Travel

Travel Note

Flights

Flying to Argentina: Fly to to Buenos Aires. The airport is Ezeiza International Airport (EZE), also known as Ministro Pistarini International Airport. Flying before Christmas is more expensive. Average flight prices during the holidays are around $1700 CAD. The best strategy for finding cheap flights is to continuously check Google Flights and be flexible on your departure/return dates. Generally, flights from Canada to Buenos Aires will have one or two layovers and average 21 hrs travel time. Flying within Argentina: It is possible to fly from Buenos Aires (BA) to Mar del Plata (MDQ), however most people take the bus since this is the cheapest/easiest option (see the note on "Travel between Buenos Aires and Mar del Plata") from the international airport. If you do choose to fly, there is a flight from Ezeiza (international airport) or Aeroparque (domestic airport). However, there aren't that many flights in a day, and they don't often line up with incoming international flights. Because of this, the best option for flying to MDQ is to spend at least one day in BA and not fly the same day as your international flight arrives. Sometimes there are local flights in the evening that you may be able to catch on the same day as your international flight. If you want to fly south to Patagonia or elsewhere in Argentina, these flights also originate from BA. There are also night busses to Patagonia from BA.

Travel Note

Travel between Buenos Aires and Mar del Plata

If you arrive at Ezeiza International Airport and want to leave immediately for Mar del Plata, the cheapest and easiest way to travel is by taking the bus, Tienda Leon. It leaves directly from the airport. The bus ride is 5.5 hrs total. It is comfortable and has Air Conditioning/WiFi/Washrooms. It is best to have the bus booked prior to your arrival. Click the link below to book. The time table for the bus is shown in the photo on this page. Note that when looking at the time table, "Ezeiza" is the international airport you'll be arriving at, "Aeroparque Buquebus" is the domestic airport that the bus will stop at, and "MDQ" is Mar del Plata (where you'll get off). The fastest way to travel between Buenos Aires and Mar del Plata is to take a domestic flight. This works well if your international flight times line up or if you spend some days in Buenos Aires first. Note that if you choose to fly to Mar del Plata on the day you arrive in BA, you may need to transfer airports. In this case, you would take Tienda Leon to Aeroparque Buquebus. If you visit Buenos Aires for a few days and wish to take a bus to Mar del Plata (instead of flying), you will depart from Terminal de Omnibus de Buenos Aires. This is NOT the same bus as Tienda Leon, which departs from the international airport.

Travel Note

Other travel info

While travelling within cities, cabs are the easiest, cheapest, and safest way to go (if you can't walk there). Mar del Plata does have public transit, but it is better/easier to take taxis. As with all purchases, you should pay in cash. Renting cars are expensive. If doing long trips, it is better to take night busses or fly if you can. If you really want to rent a car, you can rent from the airport. We are not sure how returning the car works and where you can return it to (if you are doing a one way trip for example).