Page 326 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Argentina

324  SUR VIV AL GUIDE

TRAVEL INFORMATION

Transport infrastructure in Argentina, come across by sea from Uruguay. With a
although still not highly efficient, is much couple of exceptions, cross-country train
improved. Politicians and bureaucrats have journeys are, unfortunately, a thing of the
finally woken up to the numerous problems past, so visitors should expect to get around
faced by the country’s transport network. the country mainly by air or by road. Major
Now, tourists can arrive at the sleek and cities and important tourist destinations
modern terminal at Ministro Pistarini across Argentina usually have small airports,
International Airport or travel the length and and almost all places are accessible by micro.
breadth of Patagonia in a comfortable, air- The vast majority of Rutas Nacionales (major
conditioned micro (coach). Visitors can opt to highways) are asphalted and operate as
arrive in Argentina via the other five countries turnpikes; rutas provinciales (smaller roads)
it shares its borders with or even choose to off the beaten track are often graveled.
Arriving by Air Airports high from mid­December
All international flights arrive at After Ezeiza, Argentina’s through to March, when the
Buenos Aires’s Ministro Pistarini most important airport is demand for tickets out of and
International Airport, usually Aeroparque Jorge Newbery, into the country is at its highest.
known as Ezeiza after the area more commonly known as Internal flight prices also peak at
in which it is located, 22 miles Aeroparque, located a mile these times, at Easter, and in
(35 km) west of the city cen ter. (2 km) from downtown June and July.
The only exceptions are flights Buenos Aires. This is a hub for Expect to pay around US$1600
between Buenos Aires and domestic flights to provincial for a round­trip flight from the
Chile, Uruguay, and Brazil, most airports around the country United States, and a few
of which use Aeroparque Jorge and to Uruguay. hundred more for a flight from
Newbery. Ezeiza has three inter­ There are 33 airports in Europe. It is possible to find
linked ter minals, A, B, and C, Argentina that receive com­ special deals on the Internet
with B used exclusively by mercial flights. Apart from these, which are significantly cheaper,
Argentina’s main there are smaller although the flights are unlikely
airline, Aerolíneas air fields for to be direct.
Argentinas. chartered services. Fixed date returns are always
Baggage collection Most airports are cheaper than open tickets,
and customs Signboard at Ezeiza located some though there are often some
operate smoothly, International Airport distance from the good offers available on round­
although baggage population centers the­world tickets. For internal
handlers at Ezeiza airport are they serve, but are generally flights, Aerolíneas Argentinas
notori ously light­fingered, so well con nected to them by bus, has the largest and most reliable
ensure that suit cases are locked taxi, or remis (licensed cab). network in the country. Un­
and preferably shrink­wrapped. fortunately, it operates a highly
Other airlines that fly to Buenos Air Fares contro versial “dual pricing”
Aires are Air France, American system, where tou rists pay at
Airlines, Iberia, KLM, British Air fares to Argentina are least 25 percent more than locals
Airways, and Gol. generally expensive. Prices are for the same journeys.

The bustling check-in hall at Ministro Pistarini International Airport, Buenos Aires

324-325_EW_Argentina.indd 324 05/08/16 10:43 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Practical template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.7)
Date 5th March 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm