Monday, November 10, 2014

An eye on the pesos: budget holidays in Argentina and Chile

Keep costs down while travelling in Chile and Argentina by following our expert tips, from low-price lunches to free accommodation


Flights: buy international and domestic flights together

Book all your flights at the same time for the best prices. Some large airlines have agreements with small local carriers, or, like Lan, operate both international and domestic flights, which means they can offer either discounted multi-destination airpasses or add internal flights for a small additional cost. For example, Journey Latin America (journeylatinamerica.co.uk) offers a return fare to Santiago for £975, or one with added stops in both Puerto Montt and Punto Arenas for £1,048. If you do buy separately, good prices can often be found on lesser-known airlines Sky (skyairline.cl) and Pal (palair.cl).



Buses: go long haul

Long-distance coaches in South America are in a league of their own.When taking a sleeper, forget about first and second class, and learn that all categories based around the word for bed: cama, semi-cama, and cama VIP/executivo refer to how much your seat reclines, with the top-end ones not far off an airline business-class seat. You'll often be served a hot meal and maybe even a glass of wine, but ask exactly what is included when you book and take your own snacks too, as quality can be hit and miss. Travelling by bus is the best way to appreciate the sheer size of various countries in South America, and can save you the cost of a night's accommodation if it's an overnighter.



Accommodation: explore alternatives

 While foreigners rush to the nearest hotel, Argentinians and Chileans often holiday in cabañas, self-catering cabins that are great for families and small groups. Just type your destination into a search engine plus the word cabaña for plenty of affordable, no-frills options. Sleeping under canvas in national parks will also cut costs.

Shafik Meghji, co-author of the new Rough Guide to Chile, says: "If you want to escape the crowds and reach the most spectacular areas, you generally have to camp. Some sites are free and, although very basic, usually have wonderfully isolated locations. Others charge a fee and offer equipment for hire, bathrooms, cooking facilities and even cafes."


Some parks also have refugios (mountain huts with bunk beds, hot showers and gas stoves), but be sure to book in advance during high season. For cities, try peer-to-peer accommodation networks, such as AirBnB.com, Wimdu.co.uk and Tripping.com, which now have much better coverage in South America.



Wine tours: go solo

Organised wine tours are often expensive. Cut costs by arranging your own visits, using public transport. Several vineyards around Santiago, including Vina Undurraga (undurraga.cl), Cousiño Macul (cousinomacul.com) and Concha y Toro (conchaytoro.com) can be visited by bus or metro. You'll usually be expected to book a time slot in advance. La Rural (bodegalarural.com.ar), about 12km from Mendoza, also has a wine museum.



Food: opt for meal deals

Chile does a fine line in set lunches, so make this the main meal of your day. Look for chalkboards outside restaurants. The key words are menú ejecutivo, sometimes shortened to simply menú, usually comprising starter, main course, dessert and drink. Similar deals exist in some Argentina restaurants too, although they are not so common.



City transport: go public

A few years ago, taxis were so cheap in Buenos Aires that some foreigners never even set foot on a bus or subte (underground train). Now they are learning to appreciate public transport as one of the best bargains in the city, with fares from 15p to 30p. The city's bus system is very comprehensive, but getting to grips with it – the official guide is Guia T, a book packed with grids and cross references – can seem harder than cracking the Da Vinci Code.


But help is at hand: British expat Jonathan Evans will teach you all you need to know, while offering an introductory tour to the city sights (buenosaireslocaltours.com). The tour is free (leave a tip) and runs entirely on public transport, including a stint on an underground line with original wooden carriages dating from 1913.



Shopping: step behind closed doors


Buenos Aires pioneered the in-house restaurant scene and now it's taking fashion behind closed doors, too. Clothing has been one of the areas hardest hit by Argentina's soaring inflation, so instead of paying for rental premises, many designers open up their studios or workshops, offering well-priced limited editions that make unusual souvenirs.

Try Vendaval (vendavalbuenosaires.com.ar), Pippy Miller (facebook.com/PippyMiller), Maison Abbey (facebook.com/maison.abbey), Jungle Vi.ai.pi (jungleviaipi.blogspot.com.ar) and Blit Bags (bolu.us). Pop-up fashion ferias (markets) are also popular in Santiago. Most are advertised via Facebook or Twitter. For a short cut, arrange a tour with Santiago stylist Ameriga Giannone (agstyling.com). In Buenos Aires, try Shop Hop BA (shop-buenosaires.com) or Creme de la Creme (cremedelacreme.com.ar).

Money take : dollars

It's not wise to carry large amounts of cash, but a handful of dollars could lead to discounts on, well, almost anything in Argentina. The government has recently introduced very strict laws that make it incredibly hard for residents to change money, so people are clamouring for international currency, namely dollars. Keep a few in your hotel safe for negotiating deals.

Stay longer: work in a hostel

Looking to extend your trip and learn the lingo while keeping accommodation costs low? Hostels often offer travellers medium-term accommodation and other benefits (sometimes meals and Spanish lessons) in exchange for a few hours' work. You can arrange this on the hoof or by contacting establishments in advance. Or, for a guaranteed placement, try Real Hostel Work (realhostelwork.com), a new site that has links with hostels across South America.

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