Getting Around Argentina
Argentina is roughly the size of India, so flying is the only realistic way to connect its far-flung regions — Buenos Aires to El Calafate is a 3.5-hour flight versus a 36+ hour bus. For shorter regional hops, Argentina's long-distance 'cama' buses are genuinely excellent, with reclining seats and meals included. In Buenos Aires itself, the subte (subway) and Uber/Cabify cover everything.
Getting to Argentina
Buenos Aires's Ezeiza International Airport (EZE) is the main gateway, with direct long-haul flights from the US, Europe, and a growing number of Middle East hub connections. Expect 9-16 hours depending on origin, with round-trip fares typically $700-1,600. There's no single direct route from Australia/NZ — expect a connection and 20+ hours total.
Getting around: the real options
The one thing every Argentina itinerary has to reckon with is scale — Buenos Aires to Patagonia is a longer flight than London to Rome, all within one country's borders. Plan around flying for long hops and buses for shorter regional ones.
- Trains — mostly a non-factor for travelers; Argentina's once-extensive passenger rail network was gutted decades ago, and today it barely connects a handful of Buenos Aires commuter routes, not the destinations in this guide.
- Buses — genuinely excellent for regional hops; long-distance 'cama' (reclining, almost lie-flat) buses with onboard meals cover routes like Buenos Aires-Mendoza comfortably, but a Buenos Aires-El Calafate bus is 36+ hours — fine for the journey-is-the-point crowd, unrealistic for anyone else.
- Domestic flights — the backbone of any multi-region Argentina trip; Aerolineas Argentinas and other carriers connect Buenos Aires to El Calafate (~3.5h), Bariloche (~2h), and Mendoza (~2h) daily, typically $80-200 one-way.
- Car rental / driving — worth it for the Seven Lakes Route near Bariloche or the wine valleys around Mendoza (don't self-drive after tastings — hire a driver instead), not worth it for connecting major regions. Argentina drives on the right.
Getting around inside cities
Buenos Aires has the subte (subway), South America's oldest metro system, which covers the city center and Palermo well for about $0.30-0.50 a ride — genuinely one of the cheapest metros anywhere. Uber and Cabify both operate in Buenos Aires (Uber sits in a bit of a regulatory gray zone locally but functions normally in practice) and are the easiest way to get around at night or beyond the subte's reach. Smaller cities like El Calafate, Bariloche, and Mendoza are compact enough to mostly walk, with taxis and hotel-arranged transfers filling the gaps.
| Route/option | Typical cost | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| Ezeiza airport to downtown Buenos Aires | $25-40 (Uber/Cabify/remis) | 40-60 min depending on traffic |
| Buenos Aires to El Calafate (flight) | $100-220 | ~3.5 hours |
| A single subte ride in Buenos Aires | ~$0.30-0.50 | — |
Book domestic flights to Patagonia (El Calafate, Bariloche) as early as you can — seats and prices both tighten up fast for the November-March high season, and there's genuinely no practical backup plan if you miss a departure, since the overland alternative is a two-day bus ride.
Common transport mistakes
- Assuming you can bus your way efficiently between Buenos Aires and Patagonia — the distances are bigger than they look on a map; fly instead and save the buses for shorter, regional hops.
- Renting a car in Mendoza and self-driving between wineries after tastings — hire a driver or book a tour instead; it's affordable, common practice, and genuinely safer.
- Hailing a taxi off the street in Buenos Aires instead of using Uber or Cabify — both apps give you a fixed, verifiable price and driver details upfront.