Trip beginning in Buenos Aires - 9 June

Hi,

I arrive in Buenos Aires on the 9th June and this is my rough itinerary so far. I am flying from New Zealand with a return ticket, however I won't return and will instead buy a ticket home to the UK once I am in South America. I have been on a working holiday visa in New Zealand and was wondering if I will be OK entering Argentina with this return ticket? I'm wondering if they're going to tell me at the airport that I can't return to NZ within 3 months and have to buy an alternative ticket at the airport.

Buenos Aires for a week or 2.
Maybe cross into Uruguay to have a quick look
Calafate (Glaciers)
Bariloche
Santiago
Mendoza
San Juan (National Park Talampaya)
Cordoba
Tucuman
Salta y Jujuy

Head up through either Chile or Bolivia to Peru and then across into Brazil and the east coast before flying home.

If anyone has any advice or wants to meet up along the way then that would be great.

Proof of onward journey is all that is required: the Argentine authorities couldn't care less where you go, as long as they can be reasonably sure that you'll go eventually.

As to your planned itinerary: how much time do you have in total? The route seems okay, although the bit from Calafate to Bariloche may not be as easy as you think: afaik, there is no regular bus service between the two along ruta 40.

Thanks for that.

I have a few months. I was hoping to be in Brazil for the carnival in February but I doubt I'll have enough money to last that long unless I can get some kind of work somewhere, even just for accommodation.

Hmm, maybe I need to re-think the part from Calafate to Bariloche. Would it be easier to travel up through Chile? Also, is the weather going to be bearable in June?

Cheers

It depends on how much time you have. If you're in a rush, Patagonia would be the last place I'd recommend in June, as the weather can be nasty and frankly I don't think the glaciers are particularly interesting. The southern Andes make very good trekking grounds, but not in June unless you're experienced.

As to length of stay, be advised that your maximum stay in Argentina can only last 90 days, after which you have to leave. The popular option of popping in and out of Uruguay on a one-day excursion (and then stay for another 90 days, etc) is becoming ever less feasible, since the Argentine immigrations database has now become completely automatised.

From and to Calafate, you kind of have to take the boring coastal road via Rio Gallegos or Piedrabuena. Things get much easier if you don't go further south than Bariloche, which is better connected. Given the time of year, I think that's what I would do.

[ Edit: Edited on 07-May-2009, at 03:11 by bentivogli ]

That sounds like pretty good advice. It's a long way to go to see a glacier. I also want to limit the more expensive journeys.

I doubt I'll be in Argentina for longer than two months but who knows, it's a big country.