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We went with friends who were in charge of an Audley Travel itinerary that included 1 night at the Belmond. Nice hotel; we arrived after the park had closed so got to roam the Brazilian side for an hour or so but next morning was a 0630 pickup to go to the Argentinian side then the airport…didn’t even get a chance to have a nice brekkie at the Belmond so a waste of £££.
No wonder most of us like DIY travel arranging, Audley upselling for a 1 night stay in a pricey hotel for a few hours was silly. If staying in hotels we always try and do 2 nights min so you at least get the chance of a whole day. Yes double the cost, but….
The Belmond would have provided you with a tip top takeaway breakfast even for a 6.30am departure so there was no waste. Time spent at the Cataratas hotel as was, however short, is time and money well spent. There’s always the opportunity to invest at H Stern as well!
In respect of DIY vs agency organised, I think one should keep a very open mind. I have just returned from a two week trip, eleven days organised by a trusted agent. I am a very experienced travel planner, but there is no way I could have organised such a good trip myself in terms of quality, value or cost, plus I had superb guides and didn’t have to drive. We have a trip to China in October and the most important section I have entrusted to an agent who will do it far better and cheaper than I could and one hotel we particularly want to stay at needs a domestic agent.
I am considering a trip to Brazil next year. Does anyone have any travel agency recommendations (UK or Brazil based)? I plan to ask Trailfinders for a quote (Audley seem very expensive generally). Any others that people here have used? Thanks.
I am considering a trip to Brazil next year. Does anyone have any travel agency recommendations (UK or Brazil based)? I plan to ask Trailfinders for a quote (Audley seem very expensive generally). Any others that people here have used? Thanks.
I used this organisation https://trips-southamerica.com/about-us/ for a trip that got interrupted by Covid. I used them again when I went back to finish off the stuff I hadn’t done. They are based in Argentina and I’m not sure if they are strictly consumer facing or more B2B. Everything they did worked well and otel choices were good (not luxurious-as I specified what I wanted). Won’t do you any harm to ask them for a quote. Covered Argentina/Chile and Brazil.
In respect of DIY vs agency organised, I think one should keep a very open mind. I have just returned from a two week trip, eleven days organised by a trusted agent. I am a very experienced travel planner, but there is no way I could have organised such a good trip myself in terms of quality, value or cost, plus I had superb guides and didn’t have to drive. We have a trip to China in October and the most important section I have entrusted to an agent who will do it far better and cheaper than I could and one hotel we particularly want to stay at needs a domestic agent.
Yes, agree, it’s finding the right local contacts which is key. What I was trying to say is that being upsold to a £600/nt hotel where you arrive shortly before dusk and depart at dawn wouldn’t be my choice and that bit was an Audley-driven decision (not the local agent).
I am considering a trip to Brazil next year. Does anyone have any travel agency recommendations (UK or Brazil based)? I plan to ask Trailfinders for a quote (Audley seem very expensive generally). Any others that people here have used? Thanks.
I used this organisation https://trips-southamerica.com/about-us/ for a trip that got interrupted by Covid. I used them again when I went back to finish off the stuff I hadn’t done. They are based in Argentina and I’m not sure if they are strictly consumer facing or more B2B. Everything they did worked well and otel choices were good (not luxurious-as I specified what I wanted). Won’t do you any harm to ask them for a quote. Covered Argentina/Chile and Brazil.
Many thanks @AFKAE – I will check them out.
Thinking of staying in the Belmond, but flying in to IGR from BsAs.
Is there any way to get our luggage across the frontier without us? Or store it? We’ll have a big case from being in Antarctica!
Thinking it would be good to arrive quite early, spend the day on the Argentina side tracks, late afternoon over to the Belmond for dinner and walk, morning and day on Brazilian side (possible boat trip) and then 17:00 flight from IGU to Brasiliia.
Thinking of staying in the Belmond, but flying in to IGR from BsAs.
Is there any way to get our luggage across the frontier without us? Or store it? We’ll have a big case from being in Antarctica!
Thinking it would be good to arrive quite early, spend the day on the Argentina side tracks, late afternoon over to the Belmond for dinner and walk, morning and day on Brazilian side (possible boat trip) and then 17:00 flight from IGU to Brasiliia.
Could you send a case of surplus non-valuable luggage from BsAs to Brasilia?
I recommend the boat trip.
I do think one night is too short. I’ve already done a quick visit and do need to visit again and may do both hotels.
Thinking of staying in the Belmond, but flying in to IGR from BsAs.
Is there any way to get our luggage across the frontier without us? Or store it? We’ll have a big case from being in Antarctica!
Thinking it would be good to arrive quite early, spend the day on the Argentina side tracks, late afternoon over to the Belmond for dinner and walk, morning and day on Brazilian side (possible boat trip) and then 17:00 flight from IGU to Brasiliia.
It’s a pretty standard arrangement. We did this, admittedly quite a few years ago, and organised an Argentinian taxi driver who kept all our luggage, showed us around the Argentinian side and then later in the day took us over to the (now) Belmond. Lots of them do this and have an arrangement with the Meliá to park and use the hotel facilities. Day rates for taxis in Argentina are very reasonable. If you would prefer, I’m sure the Belmond would collect the bag from you at the Argentinian airport.
I agree that one night to visit both sides is very short.
@Colin – depending on how you are getting to/from Antarctica, you may find you don’t have that big a case – most of the airlines that fly to Ushuaia have low baggage limits. Our limit was 15kg. You don’t need that much stuff as it isn’t actually that cold – we managed more than a month between Antarctica and South America (so a big range of temperatures/climates) with 12kg each.
Thanks all. I’ll look at two days – to be frank, we usually stay at least two days anywhere, we are not snap-and-go people!
@JenT: 12kg is our usual max for any trip – laundries are our friends! But we don’t feel like (can’t!) lugging 12kgs each around the paths.Two days might give time for lunch in Paraguay too. I have been to 70-plus countries so far – and I only count a country visited if I have had a meal there. I didn’t find enough in Lichenstein to make it worth an overnight!
In that case, there are luggage storage lockers on both sides – so that might solve your problem.
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