I have travelled on six different bus companies to and from the Iguazú Falls, but want to give you a complete overview of bus transportation in Argentina, with some comments on bus services in Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile. Argentina is 3,000 miles long from North to South and many people are reluctant to travel long distances by bus, because they have no idea of the incredible comfort that some bus services offer in Argentina. If you have a look at the www.plusmar.com.ar website, and then click on "servicios" you may have a visual glance of what the different bus services offer. The first time I travelled on a Premium Bed Bus service I threw the seat back completely flat, but had to lift it a little, because I felt as if I was falling back (I always sleep with a pillow, and the bus seat was completely horizontal).
LUXURY SERVICE: This service has different names: Sendas (Buenos Aires-Mendoza) calls it Salón Real (Royal Class), Andesmar (From Buenos Aires to Mendoza, Puerto Madryn, Bariloche, and other destinations, and to most parts of the country from Cordoba and Mendoza) calls it Servicio Ejecutivo or Primera Clase (Executive Service or First Class), Expreso Singer (to Iguazú) calls it Cama Total (Total Bed), Tigre-Iguazú and Crucero del Norte call it Cama Premium (Premium Bed), Vía Bariloche (to Iguazú and Bariloche) calls it Tutto Leto Plusmar, Flecha Bus and Empresa Argentina call it Cama Suite (Suite Bed), Sierras de Córdoba and General Urquiza call it Dorado Premium (Golden Premium). These are services comparable to the first class of intercontinental flights. Some, like Via Bariloche and Andesmar, feature hot meals on board including wine, whisky, and champagne, travelling rug... Andesmar even gives you the choice of chicken, meat or vegetables for dinner, and has DVD and MP3 player. The seats lie back completely flat, as flat as a bed, 180 degrees. They normally have 7 rows of seats in the same space in which Greyhound or Eurolines would place 14 rows of seats.
BED SERVICE and SEMI-BED SERVICE: There is very little difference between both these services, only the width of the seat and the arm rest. They feature 11 rows of seats, and both have the same distance between rows, with a platform for your feet. SERVICIO COMÚN (COMMON COACH CLASS): 46 seats, compared to 54 of Greyhound in the same space. Semi-cama (semi-bed) costs the same and is more comfortable. Avoid the common service, if you can. I have travelled by Greyhound in the USA and from London to Paris on Eurolines, and after a six hour trip I sometimes felt tired. But the above-mentioned buses are so comfortable that you can travel 18 or 20 hours and arrive completely relaxed.
Now, let's talk about how to get to Iguazú Falls from Buenos Aires: Vía Bariloche, Crucero del Norte and Río Uruguay offer the very best service from Buenos Aires. Tigre-Iguazú is also excellent, and in most services features hot meals on board with soft drinks. Check it out, because not all services of Tigre-Iguazu feature meals on board (at least the one from Rosario and Concordia to Iguazú). Expreso Singer has a very good luxury service, but their common service does not compare with the other companies. I travelled with them from Posadas to Cordoba, the trip took 22 hours (it arrived late), they served no food on board, not even a cracker, and they did not stop for dinner... To the contrary, their luxury service is excellent.
From Mar del Plata to Iguazú: Tigre-Iguazú. From Mendoza: Andesmar (but it is a very long trip). From Cordoba to Iguazú: Crucero del Norte and Mercobus (18 hours). Singer also goes (not recommended, unless if you travel on their luxury service). From Brazil: Crucero del Norte or Pluma. From Termas del Río Hondo (connection to Tucuman and Salta): Andesmar. Apparently there are no direct services to Iguazú from Salta (La Veloz del Norte), nor from Tucumán (VOSA). You would have to change buses at Termas de Río Hondo, a nice place for fishing dorados, a very sportive fish of the salmon family, called the Tiger of the Rivers, that can weigh up to 30 pounds or more. Two weeks ago I was fishing there and a dorado cut my 30 pound nylon...
Flights to Iguazú: I would not take a plane, but that is your choice. Flights are expensive in Argentina, and higher rates apply to foreigners. Only two airlines cover this route: LAN Argentina (subsidiary of LAN Chile, by far the best in Latin America) and Aerolineas Argentinas (subsidiary of IBERIA, regarding which I have heard many complaints).
Bus services to other destinations in Argentina (when nothing else is stated, travel time and services are from Buenos Aires): Buenos Aires to El Calafate: Not advisable unless if you make a stopover at Puerto Madryn (highly recommended stop, for seeing whales and penguins). The direct trip from Buenos Aires to Río Gallegos takes 36 hours (18 from Puerto Madryn, in both cases Andesmar) and then you have to take another bus to El Calafate (a four hour travel, with five daily frequencies). The luxury bus service goes as far as Caleta Olivia, 30 miles south of Comodoro Rivadavia, and then you have to continue on bed or semi-bed service to Río Gallegos the last 12 hours).
Buenos Aires to Bariloche: Best services are Vía Bariloche, Crucero del Norte and Andesmar. Some 20 hours travel from Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires to Tucumán and Salta: La Veloz del Norte and Mercobus (about 16 and 20 hours travel). Buenos Aires to Mendoza: Best services are Andesmar and Sendas (some 14 hours from Buenos Aires). Córdoba to Mendoza: Andesmar and Mercobus, ten hour travel. Bariloche to Mendoza: Andesmar, 19 hours, 40 dollars in semi-bed and 50 dollars for the bed service. Mar del Plata to Mendoza: Andesmar, San Juan-Mendoza and Autotransportes San Juan. Córdoba to Tucumán and Salta: Andesmar, La Veloz del Norte, Mercobus and many other companies (8 and 12 hours travel, respectively). Mar del Plata to Córdoba: Zenith, Mercobus. 16 Hours Córdoba to Puerto Madryn: Andesmar (the best) and TUS (very good) - avoid going through Buenos Aires and you will save 8 hours travel - 18 hour travel.
Bariloche to Puerto Madryn: Don Otto (bed service, don`t take the servicio comun) 12 hours. Córdoba to El Calafate: El Pinguino. Not my choice, but the only direct service. About 40 hours travel. From Montevideo to Iguazú Falls: Expreso General Artigas to Gualeguaychú or Concordia, and Tigre-Iguazú from there on. From El Calafate to Puerto Natales (Chile): 6 hour travel for 50 pesos (17 dollars).
Bus Services in other countries: Brazil was the first country to implement the bed bus service. I discovered it in 1973, travelling from Iguazú to Asunción (Paraguay). Their most known company is PLUMA. UNICA also offers an excellent service. Uruguay has very good bus services, Expreso General Artigas is one of them (it travels from Punta del Este and Montevideo to Buenos Aires and Córdoba). Paraguay used to have trucks with wooden seats on the top (Expreso Caaguazú thirty years ago), but now has excellent bus services, such as Nuestra Señora de la Asunción. Chile was the second country to adopt the leito and semi-leito buses over twenty years ago. Their best bus company is TurBus. But be careful when you buy your ticket because they have five different classes of service. Bolivia now has beautiful Mercedes Benz buses, but they fell into the same mistake as Greyhound and Eurolines: 54 seats instead of 46... so travelling is not very comfortable. Peru: Services used to be poor, but have improved. Expreso Ormeño is supposed to be the best. I have not been for many years in Venezuela and Ecuador, but the last time I was in those countries, they had the worst service of all Latin America. Caution: most international services do not compare with the national ones, 46 or more seats and not as comfortable, my recommendations: To Iguazú: Vía Bariloche, Crucero del Norte or Tigre-Iguazú. To Bariloche: Vía Bariloche, Crucero del Norte or Andesmar To Puerto Madryn and Río Gallegos (near El Calafate): Andesmar To Cordoba: Bethel Ejecutivo and General Urquiza (dorado premium). To Salta: La Veloz del Norte and Mercobus. I trust you will find these guidelines very useful. Enjoy your trip. Note: If you want to drive a car, keep in mind that car rental is expensive, gasoline is more expensive than in the USA, distances are long and the vast majority of highways are two-lane roads, unlike Mexico, Brazil and Venezuela that have many freeways. The only four-lane toll highways that exist in Argentina are Buenos Aires-Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires-Rosario, Rosario-Santa Fe and Córdoba-Villa Carlos Paz, some 550 miles in total. Avoid "bargain" buses (those that do not leave from bus stations and offer lower rates). Many of them are not authorized to circulate, and most depart form unsafe areas like Plaza Once.
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