Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
32
transport for most S outh Americans, the
continent is ser ved b y numer ous compa-
nies offering comfor table, and at times
luxurious, bus ser vices to other capitals,
often o vernight. This is ideal for student
and budget travelers.
Among the major bus companies that
operate out of B uenos Aires are
La Veloz
del N orte
(
&
11/4315-2482
), ser ving
destinations in the N orthwest, including
Salta and J ujuy;
Singer
(
&
11/4315-
2653
), ser ving P uerto I guazú as w ell as
Brazilian destinations; and
T.A. Chevallier
(
&
11/4313-3297
), serving points through-
out the country.
The
Estación Terminal de O mnibus,
sometimes r eferred to as the R etiro B us
Station, is sprawling, enormous, and con-
fusing. J ust walking fr om one end to
another takes about 15 minutes, given the
ramps, cr owds, and stairs y ou hav e to
maneuver thr ough. R outes and platform
locations rar ely make it to the o verhead
boards also, so don't rely on them. Still, in
spite of the chaos, ther e is an o verarching
order. A color-coded system used at the
ticket counters explains in general which
destinations of the countr y are ser ved b y
which bus lines. R ed, for instance, indi-
cates the center of the countr y, including
the pr ovince of B uenos Air es; dar k blue,
the south; orange, the nor th; gr een, the
northeast; light blue, the central A tlantic
coast; and gray, the international destina-
tions. H owever, at their sales counters,
many bus companies indicate names of
cities on their destination lists that they no
longer serve, so y ou may hav e to stand in
a line to ask. M any companies also hav e
more than one name, adding to the visual
clutter at the ticket counters. To help you
make sense of it all, use
www.tebasa.com.
ar
, the terminal 's website, while planning
your trip. Click on the province where you
are traveling, and a list of bus companies
and phone numbers will come up . B us
tickets can also be purchased at most travel
agencies. This can cost slightly mor e but
can save a lot of confusion if y ou're short
on time.
BY CAR
In Buenos Aires, travel by
subte
(subway)
or
remises
(radio-dispatched taxis, as
opposed to str eet taxis) is easier and safer
than driving y ourself. Rush-hour traffic is
chaotic, and par king is difficult. I f y ou
have rented a car for whatever reason, park
it at y our hotel or a nearb y garage and
leave it ther e. Most daily par king charges
do not ex ceed $4 or $5 (£2.75-£3.40).
Many r ecently built hotels hav e par king
on the pr
emises; others use nearb
y
garages.
If y ou're trav eling outside of B uenos
Aires, it's another stor y when it comes to
having a car . Argentine r oads and high-
ways are generally in good condition, with
the ex ception of some r ural ar eas. M ost
highways have been privatized and charge
nominal tolls. In Buenos Aires, drivers are
aggressive and don 't always obey traffic
lanes or lights. Wear y our seat belt, as
required b y Argentine law . U.S. driv er's
licenses are valid in gr eater Buenos Aires,
but y ou need an Argentine or interna-
tional license to driv e in most other par ts
of the country. Fuel (known as NAFTA) is
expensive, at about $1 (70p) per liter (or
$4/£2.80 per gallon).
The
Automóvil Club Argentino
3
(ACA),
Av. del Liber tador 1850 (
&
11/
4802-6061
), has wor king arrangements
with international automobile clubs. The
ACA offers numer ous ser vices, including
roadside assistance, r oad maps, hotel and
camping information, and discounts for
various tourist activities.
CAR RENTALS
Many international car-
rental companies operate in Argentina,
with offices at airports and in city centers.
The main offices in B uenos Aires for the
following agencies ar e
Hertz,
P araguay
1122 (
&
800/654-3131
in the U.S., or
11/4816-8001 in B uenos Air es);
Avis,
Cerrito 1527 (
&
800/230-4898
in the
