September 27, 2004 -- Pretty girls. Beefy polo players. Long, lazy days sitting at European-style cafes watching the South American world go by. Ravaged by a sour economy and the type of inflation seen by Third World countries, Argentina is starving for Western dollars. As a result, Buenos Aires is courting visitors with good prices on hotels and travel packages.
Hotel Deals
A five-night ground-only package called the "Buenes Aires Super Saver" is available through www.cheapticketstoargentina.com. Even with a choice of three hotel levels tourist, superior, and luxury, costs are ridiculously low for five nights accommodation, daily breakfast, a city tour and all hotel taxes. But let me put my money where my mouth is: the Crowne Plaza Americano, the luxury hotel, runs you $385 for the entire week, not just one night. An extra day costs $36. Prices are based on double occupancy. Travel dates are not mentioned, leaving us to believe this is an open ended deal. (Folks, $36 bucks a night times 30 is less than most New Yorkers pay per month in rent.)
Package Deals
For those who want a deal that includes airfare, Traveland (www.traveland.com) has a special on travel to Argentina. A seven-day, six-night excursion with roundtrip airfare from Miami and luxury accommodations at a four-star hotel comes in at $799. For that price you also get a daily buffet breakfast and two lunches. (You're responsible for dinners at the Argentinean steak house of your choice.) Departure dates for this trip are October 12, 20, and 26, 2004 and November 2, 16, and 30, 2004. This is an excellent deal when you consider round trip airfare to Argentina from Miami generally costs approximately $500 even if booked well in advance. Argentina is not just around the corner.
Go Today (www.gotoday.com) offers a similar deal. For only $549, you can enjoy round trip airfare, six nights of accommodations, daily breakfast, all hotel taxes and a half-day city tour. Accommodations differ and your hotel choice can increase your initial tour price (you have up to 15 hotels to select from). The purchase deadline for this tour is November 4, 2004 with departure dates between September 28, 2004 and November 15, 2004.
Adventure Travel
For the adventure seeker, Argentina is close to the Galapagos Islands and has a challenging interior filled with mountains (think the Andes), rainforests, and wildlife. Gorp Travel (https://gorptravel.away.com/xnet/search-2.tcl?destination_id=69) has a Patagonia tour focusing on Argentina that ends up in adjacent Chile. You'll both see and hike the snowcapped mountains on this 14-day luxury adventure special starting at $1,499 (the price does not include airfare). Departure dates are between October 1004 and March 2005. According to the site, you only need a moderate level of fitness for this trip, but be prepared for some wobbly legs and some thin air.