· Tourism and Travel information about Argentina - Includes information of visas, health risks, currency exchange, when to go, events and some facts for the traveler ·

How to arrive to the North of Argentina

The North of Argentina is formed by: Tucumán, Salta, Jujuy, Catamarca and Santiago de Estero provinces, the most visited destinations by national and international tourists in Argentina, due the mix among culture and impressive natural landscapes.

The north of Argentina captives the tourists by the combination of history, nature, and culture. Undoubtedly, you should'nt lost the opportunity to visit this destination.

Any season is good to visit this region. The climate is tempered. It is advisable to visit the North during summer (it begins in October). Although, the warmest months are January and February; in these months the prices increase considerably because most of the people go on vacations in Argentina.
If you want to travel by the North of Argentina you can do it by air or by land.

BY AIR

By air, if you arrive to Argentina in an international flight. You will arrive at Ezeiza International Airport(EZE) Ministro Pistarini; located 34km away from Buenos Aires city; where a great number of national and international airlines operate. You will find a large variety of offers and destinations.

- Ezeiza airport –Telephone: (54)4480-2514)

The domestic flights departure from Jorge Newberry Aeroparque; local airport; located just 15 minutes away from Buenos Aires.The majority of domestic and internal flights in Argentina, have as base this airport.

- Jorge Newberry, local airport-Telephone: (5411)54806111).

The main airlines with national and international routes are:

- Argentina Airlines : Address: Peru 2 / Paseo Colón 417
Buenos Aires City (5411)4340-7777 / 7800)

- Andes : Address: 0810-122 ANDES 26337
0810 -177- ANDES -26337

- Austral : 0810-2228-6527(5411)43407800

Approximate flight time

As a parameter for tourists we display the flights duration from Buenos Aires to Salta 2 hours, and to San Salvador de Jujuy 2hours, 10 minutes approximately.

If the tourist arrives to Ezeiza, he should go to the AeroPark to take the domestic connection. The recommended mean of transport are the taxis, there is a sort of companies at Ezeiza arrival terminal.

* TaxisIn the city, you can transport yourself by taxi. You can recognize it by its colour. The taxis in the capital are black and yellow, outside the capital they are light blue and white. The services are 24 hours a day. The price is showed in the front part of the taxis .The price is around 1.12 argentinean pesos (initial price) approximately, this varies according the distance, and increase 0.14 argentiniean pesos each 200 meters.

BY LAND

By terrestrial road, the buses with inter provincial routes have a wide offer; they are the favorite transport of the travelers by the North.

In Capital Federal, the buses depart from Retiro Bus Station; located in Antártida Argentina Avenue and 10 street; Bus Station telephone (011-4310-700); from there you can take different destinations.

Below, we have some useful information for the tourist who is travelling by land, some bus stations addresses in the North of Argentina.

Province	Buses Station	Address	Telephones
Catamarca	San Fdo. de Catamarca	Quemes avenue between Tucumán and Vicario	03833-437578
Salta	Salta	Hipólito Irigoyen Estados Unidos 462.	0387-4315227
Santiago de Estero	Santiago de Estero	Pedro León Gallo 480.	0385-4315227
La Rioja	La Rioja	Arigas 750 Balcarce corner.	03822-425453
Jujuy	San Salvador	Dorrego 362	0368-4221375

Distances

The North is one of the most visited routes in Argentina, the distances are long. If you want to travel by car or rent one. Here, we have some useful data about the distances from Buenos Aires to others provinces.

- Catamarca: 1178 kilometers.
- Salta: 1597 kilometers.
- Santiago de Estero: 1123 kilometers
- La Rioja: 1149 kilometers.
- Jujuy: 1623 kilometers.

Other visited destinations in the Northwest are:

- San Juan: 1107 kilometers.
- Formosa: 1168 kilometers.

BY TRAIN

You can also travel by train. Generally, the train tickets prices are economic. During summer, it is advisable to buy the tickets at least three days in advance or two weeks before the departure.

Here, we have some addresses of train stations in Buenos Aires:

* If you are travelling towards Tucumán, you can do it by the only passengers service of Buenos Aires.
- Ferrocentral: Corrientes 1045 - TEL. (+54 381) 421 4689 - 4309220 - San Miguel de Tucumán.

*It is important to consider that the services from and towards Tucumán are just one day per week with the following train schedule:

Buenos Aires-Tucumán: Monday – 10.05 hrs. Tuesday 10.40 hrs.
Tucumán-Buenos Aires: Wednesday- 18.00 hrs. Thursday - 19.20 hrs.

Approximate rates

The following departure and round trip rates are subjected to changes according the Ferrocentral Company.They are only for reference.

Tourist $ 35 $ 68
Preference $ 45 $ 85
Pullman $ 66 $ 120
Staterooms (2 beds) $ 200 $ 370
D: Retired and pensioned 15% - Students 15% only passages.

INTERESTING TOURISM PLACES

On tour by the North. We recommend you to visit the following tourist places:

Catamarca

In Catamarca`s town. We recommend you to visit the Central Square Cathedral 25 de Mayo. And few kilometres away from the city, do not lost the opportunity to visit Portezuelo hill and at Rodeo enjoy the natural landscapes, as well as at Diques Juncal also enjoy the nautical activities. The most popular activities in this area are the mountaineering, and the photographic safaris.

Salta

When you arrive to Salta, we hardly advise you to take a railway trip, by the famous "Tren de las Nubes", which crosses the Andes Mountain.Then; taste the delicious empanadas salteñas, humitas and cakes, everything is delicious.

Santiago de Estero

Once you arrive at Santiago de Estero, visit San Francisco de Aguirre Park, one of the most exotic places for doing a nautical sports.

La Rioja

La Rioja is a perfect place for the adventure tourism, cause of the rough landscape. It is a wonderful place where you can fish in the Sauces Dike, or visit Talampaya National Park with its petrogliphs and dinosaurs footprints.

Jujuy

In Jujuy enjoy a trekking tour by its splendid landscapes. We recommend you to visit Yala lagoon, 7 kilometers away from the city, Quebrada de Humahuaca; declared cultural heritage by the UNESCO. The colours of the mountains change according of the day hour and the season. The nine volcano towns(Punamarca, Maimará, Tilcara, Huacalera, Uquía, Humahuaca, Iturbe and Tres Cruces). Undoubtedly, they are great attractions for tourist because they preserve archaeological and cultural richness.

Some recommendations:

* Many tourists recommend to make a tour from 15 to 20 days long by the usual way, in order to enjoying the North of Argentina.

* Take into account that the best season to visit the North is during summer, because it has sunny and warm days.

* When you visit Jujuy, carry warm clothes, eventhough the climate is warm during the day, at night, it is cold and the temperature drops near 0ºC.

* We recommend carrying long sleeved shirts and pants. If it is possible.

* Solar protector, sunglasses, a hat or a cap.

* If you are under medical treatment. Do not forget to carry a report with the name of medicament that you are taking. Be sure to carry enough medicine for your trip.

* There is no special vaccination requirement for foreigners.

* Due the long distances, it is advisable that you organize your trip taking into account the long distances and the travel times.

* For your trip by the north of Argentina, you should have a minimum of 15 days. Remember, it is better to visit few places but with enjoy it the most.

* If you decide to make you're trip by the North backpacking you will find affordable places to camp and hostels with economic rates.

* Due traffic accidents are the most frequent cause for injuries; it is advisable that you drive and walk carefully. Avoid traveling at night and use the safety belt.

Updating, July 2008