Important information about currency exchange in Argentina

Before starting your travel to Argentina, please inform yourself about the interesting currency exchange situation in the country – this could allow you to save a lot of money during your trip. You can read about it for example here [Money in Argentina: Everything About Buenos Aires Currency Exchange] or by searching anything related to the so-called “dolar blue”.

Please note that some articles may be outdated: since very recently, foreign credit cards benefit from beneficial exchange rates as well, so it is generally recommended to pay with common credit cards (MasterCard, Visa, …) or use Western Union to benefit from favorable exchange rates.

If you have any questions do not hesitate to ask info@ultrafastoptics2023.org.

How to get there

The main international route to Bariloche is by connecting in the capital city of Argentina, Buenos Aires. There are direct flights to Buenos Aires from most main European hubs (Frankfurt, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Madrid, etc.) and US hubs (Houston, Miami, New York, etc.) to Buenos Aires Ezeiza international airport. From China, the usual route is traveling to Europe and connecting there. From Japan, most common connections are through the US.

Important information about flights from Buenos Aires to Bariloche and transportation from airport to city

There are many daily direct flights from Buenos Aires to Bariloche. If you decide to travel directly upon arrival to Bariloche, you can directly follow up with a local flight. However this might lead to long delays at the main international airport.

This can potentially be avoided if you choose to stay a few days in the city of Buenos Aires. There are many flights to Bariloche leaving conveniently from a smaller airport in the city: Jorge Newbery Airport (AEP). Please note the following:

  • Many smaller low cost companies fly to Bariloche, but do not appear on common online flight booking platforms like Expedia. The connections can be found using Google Flights and booked on the airlines’ websites. Some examples of low cost companies flying often to Bariloche (Both from EZE and AEP) are FlyBondi and JetSmart, but also Aerolineas Argentinas from AEP to BRC.
  • Ezeiza international airport is a minimum of 45 min from the city of Buenos Aires, and public transportation from the main airport to the city is not convenient/advisable. It is recommended that you either book a car service in advance, or to take an official taxi or car service (locally called Remise). A number of such companies are located after baggage control and after clearing customs, where your luggage will be scanned, right before exiting to the main public hall of the airport. A company that we recommend is TaxiEzeiza Taxi Ezeiza Oficial / Traslados desde el Aeropuerto hacia cualquier punto de Buenos Aires just at the exit in the main hall. There, it is possible to pay with credit card and even reserve in advance via their website.
  • Bariloche airport (BRC – Teniente Luis Candelaria Intl.) is located 13 km away from the city of Bariloche, and ca. 40 km away from the conference venue. Since this is not a highway, this takes around 45 min.
  • Once you arrive to Bariloche airport, you can take a taxi from the airport to the conference venue (approx. 45 min), but do consider that many local taxis do not have a way to charge with credit card and are accustomed to cash payment in cash in AR$. You may also choose to reserve a car to pick you up and pay with credit card, for example by using a travel agency such as Quilaro. Please contact them at info@quilaro.com.ar and mention the Ultrafast Optics Conference to reserve a car with them. Generally, depending on the service, prices for transport from the airport are typically around 35US$.

map

Conference Venue Hotel

The conference will take place in one of the most iconic hotels of Patagonia, the LlaoLlao Hotel. We have reserved a limited number of rooms at discounted rates in the hotel. If you are interested, please fill in the PDF file and send it to specialevents@llaollao.com.ar. They will follow up with a confirmation and pre-payment instructions.

Please note that the LlaoLlao hotel is located 25 km from the city of San Carlos de Bariloche - however, if you prefer to stay in the city, there are many easy options for transportation.

booking a room in the LlaoLlao now, (as of 2023-02-17)

The block of rooms we had blocked for the conference is full, therefore you will most likely be advised to book a room through their website if you still want to book there. The prices there might look very high, but here is something to consider if you still would like to stay there: the Argentine government has an arrangement with credit card companies (Master, VISA) to charge bills in Argentine Pesos AR$ at a tourist exchange rate which is much more favorable than the official exchange rate.

At the moment (2023-02-17) for example, the situation is like this:

  • the official exchange rate is: 1 US$ = 180 AR$
  • the approximate tourist exchange rate is: 1 US$ = 320 AR$

This means:

  • the price they indicate is: 550 US$/night is billed at the official exchange rate in AR$, meaning 550 US$ * 180 = 99000 AR$.
  • The bill for your room will say 99000 AR$.
  • Your credit card company will charge you approximately 99000 AR$ / 320 = 309 US$.

Remember also that as a foreigner you do not pay VAT. Remains the question of how your institution will deal with this weird situation upon reimbursement. And remember this is an arrangement with Credit Card companies, so every credit card handles this deal at their discretion – for example Mastercard (from own experience) will charge at the official rate, and a few days later reimburse the rest of the amount.

We apologize for the craziness, but this is Argentina 😊. We wrote some details about this here in the first section. We understand this might be a bit complex to understand if you are used to a stable currency, so if you have any doubts or questions, please write to us (Clara or Federico) individually on our communication platform, or in the individual chat channels; we are happy to try to help.

Other options of accommodation

There are many options for accommodation in Bariloche and close to Av. Exequiel Bustillo (the main road joining Bariloche with Llao Llao), ranging from different category hotels to cabins and B&Bs. Below are listed some of the hotels:

Please note that the pricing will be affected by the unofficial exchange rate in a similar way as for the conference hotel. See here.

Some tips about a possible stay in Buenos Aires before/after the conference

If you decide to visit the vibrant city of Buenos Aires for a few days, here are some tips for your stay:

  • The city of Buenos Aires is an extremely large megalopolis and you should know where you are going. Tourists are a typical prey in public places.
  • Moving with taxis is very common and convenient, but taking a random taxi on the street is better avoided. Apps such as Cabify and Uber are very commonly used in the capital city. There are also very fast local buses and subways. For this you need a special card called SUBE. This card can also be used in Bariloche to take public transportation! Please ask at your hotel how you get and charge your SUBE card.
  • We recommend the neighborhood of Palermo for your stay. It is a quiet, trendy area with many restaurants, coffee places and nice areas to walk around, and has good access to tourtistic attractions in the city. For example:

Restaurant recommendations

Close to the conference hotel

  • Quiven (international food), Av. Bustillo 19688, Tel. +54-9-294-4771067
  • Il Gabbiano (italian food), Av. Bustillo 24300, Tel. +54-294-4448346
  • El Casco (regional food), Av. Bustillo 11500, Tel. +54-294-4462929
  • Bahía Serena (international food), Av. Bustillo 12, Tel. +54-294-4524614
  • La Masia (international food), Av. Bustillo 23.425 km, Tel. +54-294-4448952

City center

  • La Marmite (international and regional food), Mitre 329, Tel. +54-294-4423685
  • El Boliche de Alberto - Elflein (grill), Elflein 158, Tel. +54-294-4431433
  • Alto el Fuego (grill), 20-de-Febrero 451, Tel. +54-294-4437015
  • El Boliche de Alberto - Pastas (italian food), Elflein 143, Tel. +54-294-4401040
  • Jauja - Restaurante (italian, international, regional food), Elflein 148, Tel. +54-294-4422952

Breweries

  • Cervecería Bachmann, V. Alte. O’Connor 1348, Tel. +54-294-4436337
  • Cervecería Berlina, Av. Bustillo 11750, Tel. +54-294-4523336
  • Cervecería Manush, Neumeyer esq. Morales, Tel. +54-294-4428905
  • Cervecería Patagonia, Ruta Provincial 77, km 24.7, Tel. +54-9-294-31818960

Information about visas

URGENT! Attendees requiring a VISA are urged to request an invitation letter as soon as possible!

Most countries do not require a VISA to enter Argentina for up to 90 days as a tourist, and this type of entrance is sufficient for the conference.

More details on Visa requirements for Argentina can be found in this page (not official): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Argentina.

If you have doubts about visa requirements, we recommend that you contact the Argentinean consulate in your country. More information about visas and contact information of Embassies and Consulates can be found here: https://cnyor.cancilleria.gob.ar/en/requirements-entry-argentine-republic.

If you do need a visa please contact us to request a letter of support for your request to the local consulate at info@ultrafastoptics2023.org and CC-ing our local organizer Axel Bruchhausen axel.bruchhausen@gmail.com including the following information:

  • your full name
  • nationality
  • date of birth
  • passport number and type
  • landline or mobile phone number
  • e-mail address