Flying to Montevideo

[SaraOR]

I'm going to Punta del Este soon for 4-5 days. The most time efficient way (45 min. flight vs. ) to go is to fly into Montevideo and then take a bus to Punta (it's only $115 USD to fly to Montevideo but flying into Punta costs an extra $100 USD). I'm wondering though if that's worth it or if I should just take a ferry. My two concerns are:

-How early would I need to get to the airport before the flight?
-Are flights reliably on time, or could I be sitting at the airport for hours instead of getting there on a boat that would be on time
-Will I have to pay the $130 reciprocity fee that I've never had to pay? It's technically an international flight and I'm an American citizen, but the plane flies out of Jorge Newbery, not Ezezia

Thanks in advance for any thoughts/suggestions!

 

[systemlock]

Some of my friends recently came back to argentina (an american and an australian) and they flew into jorge newbery and didn't have to pay anything. I could be wrong but I am under the impression that they only have the charging system set up at ezezia.

 

[SaraSara]

Try to avoid flying PLUNA, if at all possible. It's chaotic.

 

[fred mertz]

I flew Pluna to Montevideo, last month. Both flights were on time. You will not have to pay the $131.00 fee when you return to BA, but you will be charged US$17.00 departure tax in montevideo. I flew to Punta from BA about 2 years ago. I was surprised at how far the airport was from the town. My airport transfers were in-clued in the package price, but I would imagine that going from the airport to Punta would be fairly expensive. Flying to Montevideo was a real pleasure, compared to the ferry. Aero Parque is easily reached from most of BA. The airport is small; one hour before the flight would give you plenty of time.

 

[SaraOR]

Great, thanks everyone for all the good info. It's good to know I wouldn't have to pay the $130, but since it sounds like PLUNA may or may not be very reliable, I'll probably just take a ferry. My only hesitation with the ferry is that last time when I was coming back from Uruguay, there was a pretty big storm and the boat was really rocking. People were getting sick all over the place and it was pretty unpleasant. Hopefully that won't happen this time!

 

[SaraSara]

If you are concerned about a long crossing, the Colonia fast ferry takes just an hour. Then it's another two hours by bus to Montevideo. Buquebus' own buses wait outside the customs building - they leave about twenty minutes after the ferry docks. The buses are new and clean, and the arrangement works seamlessly.

The slow ferry is cheaper but it's a mess, and sometimes breaks down.

 

[wreReynolds]

In my with experience Buquebus has been fantastic. I have gone to Montevideo about 10 times. The boats are clean and leave on time (unlike the planes at Newbery). You can get up and walk around (unlike the plane.) They have food and drink and you can get a connecting bus to Punta right at the boat terminal (they sell you an all-in ticket).
Personally, if you have the money, I would pay the small difference and go first class.

Enjoy Punta, it should be a bit more calm this time of year.

 

[SaraSara]

Personally, if you have the money, I would pay the small difference and go first class.

First class is more civilized: no people loaded with tons of packages spilling over every available seat, and no screaming kids galloping up and down the aisles.