'Travel between Punta del Este and Buenos Aires' Travel

marisa from NY (Contact Member) - 01/25/10 11:30

I am traveling between Punta del Este to Buenos Aires in 2 weeks. I am wondering if it is better to fly with Aerolineas or Punta? It seems that prices are comparable to using the Buequebus. Am I reading things correctly or is $200 for either option not correct?

Any help will be great!!

Comment #1 Tamara from Australia living in La Paloma (Contact Member) - 01/25/10 11:51

"Travel PE to BA"

With regards to the airlines - both can be OK or a pain depending on the day. I have never had a problem with Pluna, but I have spoken to people who have had delays. If you do book Pluna through the net, the price may not include luggages which they charge $20 per bag (this is reduced to $10 USD if you check in on line - but be careful with the weight because they are strict). Some tickets do include baggage, so just keep an eye on it.

Also, with regards to Buquebus, this is a much longer option, but the prices on the internet are expressed in pesos (Argentina - which US$1 buys about 4 - depending on where you are). So it is probably a bit cheaper that way.

Comment #2 Elaine (1) from Ireland (Contact Member) - 01/26/10 07:28

"Buquebus v's Flying Aerolineas"

From what I have heard I would strongly advise against flying with Aerolineas Argentina, EVER! They are totally unreliable - their flights are always delayed and there are strikes all the time. Here is what my Argentine friend told me when I asked her a similar question:

"AVOID AEROLINEAS ARGENTINAS LIKE THE PLAGUE and stick to LAN Argentina (or in your case the only alternative is Pluna from Punta). Aerolineas used to be an excellent airline, but it was bought by Spaniards who emptied it, bankrupted it, and are now trying to sell it to the Argentine government at an astronomical price. As such the employees are being torn apart in the struggle, morale is in the basement, and there are frequent wildcat strikes".

Apart from that, are you sure its the same price to fly as it is to take the Buquebus? It depends how much of a rush you're in, but there are many options - there is a combo of bus to Montevideo and ferry to Buenos Aires for 1, 718 pesos (about US$88 at the moment) and takes 5 and bit hours in total. Then there is another option which is a bus to Colonia and then ferry to BA for 1, 094 pesos (about US$56) and that journey appears to take about the same amount of time (but it depends on what ferry boat is available, there are multiple types).

Check out the Uruguayan Buquebus page (if the prices are in the thousands its Uruguayan pesos, if the prices are in the hundreds then its Argentine pesos).

• Buquebus Uruguay

Comment #3 Lee from Pocitos (Contact Member) - 01/26/10 10:39

"AEROLINEAS ARGENTINAS"

They also have (or had) dual pricing. Show one price on the web and when you try to pay for the ticket jack it up hundreds of dollars because you aren't a resident of Uruguay (though I was, they didn't ask). Even when I specified on the web that I was a USA Resident (I'm not) the price different was US$20, not US$200.

So, be VERY clear on the the currency of their price and whether you actually qualify for that price.

Also watch out for the $131 (one time per passport) entry fee to Argentina at the airport... which might not be applicable if you go by ferry. Of course if you are going USA -> Argentina -> Uruguay and back you'll have already paid.

Comment #4 Elaine (1) from Ireland (Contact Member) - 01/26/10 13:12

"New Buenos Aires Airport Fee"

Oh that's another good point I didn't think of! Argentina has just imposed a new "reciprocity fee" for tourists from countries that charge their citizens to enter.

As such Americans now have to pay something like US$131 to enter Argentina BUT it seems that for the moment this is only functioning at Ezeiza airport. I think flights from Punta del Este will land in Newberry and I haven't heard any reports from there yet, but you definitely won't get charged if you take the ferry because they do seem to have found a way to enforce it yet. Its all still in flux but I'm pretty definite that those landing at Ezeiza will pay it.

• Argentina Tourist Reciprocity Fee

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