Mendoza Travel Guide

Getting There

By Plane -- Mendoza's international airport, Francisco Gabrielli (tel. 261/520-6000), lies 8km (5 miles) north of town on Ruta 40. Aerolíneas Argentinas (tel. 0810/222-86527; www.aerolineas.com.ar) offers seven daily arrivals from Buenos Aires. On Monday mornings, a flight departs from Ezeiza International Airport. LAN (tel. 0810/999-9526; www.lan.com) flies to Mendoza from both Buenos Aires (two times a day) and from Santiago, Chile, once in the morning and once in the evening, making a day trip from Santiago possible.

By Bus -- The Terminal del Sol (tel. 261/431-3001), or central bus station, lies just east of central Mendoza. Buses travel to Buenos Aires (12-14 hr.; $40/£22); Córdoba (12 hr.; $24/£13); Santiago, Chile (7 hr.; $14/£7.70); Las Leñas (7 hr.; $5/£2.75); and other cities throughout the region. Chevallier (tel. 261/431-0235), Expreso Uspallata (tel. 261/421-3309), and Andesmar (tel. 261/431-0585) are the main bus companies.

By Car -- The route from Buenos Aires is a long (10 hr.) but easy drive on either the RN 7 or the RN 8. Mendoza is more easily reached by car from Santiago, Chile, along the RN 7, although the 250km (155-mile) trek through the Andes can be treacherous in winter, when chains are required. Give yourself 4 to 6 hours to make the journey from Santiago.

Visitor Information

Mendoza's Subsecretaría Provincial de Turismo, on Av. San Martín 1143 (tel. 261/420-2800), is open daily from 9am to 9pm. The helpful staff will provide you with tourist information on the entire province, including maps of the wine roads and regional driving circuits. Municipal tourist offices, called Centros de Información, are located at Garibaldi near San Martín (tel. 261/423-8745; daily 8am-1pm), 9 de Julio 500 (tel. 261/420-1333; Mon-Fri 9am-9pm), and Las Heras 340 (tel. 261/429-6298; Mon-Fri 9am-1:30pm and 3-7:30pm). They provide city maps, hotel information, and brochures of tourist activities. You will find small visitor information booths at the airport and bus station as well. Information and permits for Aconcagua Provincial Park are available at the Centro de Informes del Parques, in Mendoza's Parque San Martín (tel. 261/420-5052). The office is only open during the climbing season, from December through March. During the rest of the year, you must contact the Subsecretaría Provincial de Recursos Naturales (tel. 261/425-2090). Permits to climb the summit cost $100 (£55), and you must go in person to obtain one. In addition, several websites offer useful tourist information: www.turismo.mendoza.gov.ar, www.aconcagua.mendoza.gov.ar, www.welcomeargentina.com/mendoza, and www.mendoza.com.ar.

Getting Around

You can easily explore central Mendoza on foot, although you will want to hire a driver or rent a car to visit the wine roads and tour the mountains. Taxis and remises (private, unmetered taxis) are inexpensive: Drivers cost no more than $10 (£5.50) per hour. Travelers should be wary of walking alone outside the main center of town, especially at night. Traditionally Mendoza is one of Argentina's safest cities, but it has experienced an increase in crime resulting from the economic crisis. Ask your hotel to call a remise or radio-taxi, rather than flagging down a taxi on your own. For a remise, try La Veloz Del Este (tel. 261/423-9090) or Mendocar (tel. 261/423-6666). For a taxi, call Radiotaxi (tel. 261/430-3300).

If you do rent a car, parking is easy and inexpensive inside the city, with paid parking meters and private lots (called playas) clearly marked. Easy to navigate, the city spreads out in a clear grid pattern around Plaza Independencia. Avenida San Martín is the city's main thoroughfare, Paseo Sarmiento is the pedestrian walking street that extends from Plaza Independencia to Avenida San Martín, and Avenida Emilio Civit is the posh residential avenue leading to the entrance of Parque San Martín. Outside the city, road signs are sometimes missing or misleading, and you should pay careful attention to road maps. The main highways are Highway 40, which runs north-south and will take you to Maipú and Luján de Cuyo; and Highway 7, which runs east-west and will take you to the Alta Montaña Route.

Both Budget (tel. 261/425-3114; www.budget.com) and Hertz Annie Millet (tel. 261/448-2327; www.hertz.com) rent cars at Mendoza's airport. Expect to pay about $45 (£25) per day for a compact car with insurance and 200km (124 miles) included. If you reserve the car before arriving in Argentina, you can usually negotiate a similar rate, but with unlimited mileage. AutoMendoza (tel. 261/420-0022; www.automendoza.com), a locally run company, has flexible rates and will drop a car off wherever you need it. Rates start at $30 (£17) per day. You'll get a better deal if you pay in cash.

Mendoza's public bus system is one of the best in the country. Regular buses depart from various stops in town to the outlying wine areas. El Troli, a trolley that follows the main roads in the city, is fun and cheap, at 40¢ (20p) per ride. It's an easy way to get up to Parque San Martín and back.