Argentina Turismo

Argentina Travel – Travel Around Patagonia – Flights and Buses

Argentina is a vast country in the southern part of Latin America. It is a hugely varied country going from subtropical in the north, to sub polar, even arctic in the south. The distances from top to bottom are vast, which can be frustrating if you are on a tight schedule or on a budget. The region of Patagonia alone is bigger than most countries in the world.

You have the best choice of flights around the region from Buenos Aires, so choosing your starting point is important. You can either fly the circuit, or mix and match flights with bus transportation. Key airports to do the circuit are El Calafate, Ushuaia and Bariloche.

The areas and towns in the very south in the Tierra del Fuego region and El Calefate are best reach by air, unless you have a vast amount of time on your hands. A journey along route 40 takes 2 days by bus from Bariloche (in the north of Patagonia) alone. This is also because the road is unpaved making the route very bumpy. Another road along route 3 takes less time, and cuts along the coast but still is pricey.

The towns of Patagonia and in the extremely southern Tierra de Fuego region are unique in there on way. The towns are small and have a frontier feel. They offer some amazing options for seeing nature at its best all within easy access. They are an ideal for people that like the outdoors, but flying with lots of equipment can be expensive. This is where bus transport comes into its own.

Buses in Argentina are probably some of the best in the world with most routes offering 3 classes of service; semi-cama, cama and suite. Semi-cama are the type of buses your will be used to, with rows of 4 seats and slightly reclining chairs. The next class up is the cama class, these buses have rows of 3 seats, the seats look like business class seats on flights and recline to about 70 degrees. What makes this class most interesting is that it usually includes food on the bus, like airline food as well as drinks depending on which company you travel with. They also show movies (normally in English) and the price is usually only slightly more than the semi-cama class. The suite class includes all you have with the cama class, but in this class you have a fully reclining seat which is ideal for long distances, your own personal TV as well as better food and drink choices. It is worth exploring all the options and night travel is common.

There are a huge range of bus companies that operate varying services and booking in months in advance for the best deals is not required like in the US or Europe. Most Argentines just buy a ticket on the day. You can buy tickets at most bus stations, but for the most choice it is best to book through an agent who can advise you of which companies travel where. Booking in advance gives you the peace of mind when you are on a tight schedule.

A good base for bus travel is Bariloche where buses operate to all over the region. You can also fly from here to the south, which may be useful if you want to leave equipment in at a hotel before you fly.