Where To Buy Tickets For Ferries To Colonia/montevideo

[SherbertDip]

I'm planning at trip to Montevideo via Colonia and want to avoid paying in dollars which seems to be the only way to pay online if you don't have an Argentine bank account. So where can I buy tickets in person with my grubby pesos? The ferry terminal? Travel agency?

 

[Rich One]

Check the Seacat , buquebus or Colonia Epress web pages for the branch offices in the city

 

[ben]

The Buquebus ferry is at the corner of Ave. Córdoba and Eduardo Madero. Basically the very end of Córdoba, where it hits the water. Any travel agent can also do this.

A word to the wise: if you do not have Argentine residency, they will not sell you the ticket in pesos. I know people who've tried. A travel agency might, but you have to find the right one.

EDIT-DISCLAIMER: I will refrain from offering references who I know who have done this with a travel agent, as that would be self-serving: whoever I know has done this through me.

 

[SherbertDip]

Decided to buy online and take the hit on the dollar price using SeaCat because I'm short on time (and spoken espanol!).

When I try to enter the passenger information, it tells me there is an error and the data cannot be saved. There's a box that says "ES MONOTRIBUTISTA". Should I check that?

Anyone else had issues booking online?

 

[ben]

Decided to buy online and take the hit on the dollar price using SeaCat because I'm short on time (and spoken espanol!).

When I try to enter the passenger information, it tells me there is an error and the data cannot be saved. There's a box that says "ES MONOTRIBUTISTA". Should I check that?

Anyone else had issues booking online?

Monotributista is a tax category, roughly equivalent to sole proprietor. If you don't know what it is, you should be answering no (or leaving the box blank).

I know am a travel agent who speaks rather decent English.

 

[HenryNisental]

You can go to Av Cordoba in the 800 block or so and find the main offices of Buquebus, Seacat and Colonia Express next to each other. One should work.

 

[SherbertDip]

Monotributista is a tax category, roughly equivalent to sole proprietor. If you don't know what it is, you should be answering no (or leaving the box blank).

I know am a travel agent who speaks rather decent English.

Interesting. Where's your office and can I pay in pesos?

 

[glasgowjohn]

Colonia Express is your best bet

 

[SherbertDip]

Colonia Express is your best bet

I don't fancy the trek out (and back) to that part of the city at the crack of dawn/early hours of the morning! Anyway, update: it seems it's impossible to book online on the SeaCat website unless you have Argentinian documents (once you select any other nationality) the form breaks and I've narrowed it down to being something to do with the tax category selection (Datos AFIP pasajero para percepción RG 3450) that is auto-filled in for you and and unchangeable once you change nationality from ARG. Arrrrgh.

 

[ben]

I don't fancy the trek out (and back) to that part of the city at the crack of dawn/early hours of the morning! Anyway, update: it seems it's impossible to book online on the SeaCat website unless you have Argentinian documents (once you select any other nationality) the form breaks and I've narrowed it down to being something to do with the tax category selection (Datos AFIP pasajero para percepción RG 3450) that is auto-filled in for you and and unchangeable once you change nationality from ARG. Arrrrgh.

Broadly, there are 2 general issues here that intersect to give you grief. The first is that the infamous 35% 'percepcion' that the government collects on all international transport, is collected against your CUIL or CUIT number (roughly equivalent to US Social Insurance or Employer Identification Number). There were for a while special instructions regarding foreigners who did not have these numbers.

However, beginning from December 2013, the country's central bank issued a decree prohibiting sale of such tickets in local currency to any non-resident. Per the new rules, any non-resident can now only purchase international travel using foreign cash or a foreign credit card. Practically speaking, what this means is that the special instructions I mentioned in the previous paragraph were rescinded, and anyone purchasing travel in pesos must provide his/her CUIL or CUIT. In effect, the CUIT/CUIL number is now a filter for eligibility to purchase in pesos; anyone who doesn't have this number, is not supposed to get tickets in local currency.

That's for general context. To help solve your issue, PM me and we'll see what can be done about it.