Traveling can sometimes be a bit stressful, especially the days leading up to it. You must have everything prepared and you do not know what you are going to find when you arrive. Here we leave you, after having traveled to Argentina for 4 months, a guide of tips that will be very useful for you before and during the trip.
BEFORE TRAVELLING
Go to your doctor, I would advise you to go one month before leaving because sometimes they take time to give you an appointment. The sooner you can go, the better. You must get all the covid vaccines, at the moment they asked you for three, the one for yellow fever (because of the Iguazú falls and the stopover in Rio de Janeiro that I had to do) and the one for Hepatitis. Don't worry, your doctor will recommend all the necessary ones. They can give them to you at vaccination centers, the only one I had to pay for was yellow fever, which costs €19 (they give it to you for free at international vaccination centers). They also recommended a pill vaccine that was a gastric protector (the whole truth about how your stomach gets used to other foods in this post). In the same center, they will give you the international vaccination card, a document that you will need if you want to move around the country.
Buy mosquito repellent. I took the most powerful one, with a duration of twelve hours and yes, I thought it was only going to work for Iguazú. But in the hot parts of the country, there are many mosquitoes. I still have it, so it was a good investment.
Take a folder or a notebook with all the necessary documentation and photocopies of your ID and passport in case of loss. Look on the government page for everything they can ask you for, but don't do like me, don't stress because you lack things. Since you can only stay 90 days, you need the departure flight. (What I did was say that I was taking a trip through Latin America and that I was going to move by bus through the different countries, so she didn't have to buy the return ticket until I found out the day she wanted to return). But once you cross the border they don't ask you for so many things or documents. Keep that folder where you don't lose it, it's very important for the whole trip. They usually ask for your ID for long bus trips.
When preparing your suitcase, take as little as possible. Think that there are several different climates, but you can wash your clothes with soap and hang them up, with the heat, they dry very quickly. The less you carry, the easier your trip will be.
For my peace of mind, I usually take a small first-aid kit for emergencies. I usually take band-aids, and headache pills, but this time as it was a long trip I took a thermometer and my allergy pills. Which of these things did I use for the trip? Almost all. So make a hole in your suitcase for your first aid kit.
DURING THE TRIP
In this part of the post, we are going to say all the tips that you should keep in mind while you travel through Argentina, you will find a little of everything.
Book bus tickets at the terminals, on the Internet they charge you more. Even so, look at websites such as Plataforma 10 to find out which companies make the transfers. Once you know, buy at your window.
Always carry cash. The small bills will be used to pay the porter who brings your suitcases to the bus or to the 'rag'. The others, save them for places that do not accept cards or there are many stores that give discounts if you pay in cash. If you are going on a long trip, it is better that you take something warm because it is usually cold.
Be patient, don't go into the first places you see to eat or buy water at the first kiosk (we ended up paying 190 pesos for small water when it normally costs about 80 pesos). It is very angry to leave a restaurant because you could not stand your hunger, turn the corner and find a better offer.
You must also be very patient because in most places there is a queue. No tourist sites to enter the Iguazú falls but supermarkets, banks, exchange houses, etc. In summary, queues in everything that is for daily life. We have come to wait more than an hour and a half in line at a supermarket (and they have different checkouts and queues for customers with less than 10 products!).
Always carry water in your backpack, as it is very hot and humid, and a packet of peanuts or cookies. That always goes well.
In Los Gridos (and other ice cream parlors) there is fresh water and bathrooms, they can get you out of trouble.
Buy cheap supermarkets (Carrefour) and greengrocers. There are also wholesale stores, for example, we found one in Tucumán for alfajores. They were available for 25-30 pesos and the minimum purchase was 500 pesos, so we got a lot of sweets for less than in other places. I also discovered that to make hamburgers there are places where you can buy about 30 for 3000 pesos. So look at wholesale sites or supermarkets.
The bus cards can be obtained with the foreign DNI and are used for several cities. For example, the SUBE in Buenos Aires also serves Mendoza, Jujuy, and Tierra del Fuego. In Tucumán there is the Ciudadana and in Córdoba the Red Bus.
Ask the locals. Whenever we arrive at a place, we ask the drivers, the owners of the lodgings, or the waiters of the restaurants. Local people will always advise and inform you.
In almost every big city there is a street full of bars with a very good vibe at night. Stop by during the day to check out the deals and happy hours.
In all towns, there is a sign with his name, usually in very bright colors. A photo in those places is a good souvenir and they are easy to find, they are usually in their main squares.
If you are allergic to dogs like me, please be patient. There are hundreds of dogs on the street, the truth is that they are all very tame, but be careful so they don't touch you or always carry the pills with you.
I'm also asthmatic so I don't recommend coca leaf for those who are too. According to the locals, the coca leaf speeds up the blood, but it has nothing to do with breathing. So take your inhaler if you want to go through the noa.
Do you have any advice for future travelers?
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