restaurants, will be wine and leather goods. You can get a custom made leather or suede jacket for under 50 bucks.

The best restaurant IMO is Cabana Las Lilas where you can have a 4 star 4 course steak dinner with app, salad, steak, vegetable, potatoes wine, coffee and dessert for about $20-$30 depending on the wine.