Dublin to Argentina for £275 Return [Threads Merged]

lulzordan

acquiescefc wrote:

7 days unlimited data for 16 euro?

No, 16 pesos, which would be around 2 euro or less?

You can check the details in personal .com . ar using Google chrome to translate it

OnTheCouch

C2911 wrote: »

Is anyone else heading up to the North West. I don't think I'm able to rent car myself since I'm under 25 and I'm a little wary of that anyway, but I really want to see the Serriana Del Hornocal (Google it - I can't post links) as it seems unmissable, but I can't find any tour companies that do it as it's so off the beaten track. There's always the private tailor made option but it's so expensive since I'm just by myself.

I made reservations in a hotel in Salta for 5 nights but I've got free cancellation so I can change if I find anything.

As for Buenos Aires, I was going to do the private room in a hostel thing, but I found that a lot of nicer hotels weren't that much more expensive with a couple of the discount codes I had, so I went for that instead. It's probably less social, but I got a hotel in Palermo Soho with a rooftop pool and balcony for about £40 a night (not cheap, but definitely reasonable for what I'm getting).

Yeah was thinking about going to Salta for 2-3 days, but haven't decided yet. If I do go, I would hire a car yeah. Serranías Del Hornocal/Salinas Grandes to be seen. What days would you be there? Can pm me if you wish.

acquiescefc

lulzordan wrote: »

No, 16 pesos, which would be around 2 euro or less?

You can check the details in personal .com . ar using Google chrome to translate it

ok so if i wanted to buy a sim with 7 days all you can eat data it would be 16 pesos and price of sim is on top?

Would be handy to have if its cheap enough

lulzordan

acquiescefc wrote:

ok so if i wanted to buy a sim with 7 days all you can eat data it would be 16 pesos and price of sim is on top?

No, it's a package. So you would have to buy the sim card and top up the 16 pesos at a shop, then send a SMS to activate it.

I'm not sure about the current cost though but I guess it has to be around 15-20 pesos?

SMI

lulzordan wrote: »

No, it's a package. So you would have to buy the sim card and top up the 16 pesos at a shop, then send a SMS to activate it.

I'm not sure about the current cost though but I guess it has to be around 15-20 pesos?

Great, thanks for the tip.

BarryM

L1985 wrote: »

Anyone else depressed that flights within Argentina are costing more then the flights to get there? Looking at spending around 8/9days in Patagonia in May anyone tell me if it would be best to just go there and sort out tours etc when I arrive or given time constraints would it be better off booking in advance?when I was in s/a before just turning up worked really well for me but had a lot more time to play with!!

"Patagonia" where?? If you are on the Chilean side and "doing" the Torres then the Arg frontier is not far. We found buses booked on the spot to be cheap(er) and much more reliable, just depends on how much time you have. Even overnights are good, buy a first class ticket even if a bit more expensive, business class style recliner on Tur Bus. We found flights expensive and although we didn't have any problems have a look at the TA thread for Sky airline......

acquiescefc

Lufthansa on strike tomorrow

https://www.lufthansa.com/online/myportal/lh/de/local?nodeid=1874371&l=en&cid=18002#ancAbT0

SMI

acquiescefc wrote: »

Lufthansa on strike tomorrow

https://www.lufthansa.com/online/myportal/lh/de/local?nodeid=1874371&l=en&cid=18002#ancAbT0

Woah!
Just landed B.A. and going through immigration, checked my mail and this was the first thing I saw!

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

acquiescefc

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Unless youve an LH connecting flight youll be fine.
Outta here today, was a bit worried

absolutegroove

If anyone could post up some trips they are doing or any good bargain trips in Argentina then that would be a great help as there's so much to do.

I do plan ahead but sometimes I prefer the turn up and see what happens approach :-). It's worked with 30 countries so far.

I'm flying out on April 13th and flying back on April 29th if anyone fancies meeting up and doing a trip etc. PM me.

notuslimited

Found the El Conquistador hotel in BA for €46 per night using ebookers (listed as 4 star but seems more a 3*. Decent reviews on Tripadvisor and good central location. Includes brekkie which is a bonus.

notreve

just a note to people who have sent [or thinking of] money via Azimo


the pickup facility [Argenpen] main branch on Corrientes av are as slow as molasses
you pick a number once entering and then wait in baking conditions for a hefty duration [absolutely no english spoken]

I just legged it outta there now with a gigantic wad of peso looking furiously over my shoulders at regular intervals in case any local skank was observing me and thinking I was easy prey...haha

also did a bit of blue market, very simple process, wished I had done all my conversions this way, 13 peso to one euro right now

there is definately quite an energy and buzz about B.A.... was a sizzler today hitting 35C

SNNUS

In iguazu falls now and it is a must do if in Argentina, plus you can visit Brazil and Paraguay as well. I agree with changing money on the street , very easy. Azimo was a bit more hassle and waiting etc..

judeboy101

Where you staying , looking at hotels at the moment .

bromley52

Long haul flights are to be affected from tomorrow (Thursday).

Stillnotworking

We were told to avoid the Street "Cambio, Cambio" guys, due to the high risk of forgeries and the hotel directed us to the Bureau de Change in Galerias Pacifico, just remember to bring your passport as ID.

cruhoortwunk

Got a fake note off a taxi driver in BA before. The prick gave me a fake and that change was the last of my pesos.

acquiescefc

I'm just heading to an Argenper pickup at Retiro after landing in BA from a horrible flight, nearly had to slap the woman next to me for screaming like abanshee when she woke up in a bad bit. Admit it was a bit scary as the wing lights started flashing.
. but yeah its 9am and the argenper is in a hypermarket but may have to queue as it doesn't open til 11. Trying to avoid central office and I've another flight to catch at 1.

Re transfer in FRA, it was fine. Short train to C gates and Security at transfer gate was minimal.

L1011

acquiescefc wrote: »

Admit it was a bit scary as the wing lights started flashing.

Which is perfectly normal

C2911

Stillnotworking wrote: »

We were told to avoid the Street "Cambio, Cambio" guys, due to the high risk of forgeries and the hotel directed us to the Bureau de Change in Galerias Pacifico, just remember to bring your passport as ID.

What sort of rate did you get there? Sounds more appealing than going to a dingy office with a random on the street.

Stillnotworking

We were warned by the hotel and the others that had gone before us not to use the street guys on any ground. The rate I got was
600 USD = 4710 ARP so 1 USD = 7.85ARP. Again I was told it was better to go with USD than Euro last summer. (Work was paying so I didn't really check the rates. Some of the others used to change it in Arrivals in the airport while waiting for their luggage to arrive)

I think the commission was small but the Bureau stays open late like the Shopping Centre.

Stillnotworking

This is the actual company, never realised they had a few outlets. http://www.metropoliscf.com/sucursales.php

howardm

There is a safe cambio near alto Palermo shopping centre. There are no touts outside and no signs. The street is ansagasti. Its a few doors down from the sante fe end. Its not open until after 3 today. I changed USD at 12.20 per dollar.

mad m

This should be a sticky in travel. Great tips if someone else was thinking of visiting it.

acquiescefc

Recommend Retiro Argenper apart from the short window it's open 11-16:00 and shut for lunch.

Handy if you get the 30 pesos 'ArBus' from AEP as its in a Tesco like hypermarket 5 mins walk away. It's in a glass room where only the owner can buzz ppl in.

Sundance_Kid

Just reading this thread, what a great deal so many of you got.

Wish I had seen the deal at the time, been fortunate enough to visit Argentina twice. What a great country, lovely people. Can't wait to go back again.

If any of you are going to Mendoza, do the wine bike tour - I'd definitely recommend Mr.Hugos Bikes

http://mrhugobikes.com/

You can get a public bus from Mendoza out to where he is in Maipu (iirc). Get up early and go out there, cycle around visit a few wineries/vineyards, try the different wines, have your lunch in one of the vineyards too. There is even an outdoors pub that just sells homemade brew - just to mix it up.
You will be jolly/drunk by the time you get the bus back to Mendoza. Really great fun.

In Buenos Aires - I'm sure you will all visit the touristy sports - La Boca, Recoleta Cemetry, Plaza de Mayo, Teatro Colon, San Telmo and so much more places. Visit the El Ateneo book store - one of the most beautiful book stores in the world.
Go to a tango show, have your steak dinner.
Have tea/coffee in Cafe Tortoni.

Go to El Cuartito for a pizza, a lot of cheese on the pizza. It's a real old school pizza place, full of locals eating and lots of pictures on the well. Not to far from Ave 9th July.

Every Thursday (I think) the mothers and grandmothers of disappeared children walk around the Plaza de Mayo in protest. The mothers of plaza de mayo.

So jealous, enjoy so much!!!

Patsy167

Massive thanks to everyone who posted advice on this thread. I'm just back from my 8 day trip to Argentina. It's an incredible country and the buzz in Buenos Aires is on another level to anything I've seen before.

If anyone is looking for ideas on what to do in Buenos Aires, Here's what I did (Male, mid twenties - First time travelling solo):

Day 1 (Arrival): Arrived at apartment in Palermo at about 11. The owner of the appartment gave me the inside track on how to use public transport, where to shop, eat and a giant map of all the attractions. I wasn't feeling jet lagged so I headed straight out. Walked through Palermo Soho, Palermo Hollywood, and back to Plaza Italia.

Day 2: Hit the city center. Av de Mayo, Florida Street and all of the buildings around Plaza de Mayo. I joined a walking tour that I saw passing in the afternoon. The guy giving the tour was a college student and was quite interesting.

Day 3. Visited all the sites along Av 9 de Julio - Teatra Colon, Obelisk, and down to Plaza San Martin. Walked through Porto Madero in the evening and visited the Nature reserve in behind it. Dinner at La Bistecca in Puerto Madero.

Day 4: Day trip to San Antonio De Areco: Beatiful old town two hours from Buenos Aires. Nice bus journey through the countryside. Rented a bike from a local hostel in San Antonio and cycled all around the town. It's a town that time has forgotten. Full of old buildings and museums about the Gaucho lifestyle and Argentinian agricultural history. A nice contrast to the bustle of BA.

Day 5: Day trip to Tigre. 1hr train ride up to this town on the River Delta. Took a boat ride out through the rivers and forests of the Delta (Cost about a fiver). You could also rent a canoe if you fancied exploring for yourself. I went there on a Saturday when all the locals go.

Day 6: Visited the antiques Market in San Telmo, Recoleta cemetry, the cultural center and two local museums. Museum des Belles Artes was very impressive.

Day 7: Day trip to La Plata. My favorite day trip. Huge cathedral and nice atmosphere around the town. It's a student town 1 hr 40 mins from BA. Well worth a visit.

Day 8: Visited Botanic gardens, Giant mechanical flower, La Bombonera and La Boca.

Overall, it was a trip I will never forget. A lot of miss-information is posted about safety in Buenos Aires. I went with with the motto that "What I don't have they can't take". I traveled every day with just my apartment keys and 50 quid in my pocket. I did'nt have an ounce of trouble at any point.

All of the flight connections were seamless. The layover was 1 hr 45 in each airport and it was plenty of time. The departure gate was a few hundred meters from where we arrived.

Regarding currency exchenage. I transferred the bulk of my money with the owner of my apartment at a rate of 12 pesos=1 euro. Not the greatest rate, but it was very covenient. I also used AZIMO and the Cueva's on Florida street to exchange to small amounts. I brought official ID with me to the Azimo office but unless you have your passport you won't be given your money. My mistake. I had no problem with the Cueva's on Florida street. I got a rate of 13.8 and it was safe and secure in a small room in a busy office block.

Overall, it was a dream trip. Daily temps ranged from 27-35 degrees. If anyone wants any tips, give me a shout.

Amirani

I'm leaving Rio for Iguazu today, and on to Buenos Aires on Sunday (didn't manage to book the Bargain flights). Glad you had fun in BA, I've yet to hear a negative review of the place.

FatRat

I've a question about booking hotels. I'm working on a budget and I'm planning on booking a place on booking.com. My question is will I end up paying the amount advertised on booking.com, or will I be paying in pesos at the higher exchange rate when I arrive in BA?

Do most hotels just accept cash at the desk? Because if they do and I can pay at 13/14 pesos per euro instead of the advertised price at 9.5 pesos per euro that would mean I won't have to limit myself to cheap accommodation.