Side Note: When in Argentina, Take the Bus

Buses here are a whole different thing than the Greyhound.  I was unsure of how to travel in the country.  The train system is not great and takes a really long time and I was not going to rent a car.  Planes are not cheap.  As it turns out, buses are the best option, and because it's such a different experience from home, I thought I would write a little about my rides.

First of all, there are tons of options, both in terms of companies and services while on the bus.  I chose cama, or bed, for all of my rides because they were all at least 12 hours and overnight, and most everyone recommended getting cama instead of semi-cama, which does not recline fully or have the same amount of leg room.  That is solid advice, and I was always glad to have cama instead of semi-cama.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but my first ride, from Buenos Aires to Iguazu, was awesome.  The company, Crucero del Norte (shout out to Carly Agre for recommending the companies she liked and all the help generally), had someone waiting at the door with candy.  They provided blanket and pillow and so much food that I wasn't sure what to do with it.  What I thought was dinner turned out to be a "snack" and they ended the night with a glass of whiskey, although I didn't partake.

The chair reclines and a foot rest folds down from the back of the chair in front of you, so it's almost a full bed. 

They played several movies, sometimes dubbed, sometimes not, and although I spent most of my time reading, it was nice to have another option.  I did watch when they played the newest Fast and the Furious movie right before I went to sleep.  Later I wished that I had skipped that viewing because I saw it on 4 of the 5 buses I took while traveling (once in bootlegged format, which was especially entertaining).  

Most of the rides were similar, but Ultraplus/Andesmar were the worst experiences in terms of food and ability to sleep on the ride. 

Some food examples: 

Snack

One of the dinners on Ultraplus 

Appetizer on the second Andesmar bus 

Andesmar was also the best.  It was on my ride back to Buenos Aires that I really appreciated catching a deal for one of the cama ejecutivo buses.  There was a game of bingo, where the winner received a bottle of wine from Mendoza.  Each seat had its own entertainment system, much like on an international flight, but with more leg room and a fully reclining chair.  There were three courses at dinner.  It was awesome.

Bingo

All that is to say, don't be afraid to take a bus to travel and definitely spring for the cama.  It's generally not a major leap from semi-cama and maybe you'll luck into a bottle of wine and a better meal.