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waterdance · Joined: 18 Sep 2005 Posts: 54

Has anyone been to Iguazu Falls? I am coming to town this weekend and have a little more than a week before EBC. Has anyone been to the falls or found a good short trip deals to it? I was thinking of flying to the falls then to Buenos Aires, but it may be a pain with big luggage.

sqwerl · Joined: 01 Jun 2005 Posts: 72 Location: Buenos Aires

everybody that I know that did it went by bus from Buenos Aires. I think it is about a day each way.
I wonder how hot it is there now ..

guillebaires · Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2005 8:26 pm Post subject:

it's a 17/18 hours bus trip...

srp · Joined: 04 Dec 2004 Posts: 30 Location: Buenos Aires

i just went this past weekend. it took about 18 hours overnight in a decently comfortable bus. and it was surprisingly cold, granted it was cloudy.

sheena maclean · Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2005 2:54 am Post subject:

How much did the bus cost? which company did you use and was it cama or semi cama?
Bye the way I've also heard that they don't stamp you passport if you go over to the Bazilian side. I need to cross the border for immigration puroses can I ask for my passport to be stamped or whats the situation?
thanks
sheena

waterdance · Joined: 18 Sep 2005 Posts: 54

If I stay in Iguazu, can I take a bus to the brazillian side and come back and sleep on the Argentinian side. I'm basically asking if you could do a day trip to the Brazillian side. I'm planning on sticking my stuff in a locker on the Argentinian side. Check out Argentian side, sleep go to the brazilian side, back to the argentian side, sleep and fly to B.A. Basically is transportation easy to the Brazillian side. And can I get my Brazilian visa on crossing. This is all before I arrive in B.A. to do EBC. For me it seems quicker and cheaper to fly to the falls before B.A. and I save two long days on the bus.

srp · Joined: 04 Dec 2004 Posts: 30 Location: Buenos Aires

yea, you can absolutely do a day trip to the brasilian side, although whether or not you need a visa to enter from argentina depends on your nationality. i stayed in argentina bc i was told that as an american i need a visa, but the british and german people i was with took a day trip to brasil no problem. but dont worry about it if you're american, they all said the argentinian side was better anyway.

nomadamericana · Joined: 18 Dec 2004 Posts: 146 Location: Minneapolis, MN

Americans need visas... its $110 USD.

amy1982 · Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 192 Location: Buenos Aires

visas are good for 5 years, multiple entries. so if you're thinking of going to rio (HIGHLY recommended) or anywhere else at some point, it's definitely worth it to get a visa.

it doesn't take forever (like a passport) but the office is only open 11am-1pm or something ridiculous like that. so give yourself some time before your trip if possible. (i got mine 2 yrs ago and it took ~48 hrs)

waterdance · Joined: 18 Sep 2005 Posts: 54

I found a package 2 nights and flight and transfer for 400 seems expensive. But 18 hour bus ride is crazy. I may go before ebc starts.

amy1982 · Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 192 Location: Buenos Aires

an 18 hour bus ride doesn't have to be as crazy as it sounds... especially if you go in a coche cama. the semi cama is a little tougher to take but both are nicer and roomier than an airplane...

bring a good book, some work, crochet or something like that and the time passes pretty quickly. they usually leave at night so you end up sleeping a lot of the way.

waterdance · Joined: 18 Sep 2005 Posts: 54

someone told me that if you don't carry luggage and you don't stay the night you won't have a problem with a visa for americans. can anyone confirm that ?

ksonnen · Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 24 Location: Texas, USA

I�m in Iguazu right now. We are USA citizens and tried to cross to Brazil today on the private bus. We got turned away our first attempt, but got through on the second. Here is my advice:
When you go through exit immigration in Argentina, get off the bus like everyone else and get the exit stamp. When you go through entrance immigration in Brazil, DO NOT get off the bus. Just look down and don�t pay any attention when the bus driver says �passaporte�or �migracion� or anything. Only the foreigners get off the bus here, and it seems to be optional. We got off the bus and the Brazilian authorities turned us around. We came back to Puerto Iguazu and got a remise for $40 pesos straight to the park. (If you take the bus, you have to take 2 separate buses from the Puerto Iguazu to the Brazilian Park. Total of about 6 pesos each way.) From what we could tell, if we hadn�t gotten off the bus when we tried to cross into Brazil, we could have made it through. Don�t worry about the Argentine side of things though. They don�t seem to care at all. I got four stamps in my passport from Argentine immigration today! When you cross back from Brazil to Argentina, just do the same thing. Stay on the bus at Brazilian immigration and get off at Argentine immigration.
The falls are beautiful, and if you have the time (and patience) it is worth it to see both sides for sure. However, if you don�t have the time, then I would stay on the Argentine side. The Garganta del Diablo is amazing, but the Argentine side has a lot of incredible views and much more to do than the Brazilian Park. Make sure to do the Macuco Trail (Its something like that. It starts with an M. Its the only �hiking trail� in the park.)
And the long distance buses aren�t that bad! Especially if you can get the front seat on the top. I would always suggest going with Cama though. We took Expreso Tigre Iguazu and it was very nice.

waterdance · Joined: 18 Sep 2005 Posts: 54

i found a great package to iguazu. less than 900 pesos and it includes the flight and 2 night accomodations as well as 2 hotels and a tour or argentina and brazil side. the problem is that the tour guide doesn�t want to book the brazil side tour for me because of visa issues. im tempted to say book it anyways. im just afraid the tour guide might squeal or provide some manifest or something of the sort.

amy1982 · Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 192 Location: Buenos Aires

when they go around the group and everyone introduces themselves and says where they're from, just say you're from australia...

the tour guide *shouldn't* care but it seems like some people just like to make a big deal out of other people being from certain countries...