TICKETS/VISA REQUIREMENTS

Buenos Aires doesn't have any Visa requirements, so all you need to enter the country is your passport and plane tickets.
I purchased my tickets from the Varig counter http://www.varig.com inside the Rio Othon Hotel on Copacabana Ave. The flight took me from Rio to Sao Paolo to Buenos Aires. I paid approximately $270 for the round trip tickets. I would have saved a lot of money if I had purchased the tickets in advance, but this side trip was actually a last minute decision after hearing all the great stuff going on in BA.

HOTEL/TAXI ARRANGEMENTS

I've heard of guys waiting until they arrived in Buenos Aires before arranging their transportation into the city and their hotel stay so they could swing deals, but for the first-timer I would recommend doing it in advance. The most popular hotel for our kind of fun is Etoile, located in the heart of Recoleta. Growing in popularity are the apartment hotels, Art Suites and Design Suites have been discussed a lot recently. I stayed at Design Suites and loved it! It was a little bit more expensive at approximately $70 US (at the time), but still and excellent bargain by US standards. Generally, hotels are a little bit more secure regarding bringing in guests as you often have to check them in. This decreases the possiblity of you getting robbed or drugged(I've never heard of either happening in Buenos Aires, but as an "Hombre" you should always be aware of our unique risks). If you stay at a hotel other than Etoile, be sure to ask about their "Guest Policy" so that you don't end up paying extra or even being refused to bring girls to your room.

I arranged my hotel and taxi transporation to the hotel from a service called Alojargentina, http://www.alojargentina.com. The service representative did an excellent job of arranging everything for me only a couple days in advance as I called from Rio. Everything would have been perfect, but at the end of the trip I had trouble with the taxi company, or more specifically the taxi driver who didn't arrive to return me to the airport although he had charged me in advance. If possible, I highly recommend that you only agree to pay for a one-way trip from the airport to your hotel or apartment hotel. I ended up complaining to the service rep at Alojargentina who was very apologetic and offered to make it up to me on my next trip into Buenos Aires.

Design Suites
Marcelo T. de Alvear 1683
54-11-4814-8700
http://www.designsuites.com
marketing@designsuites.com

Downstairs


My Room



WHAT TO BRING

You can purchase condoms there, but most travelers I know develop a preference for certain brands and bring their own. The quality of condoms in foreign lands may also be questionable, so that's another good reason to stock up. Although I didn't bring them on this trip, I will be bring immune system boosters such as Vitamin C and Echinacae on all future trips. You'll be kissing lots of girls and will be exposed to various germs your body may not be used to (even just from breathing the air) so be rested and pump your immune system up before and during your trip.

That's really about it for the vital things besides your money and your normal clothes and toiletries. You may want to bring some warm clothes if you're used to warm California weather like I am. If you forget anything you can just buy it there, you can get great deals on clothes and other things.

For my own needs, I also bring photo equipment and a portable cd/mp3 walkman with amplified speakers. I also carry photocopies of my tickets, identification, birth certificate, and passport.

Some things my friends bring when they travel are pocket rockets (portable vibrators) and small gifts.

d'Artagnan,

Nice room. Looks to be worth $70 to me.

HC1

Great information d'Artagnan. I checked out the Design Suites in early September. I didn't stay there but toured one of the rooms. Looks very nice. I liked the rooms alot.

UWPhoto is there now. He can post more detailed information but he did say that there is some noise from the street at night that prevented him from sleeping well one night when he didn't feel good. However, he did mention the staff was excellent. Did you notice any noise from the street? I'm staying there in November but probably will switch back to the Art Suites for my December trip three weeks later.

Also, people might want to be aware that the situation with the transport with Alo isn't an isolated incident. I know two other Americans that had "issues" with transport arranged by Alo. I use and refer Mayri (mayra@argentinago.com). www.argentinago.com She has helped out about 30 guys that I've referred to her. All reported nothing but excellent service. My ride back to the airport was an S series Mercedez Benz with an English speaking driver. I can't say enough good things about her.

Have fun gents!

d'Art brings up a good point about immune system. Add Beta Glucan (on the expensive side) to your suitcase in case you get sick. Should get well overnight. This is a natural immune system booster. Echinacae is excellent for cold.

Any problems getting the pocket rocket thru security??

I was there during World Cup games. It was very loud one morning. I thought they were having a parade in the street but I think it was just people cheering from rooms.

I didn't look as I was still in bed after having "stayed up" late.

I haven't brought pocket rockets with me, but some friends swear by them to enhance session quality. Any time you get a girl off you win.

I've heard stories of having them publicly displayed and tested, that's about it.