Argentina for three months...

Hi, my names Mark I'm 19 years old from York in england. Im on a gap year and off to Argentina at the end of january 2009. I have three months there, on quite a tight budget. Does anyone have an recommendations of where to go, what to see.... etc. Is anyone out there at the same time? his is the first time I've travelled alone and don't know what to expect.
Cheers,
Mark

When you get to Buenos Aires, the best neighbourhood, in my opinion, to come to is the San Telmo neighbourhood. there are several on Humberto. Humberto is also the street with an excellent square filled with lots of good restaurants and pubs.

If you are travelling into the interior, like say Mendoza, from BsAs, fly. It is dull as dirt on that stretch.

Mar Del Plata is boring as shit.

Hey, i get to BA just before new year, looking to spend about a week there before moving on, possibly down into patagonia.

You got any plans set?

Somehow, I neglected to mention hotels and hostels in the above post. There are many hotels and hostels in San Telmo...I hope that helps the post make sense

Thanks for your help, I felt really unorganised, but I feel a bit more reassured. Im doing pretty much a loop of Argentina, starting in BA then heading south ending in Ushuaia, then heading north up the west side of the country. I've got three months there. So will probably be in Patagonia around middle to end of February.

For someone on a tight budget recommending flying is insane.
The best way to travel around Argentina is by bus and i would recommend overnight buses so you are not wasting any time.
The buses in Argentina are fantastic and for the difference in price travel 1st class and its like being first class on a plane.
Huge comfy leather seats,food,red wine,champagne,whisky,movies and a decent nights sleep.

For the best bus companies in Argentina check out these
http://www.andesmar.com/shop/default.asp?lang=en
http://www.viabariloche.com.ar/home/
http://www.flechabus.com.ar/

I spent 6 months in Argentina and originally only planned 3 months.I met some of the nicest people in the world in Argentina and im talking about the locals.Was invited to spend christmas and new year with seperate argentine families and would go back tomorrow.

It would be great if you speak spanish but not a problem if you cant as alot of Argentinians speak English.

Places i recommend are

Buenos Aires (La Boca,San Telmo,Recoleta,A walking tour around the centre,Palermo
Mendoza (Puente Del Inca)
Bariloche
Salta (Purmamarca,Humahuaca)
El Chalten (Fitz Roy,Cerro Torre)
El Calafate (Perito Moreno)
Ushuaia
Puerto Iguazú
Cordoba

If you have time and are heading to Ushuaia i would certainly head to Puerto Natales,Chile and go hiking in Torres Del Paine.Its a must see place

Enjoy

Depends on what's important, if'n you ask me. I've been on a tight budget and decided to fly past Panama, which I had no interest in, and get to Colombia, which I did have interest in. Thanks for the comment, though. I can see we are fast becoming great friends.

Mendoza, by the way, is a lovely little town in the middle of the desert with great tree lined boulevards, reece is right about this...but it is a little sleepy. I wouldn't budget a ton of time there, unless you are really into wine.

What I would suggest, if you dig hiking and some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen, is the small community just before the border to Chile. I spent a couple of days there hiking around and gawking at the beauty of the Andes. This place is just an hour, or maybe two, west of Mendoza.

D

[ Edit: Edited on Dec 8, 2008, at 8:48 AM by Piecar ]

If budget is a concern, avoid spending much time in Patagonia. Head to the northwest instead, which is much cheaper and in fact much more varied than Patagonia; if you wanted (I'm not saying you should), you could easily spend ALL your time there.