Long-distance bus is the most popular way to get around Argentina. It’s relatively cheap, reliable, comfortable as buses go, and more environmentally friendly than a flight. I’ve gathered all the information you need about long-distance buses in Argentina to ease your experience travelling around this huge country.
What are buses like in Argentina?
Buses in Argentina are usually double decker coaches. Upstairs there are standard seats and downstairs there are larger and more comfortable seats with armrests. All of the seats recline a fair distance and have a fold-out sloping leg-rest rather than only a footrest. Each seat usually has a net pocket on the chair in front, a holder to store your water bottle and, if you’re lucky, a USB port. The toilet is on the ground floor (the cleanliness and quality of bus toilets can be hit and miss).
On night buses, passengers will draw the curtains round the bus and the driver will turn the lights off. Night buses in Argentina invariably have the air con on full blast so make sure you bring a jumper!
If you are travelling over a mealtime, rather than getting out to buy yourself a snack, people come onto the bus selling sandwiches. These tend to be overpriced and of mediocre quality but they are edible and convenient if you have been unable to bring your own bus snacks.
Buses in Argentina are generally broadly on time. The biggest delay I experienced was an hour and a half, which was annoying, but not a great delay in the grand scheme of an eight or ten hour journey.
Booking buses in Argentina
You can usually book buses online. I usually look at options on Rome2Rio and then book on Busbud.
You can also book online directly with the bus company if you prefer. I sometimes had issues booking with my UK bank cards and had to try a few different cards, but usually my payment went through with no problem.
You can also book buses in person at the bus station. You will need to bring your passport as proof of identity, and they will print your bus ticket for you.
When you book your ticket, you choose a specific seat on the bus. The larger seats downstairs are normally more expensive than the seats upstairs. Occasionally they are the same price and, in that situation I would usually select a seat downstairs. The downside of the downstairs seats is that it is louder as you are closer to the engine, and you might also be disturbed by people going to the toilet, so you might not get the extra peace and quiet you were hoping for.
Boarding the bus
You must show your ticket when you board the bus – either a paper version or a version on your phone.
Your bus ticket will allow you to put a bag in the hold as well as take a carry-on onto the bus. There are weight limits on the bag allowance (15kg in the hold, 5kg carry-on) but I never saw this checked. It is probably worth ensuring you are not massively over the limit though.
If you are loading a bag into the hold, join the queue to do so and hand your bag to the bag handler who will load it into the bus for you. They will attach a label to your bag and give you a corresponding ticket. You must hand over that ticket at the end of your journey when you retrieve your bag. At both ends, you will need to tip the bag handler. 1,000 pesos was the going rate on each side as of November 2024 (about USD1 or 80p).
Top tips for long bus journeys
Having done several long bus journeys in Argentina, here are my top tips for a relatively pain-free experience:
- Wear comfortable clothes
You will not be able to get out to stretch your legs and you get stiff sitting still for ten hours!
- Bring entertainment
If, like me, you get travel sick reading on a bus then download music, podcasts or audiobooks and bring your headphones. Please don’t play anything out loud from your phone – you don’t want to be THAT person!
- Look out of the window
Some bus journeys have amazing scenery so no entertainment is required!
Catching buses in Argentina is usually more cost-effective than flying. But for longer journeys it is tempting to fly for two hours rather than sit on a bus for eighteen! One way to combat this and stick to travelling sustainably is to break up the journey and stay a night somewhere in the middle. It’s always nice to discover somewhere new and you never know what you might find along the way!