Argentina bound with no plan ?!?!?

lauraloo007

hey,
lads and ladies, i need help. I'm heading off to Argentina (the year long itch) and I don't have a clue where to go, what to do, where to stay. I'm going on my lonesome but don't mind at all - have a middling/to poor sort of budget and I'm into everything, from wine tours,to tango,to sports etc so all offers accepted.
i know its very general by me, but makes it easier in a way as don't want to miss out on any opportunity.
what i need is accommodation - hostels,hotels, staying with families (i'm 29)
things to do: I'm up for anything!
how much per day should i budget for?

had the idea of starting in BuenosAires, heading down Patagonia direction, maybe up Chile way (unless someone recommends things to do on west coast side) but then again if someone has a better itinerary i'm open to change !

Any help will be much appreciated. kinda sick of looking at tripadvisor from 2009 comments!
oh also anyone got any better travel forums ???
thanks guys

Challo

Well firstly have a look at the climate as you won't be going anywhere near Patagonia or Southern Chile either for a while!

I would say fly into Buenos Aires and take it from there. You can even work casually in a hostel for a few weeks, learn some Spanish and get yourself together. It's a great, great city too. After that, I'd recommend Iguazu Falls up North, Cordoba, Bariloche (when weather is better), El Calafate to see the PM glacier, Mendoza and Salta.

Without sounding blunt, it would be worth buying a guidebook and figuring out what you really want to do out of the options. A year is a long time but I presume you mean starting in Argentina and maybe then South America travels? Argentina is a big country so you'l be looking at 20+hours bus

Hostelworld is super site for booking hostels.

wicorthered

If you have no Spanish and time to spare in Buenos Aires, I recommend doing a Spanish course. I was surprised how few people spoke English and it was tough communicating at times. Know in advance Argentina is huge, and flights expensive so be prepared for long bus treks. In fairness the buses are amazing.

My personal highlight in Argentina was Iguazu Falls. Amazing!!

Head to Montevideo for a couple of days, it's a beautiful city. It takes about 4 hours by boat and bus from BA, well worth it. If you make it I'd highly recommend Pocitos hostel. Great staff, my fav hostel in S. America.

VinylJunkie

Just wondering, this is something I'm also looking to do - how much money would ye be looking at needing for a year? I've no clue

dory

VinylJunkie wrote: »

Just wondering, this is something I'm also looking to do - how much money would ye be looking at needing for a year? I've no clue

On my year trip I spent on average 1000 Euro a month, but almost 2000 in Argentina. Expensive place! Most long buses were 50 Euro each.


For Argentina I would recommend BA, somewhere along the coast due south of BA, Bariloche, Iguazu Falls. There are many suggested itineraries online. I remember hostels being about 10 Euro a night.

sarkozy

Good advice here. When I want to Argentina/Uruguay/Bolivia/Peru, I didn't have a plan. There's no issues about not having a plan, and that's even better if you've got longer than three weeks!

Patagonia was definitely out due to weather, so we headed north.

I would say spend no longer than 5 days in Buenos Aires to find your feet and to meet people in your hostel. You might very well find yourself in good travelling company in no time at all, or cross paths again along the 'Gringo Trail'.

If going north is the best plan for you, then I also recommend Iguazú falls, and from there you can go to Jujuy province beside Bolivia/Chile for wine, horseriding and Inca mummies in Salta.

Additionally (and we didn't have time), you could head mid-east to Mendoza and wend your way north.

I think it would be great for you to do a language course somewhere. I wish I did as you experience a place differently that way.

On the language front, I highly recommend going through the Michel Thomas introductory Spanish course. I had no Spanish before going, I had some by the time I got there. I had some stuff stolen in Bolivia and my broken Spanish was a life-saver. But it also opened up all kinds of opportunities along the way, too. Many people speak basic English, though.

In my experience (being a Rough Guide fan), the best guidebook for South America is the Footprints guide. BUY IT. It's hardcover, which is great, but it's actually lighter than the Rough Guide.

themacman

Don't miss the Perito Moreno glacier. More spectacular than Iguazu IMO.

sarkozy

themacman wrote: »

Don't miss the Perito Moreno glacier. More spectacular than Iguazu IMO.

Weather permitting ...