John Cisarik
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Re: Argentina travel questions
"Ann B." <annREMOVE@pipeline.com> wrote in message
news:5vl9s0pnimf4dme8hkb5bg3um9r4i69aua@4ax.com...
> I'm planning a trip to Argentina in March. Couple of questions:
>
> 1) The hotel vat tax is quite high, 21% so it seems. I'd read that
> booking through an Argentinian travel agent results in much lower
> rates. Is it the tax that is eliminated?
>
> 2) Is there any kind of excursion airfare that I can get that would
> allow me to fly to 2 - 3 different areas?
>
> Any other tips greatly appreciated. I plan on going to BA, Salta,
> Iguazu, and maybe Mendoza or Cordoba.
>
> Thanks!!
>
> Cheers,
> Ann
To answer your questions:
1. I don't know why there would be a difference in tax depending on which
travel agent you use. What has happened in Argentina since the de-coupling
of the peso and the U.S. dollar is that some prices are charged at two
distinct levels: one for Argentines and another, higher one, for foreigners.
Thus, some hotels (usually the more expensive ones) charge a higher rate to
foreigners than to Argentines. Having said that, though, I would also point
out that prices in Argentina are really quite low compared to what they were
when the peso and dollar were equal in value, so you can stay in a good
hotel for what would be a bargain in any other major city.
2. Aerolineas Argentinas, which in fact is now owned by Iberia, charges only
one fare to foreigners: the highest of several that it offers on various
routes. There are other airlines in Argentina, though, that offer a range of
fares applying to Argentines and foreigners without distinction; the problem
is you have to purchase your tickets in advance, and for most foreigners
that is difficult to do.
There is another option: the "Visite Argentina" air pass, sold by Aerolineas
Argentinas only to foreigners and which must be purchased in conjunction
with your international ticket to and from Argentina; the international
ticket does not have to be on Aerolineas Argentinas (I have used the air
pass in conjunction with flights on Pan Am and United, for example). This
option gives you coupons that you convert to flights once you are in the
country. There is a minimum purchase (I think it is three, but I am not
sure), and on all four of my trips the use of the air pass has brought the
cost of individual flights within Argentina to about $100 each. Considering
the vast distances within that country and the cost of individual fares
purchased there with little advance notice, that was a bargain. One thing to
note, if you want to use the "Visite Argentina" air pass: there are very few
direct flights between cities in Argentina, so if you wanted to visit Salta
and Mendoza, you would likely need four coupons, since a flight to each of
those cities would also require a return to Buenos Aires before going on to
the next.
Sorry to go on at such length, but I hope this answers your questions. Feel
free to send me an e-mail with any other questions. I would also recommend
that you post any questions on sites such as virtualtraveler.com and The
Lonely Planet's "Thorn Tree" Web site, South America branch, where there are
a number of Argentines responding to travelers' questions.
In the meantime, here are the URLs of two hotels in Buenos Aires that I
recommend highly, having stayed at them three times each:
http://www.hotelcrillon.com.ar/
http://www.ulisesrecoleta.com.ar/
The Crillon is on the Plaza San Martín, right in the city center just a few
blocks from the main pedestrian shopping street, Florida, and situated on
Santa Fe, another street well known for its many shops. The Ulises is tiny,
with fewer than 30 rooms, often is impossible to get into, but is in the
heart of the Recoleta neighborhood, probably the most elegant section of the
city.
One final note: When you look at price quotes, be aware that $500 means 500
Argentine pesos; what we in the United States think of as "the dollar sign"
is used by several countries in South America for their own currencies. If
the price were quoted in dollars, it would show as US$500 or as U$S500; the
letters US will appear somehow.
¡Buen viaje!
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12-18-2004 11:01 PM
