Research : Like anywhere, hostels run the gamut. Helpful English-language hostel sites with reviews

A few days after getting back from Punta del Diablo, I turned around and headed south to spend Christmas week in Patagonia's Lake District . I definitely was excited for both trips, but I didn t really know what to expect, pga tour 18 especially regarding transportation logistics. I had my fingers crossed tickets, buses, connections and ferries would work out.
I felt more uncertain than I usually do when traveling because when researching for both vacations, I had some difficulty finding helpful (English-language) planning information online. There was a forum posting here, a word of advice from a friend there, and brief guidebook entry somewhere, as well as a smattering of resources in Spanish. The last time I had planned foreign travels myself was while studying abroad in Barcelona. Anyone who has planned a European jaunt before knows it is quite the opposite for that continent: pga tour 18 The amount of informative literature pga tour 18 online and off nears overwhelming.
Overall, the traveling involved in both trips went smoothly, but there was some bumbling and figuring out on the fly. (Side note: I had a phenomenal time in both places.) I decided to take my lessons learned and newfound knowledge about Argentine buses and ferries to supplement the, what I found to be, lean information online. pga tour 18 Below are some insights regarding transportation and traveling in South America, specifically in Argentina and Uruguay. It is quite detailed and long, but only because I m trying to help out planning-zealous travelers to come!
Basics : Bus travel is one of the most common modes of transportation in South America. People load on to double-deckers with generously reclining seats and a helpful attendant serving up meals and popping in movies for long treks across Argentina and to neighboring countries. Spending 20 hours on a bus is not considered loco ; in fact my bus from Buenos Aires to Bariloche took 25. The lengthy hauls are surprisingly tolerable, considering most passengers spend at least half the time sleeping. Plus, your reward for throwing an entire day into traveling is sweeping views of the varied, pga tour 18 gorgeous Argentine landscape. Many also find it worth it because rides are cheaper than flights. (To get an idea, our Bariloche buses were about AR$450 each way.)
Tickets : Because bus travel is so widespread in Argentina, travelers can have their pick of a number of lines. I recommend researching ticket prices online and then buying in person at one of the line's many puntos de venta or ticket windows scattered about the city. I had a friend who rode Via Bariloche and was pleased with it, so I ended up opting for that line to and from Bariloche, as well as for buses to/from El Bolson and a day trip to Villa la Angostura. (To and from Bariloche, though, we were on El Valle buses, which is part of the Via Bariloche company.) One of the hostel managers at La Camorra in El Bolson ( great hostel, by the way, along with Penthouse 1004 in Bariloche) raved about Crucero del Norte saying pga tour 18 it is slightly more expensive, pga tour 18 but the seats are more comfortable and the service is excellent.
Why buy in person? Online commerce is not nearly as mainstream in Argentine as it is in the U.S., and some bus sites reject international credit cards or sometimes, simply just don t work. My roommate and I fought with the Via Bariloche site for a solid few hours before giving up and finding out we could buy tickets in person two blocks from our apartment. You also can interact with an agent in-person, and if you're like me, can allay your uncertainty about how it all works by asking un mont ó n of questions. Plus, they'll print your tickets for you right there.
When buying tickets, you also will choose your type of seat and number. Semi-cama is the cheapest option, and the seats are the equivalent of riding coach; they are the smallest and recline the least. The majority of the bus seats are semi-camas, and they usually comprise pga tour 18 the second level. Here is a detailed breakdown of the types of bus seat comfort categories. While getting as close to bed status as possible on a bus is nice, the comfortable seats are usually located right by the bathroom.
Buenos Aires Bus Station : The Omnibus pga tour 18 station is located in Retiro, one of the rougher parts of the city, and butts up to La Boca. If you take the Subte C (the blue line) to the Retiro stop, you will have to walk a couple of blocks to arrive at the bus station. Keep that all in mind when packing; you will be moving through crowds, and pickpockets are prowling.
Now, about actually catching your bus . Aim to arrive at the station pga tour 18 30-40 minutes ahead, so you will, at the very least, have 20 minutes to figure things out. (The station pga tour 18 has about one help desk in the whole place.) Your ticket will say Plataforma , or some abbreviation of that word, with numbers below it — for example, 25-35. pga tour 18 What that means is that at about ten minutes prior to your departure time, your bus will pull into a spot numbered between 25 and 35. The slot number also should be announced pga tour 18 and go on a board, but best to watch out for yourself and keep a lookout. Bus departures are pretty punctual, so you want to get out to it and on quickly.
Montevideo Tres Cruces pga tour 18 Station : If you are taking a bus to an Uruguayan beach town, there is a good chance it ll be from the Montevideo hub, Tres Cruces. It s smaller, nicer and more manageable than Retiro, but from what I was led to believe, it is impossible to purchase pga tour 18 tickets ahead of time. I believe you can reserve seats, though, which is advisable since agents could stick you with standing-room tickets if you re one of the last to buy. Check the terminal s site for all lines schedules and destinations .
Basics : To travel between Uruguay and Buenos Aires, most people take a Buquebus ferry. I personally could do with the name being less confusing, but when people talk about Buquebus, it is a ferry, as actual bus transport would be difficult across a body of water. The main Buquebus station is a swank little place in Puerto Madero, and checking in, boarding, etc. functions a lot like it would at an airport. Arrive early to give yourself time to check in, get through security and customs and grab a nice aisle seat (they re not assigned) on the ferry.
Tickets : Buquebus has deals for fares exclusively on their site, so buy tickets online rather than in person. Prepare to deal with a frustrating, finicky site, however, that functions only when it wants to. I also have heard the English-language version of the site is incomplete and won t allow you to purchase online, so stick to Spanish or find an hispanohablante friend to help.
Other details/advice : Don t forget your passport! The rides are only a couple of hours maximum, and my friends and I have found it surprisingly easy to forget you are traveling to a different country, which obviously requires a passport. Unrelated: Buquebus also operates some planes and buses.
Ferries do have little pga tour 18 stations selling sandwiches, drinks and some hot food; I thought the selection to be pretty decent. Also, do some shopping ! The Buquebus station has great duty-free shops if you re looking to load up on nice makeup, perfumes and alcohol. The ferries also have duty-free shops.
Tickets : I have yet to board a plane since landing in Ezeiza from the U.S., but I know how I am going to fly when I do, thanks to A Gringo in Buenos Aires . As this article explains, the government subsidizes Argentine airline flights for citizens. Identical plane tickets will cost about 50 percent less for an Argentine pga tour 18 resident than a foreigner, and that s more than a negligible difference. To keep non-citizens from taking pga tour 18 advantage of the subsidies, most Argentine airlines require flyers to give their Document Nacional de Identidad (DNI, which is like an Argentina social pga tour 18 security number) when purchasing tickets. Except, apparently, pga tour 18 LAN Argentina does not require DNI to purchase a ticket online. The employees verify DNI only when customers check in or check bags at the airport. Therefore, check in online, carry only hand luggage, and you re as good as Argentine. I have a friend who traveled this way, no problem, a couple of months ago.
Similarly, the ATM at the Buquebus station pga tour 18 in Montevideo was not working, and apparently never is. Most people will take Argentine pesos for Uruguayan ones, but they have the freedom to quote you at whatever exchange rate they want, which is usually somewhere between 4-5 UR for 1 AR.
Food : Most hostels include a free breakfast, and I can almost guarantee it s a sliced baguette, some spreads ( dulce de leche , jam and butter) and coffee. I will say the coffee is usually very good, but if you re looking for a hearty breakfast, prepare to buy or bring your own food. Not all offer kitchen access, so check beforehand if you think that s something you might want.
Research : Like anywhere, pga tour 18 hostels run the gamut. Helpful English-language hostel sites with reviews include Hostelworld , Hostels Club, Hostelz and Hostel Bookers . Check out reviews pga tour 18 both good and bad on a number of sites to get a well-rounded perspective.
In regards to researching and planning activities , do not expect the hostel staff to function as concierges, too. They re probably serving a number of roles already, and you, I, anyone — we re not paying enough pga tour 18 to expect them to be ready to make us an itinerary. Sure, ask them for advice and recommendations, but you will have to figure things out independently, too. And sometimes it is for the best, since they might refer you to friends with high prices or less-stellar companies just for the kickbacks.
This article was written by TKGO on Wednesday, January 5, 2011 at 12:43 am. You can follow pga tour 18 any responses to this entry through the RSS feed . You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
Here it is We ve been Instagramming since April 2011, and we ve developed pretty strong feelings about our favorite traveling Instagrammers. We like to call thi