As I take this 18 hour bus ride up to Mendoza for my final stop before Chile, I thought about the challenges that came up whilst backpacking Argentina. It is by far one of the most developed South American countries, however problems can still arise if you're not careful. Here are my top travel tips for a successful trip to this wonderful country:
An 18 hour bus ride was bound to provide some views!
Getting around
The major cities in Argentina have fantastic metro systems. They are cheap, reliant and efficient. You will need a top up card to use them, however you can buy these cheaply at the stations. Top it up with as many peso’s as you need and visit as many sights as you can!
Even though they are used less by tourists, buses are also a cheap and convenient way to get around cities. In Buenos Aires, sights such as the Recoleta cemetery and the Bombonera stadium are not located near metro stops and so you need to take the bus.
For those on a tighter budget and not wishing to fly to far places, Argentina has a really good bus system. You have the option of selecting three types of buses: Non cama, semi cama and full cama. The cama (meaning bed in Spanish) relates to how much the seat reclines. Non cama buses recline about as much as aeroplane seats whilst full cama can recline down to 160°, making the seat nearly horizontal. For long haul/over night buses, I would certainly recommend the full cama option in order to get some sleep. Long haul buses in Argentina even provide customers with hot meals, so make sure you specify in advance that you are vegetarian, so they can prepare something for you!
Food & Accommodation
Argentina is a top destination for backpackers and as such they have a range of amazing hostels. I stayed at the following:
Art Factory Hostel, Buenos Aires
This is a great little hostel, decorated in street art. A nice place to meet new people and unwind. Those looking for bigger party hostels however might be more inclined towards the Milhouse chain of hostels (who I have also heard amazing reviews of.America del Sur, El Calafate, Patagonio
One of the best hostels in the region! They serve a fantastic breakfast which is really filling and gives you plenty of energy for your daily treks. The hostel itself is clean with a top feature being the huge window in the dining room overlooking El Calafate. Perfect to see the sunset and sunrise!<Hostel Empedrado, Mondoza
Conveniently located in Mendoza close to supermarkets and a metro stop, the hostel has amazing information for all the nearby wine tours. To top it off, every day it has a happy hour in which they give you free wine!
Hostel Empedrado's cheeky cat, falling asleep on me!
Argentina is famous for its steak however being such a well-developed country, it has cuisines from all over the world. You can easily find Greek, Italian and even Indian food there. The difficulty sometimes arises from restaurants who struggle to understand the concept of being vegetarian, so I noticed it is best if you provide them with suggestions. Going to a BBQ place? Suggest maybe swapping the grilled meat with some roasted half peppers lined with cheese and egg. Most restaurants are happy to make the effort for you!
If you are still struggling to find food, the majority of hostels all have kitchens. Save yourself some money by heading to the local supermarket to find things that you fancy and cook your own amazing dinner!
