Argentina - please help!

Hello travellers,

in March we are starting our around the world trip in Argentina.
In the first week we'd like to book a hotel.
I've heard about middle-class hotels for around USD 25.-, but in the internet
they are a lot more expensive.
Could you give me some advises how and where to book a hotel for a good price.

And how expensive are domestic flights in Argentina?
We're about 1 month in Argentina.
What can you recommend to do? What's a "must" to do?
Is it comfortable to travel with a camper van?

Thanks for your help!

Kind regards
Dietmar & Dunja

• The cheap-deal hotels (residenciales) are usually not listed on the internet. They're small family businesses, reliant chiefly on Argentine tourists and domestic business travelers. Hotels geared towards western tourists start at about U$D40 for a double: I personally really liked this place

• Domestic flights are a lot more expensive than busses, not to mention MUCH more polluting and a less fun way to travel. Stick to bus transportation; you can't possibly see all of Argentina in a month anyway
• While most of the country is worth visiting, you have to limit yourself, given the time you have. I'd stick to the north-west, which has the best climate in austral autumn
• It's probably comfortable travelling with a van, but I imagine it ain't cheap. Also, while it allows for more flexibility on the one hand, it limits your freedom of movement on the other (you can't travel into cities; you have to hand it back in where you got it). Seen that you only have a month, I wouldn't do it

As bentivogli said above, domestic flights are not much fun; besides, the local air companies are terrible and you can count on planes being delayed or cancelled, with or without warning, any time. By bus you'll get to see the landscape and you'll travel much more comfortably. A seat in a "servicio cama" bus is comparable to a first-class seat in an airplane.

Besides the northwest, you might try Mendoza (in the west, at the foot of the Andes) first. It's Argentina's wine country. The climate is dry and in March they're celebrating the Vendimia, i. e. the grape harvest feast. From there you can proceed north to La Rioja, Catamarca and Salta (the northwest proper). You'll have to ask around, because there are many touristic spots there but they don't have the kind of promotion and the infrastructure found in more central parts of the country.

Hi D & D:

I'm a local from BA.
As Benti says, in internet there are not too many guest houses.
You can see another (cheaper) in lodging4all.com.ar (Moderator note: poster owns this website!) And thete, the landlord will help you to plan your trip, and with bus tickets you can need.

And about domestixc flights, I don't agree with Pablo. There was some problems
in a moment some weeks ago, because strikes, but most of time there are no problems (I use to fly many times a year).
Also you can read another post of mine where I explain about air passes and some MUST palces.
About to travel with camper... forget it, unless you want to commet suicide. Our routes are not like 1st world, and we are crasy drivers. I can tell this after to drive 60.000Km in Europe and New Zealand...
So, leave to bus drivers to drive for you.

good trip!

Juan Carlos
your travelhelper in BA

[ Edit: Edited on 23-Jan-2009, at 20:27 by juanka ]

Quoting dime

Hello travellers,

in March we are starting our around the world trip in Argentina.
In the first week we'd like to book a hotel.
I've heard about middle-class hotels for around USD 25.-, but in the internet
they are a lot more expensive.
Could you give me some advises how and where to book a hotel for a good price.

And how expensive are domestic flights in Argentina?
We're about 1 month in Argentina.
What can you recommend to do? What's a "must" to do?
Is it comfortable to travel with a camper van?

Thanks for your help!

Kind regards
Dietmar & Dunja

- About lodging you can see this site as well www.minihostels.com the places listed there are good rated by the tourists and have quality of places for backpackers at a good rates.

- Domestic flights are definitely quietly expensive and not so reliable as they love strikes from time to time, I agree with the guys as the bus service is good, comfortable and affordable. Flights cost 3 times more than a bus tickets but it depends of how much time you have and what do you want to do exactly. I went for example to Bariloche (in the patagonia) by bus, round trip 17 hours each way and I didn't feel the trip. But a few days after I went to Iguazu Falls (border with Brazil) and I didn't have enough time (and forces) for other 17 hours by bus so I took I flight and the experience was also amazing because I could see from the air all the wonder of the Iguazu falls and then before landing in Buenos Aires the view of the Rio de la Plata and its surroundings it wasn't less amazing.

- In Argentina at this time all the north area is amazing, Iguazu falls is from my point of view one of the nature wonders of the world and the south is a must if you are already coming to the end of the world. -snip-

- I didn't understand if you want to rent a camper van...actually I just rented a car on my way to Bariloche from San Martin. There is the 7 lakes path and is not so nice to do it in a bus, better to have your own car to stop when you want and take your time. Public transportation is pretty good in the country, you won't have problems.

Good luck!

[ Edit: Sorry, no promos please. ]