Ushuaia plans

[JimK]

ok, here's the thing.
looks increasingly likely my girlfriend will not be able to leave London to get to Madrid tmrw morning, thereby missing her connection to BA. That means we miss our connection to Ushuaia on Dec 23. As you can imagine, there's no availability on other domestic flights (get on a waiting list, cross fingers and hope). I would imagine buses will be full as well. I'm trying to go through all the available options, and none of them look appealing. What about car hire, say, from Puerto Madryn down the coast? Basically, does anyone have any bright ideas that I haven't thought of (apart from totally rearranging the holiday, which is looking like the only option)?
thanks a lot.

 

[syngirl]

Renting a car from Puerto Madryn will 1) be very expensive and 2) very difficult to get to Ushuaia -- the only options are through Chile (search the board, Chile with a rental car is near impossible) or via a boat, which I have no idea about booking etc.

From El Calafate the drive I believe is 18-20 hours, plus time at the border spent trying to convince Chileans officials to let you in with the rental car.

In the summer there are more services between Calafate and Ushuaia -- would you be able to fly to Calafate and then bus or fly to Ushuaia? What about a flight to Rio Gallegos? that would cut down on a hell of a lot of travel time from P Madryn to Ushuaia.

You don't say how many days you are going for -- if you're only going for a week, I'd put it off because if there are no flight options you're going to find yourself driving 3 days down, getting a half day or so to see the area, and then 3 days back.

If you've got a long time to do the trip, obviously that changes everything.

Good luck!

 

[rrptownley]

Without air travel...
Hire Car is expensive (they also charge hefty excess if you exceed Km per day limit).

Bus is long but in this country always the best method.

You could buy a car or motorbike (more mechanically sound, 2 stroke) and wing it down there yourself. Not as mad as it sounds.

The cheapest (and craziest) alternative route I can imagine, if you would like some adventure, is:

Bus from Buenos Aires to Puerto Madryn.
Train to Bariloche.
Short Bus to Puerto Montt.
Boat to Puerto Natales.
Bus to Ushuaia.

Not sure on the departures for the boat (navimag.com).

Will be 3 nights traveling at best. 1500 pesos (?)

I have a friend who did hire a car and drive to Ushuaia and back, over the period of 2/3 weeks. I never enquired into the cost.