Most expedition cruises to the Antarctic Peninsula sail from Ushuaia, the capital of Tierra del Fuego, on the Beagle Channel. The season is the southern summer. Because the voyage is planned long in advance and the ship cannot wait for you, the journey to the ship is planned around one idea: arrive early.
The step people underestimate: Buenos Aires
Nearly all long-haul passengers land at Ezeiza. Flights to Ushuaia leave mostly from Aeroparque and a few from Ezeiza. If your connection means changing airports, that is a drive across the city and it depends on traffic. Many travellers spend a night in Buenos Aires so that a long flight is not chained to another.
Reaching Ushuaia before sailing
Weather in Tierra del Fuego can delay flights. Operators recommend arriving at least a day before departure, and several include a hotel night. Read your programme for three things:
- whether the airport-to-hotel transfer is included;
- where and when luggage is collected on embarkation day;
- where the group gathers to go to the pier.
The airport is close to town. Taxis wait there, and private transfers can be booked ahead with the driver waiting in arrivals. The choices are compared in getting from Ushuaia airport to the centre.
Embarkation day
The pier is in the town centre, a short walk from the main street. Boarding is usually in the afternoon at a time set by the operator. Many companies collect bags from the hotel in the morning and move passengers as a group. If yours does not, a transfer at an agreed time covers the gap, which helps with expedition luggage.
Coming back
Ships dock early in the morning. The Drake Passage crossing can shift the arrival time, so operators ask passengers not to book very early flights that day. If you stay on, the national park and other outings are day trips from town.
Transfer availability in Ushuaia is confirmed when you book. A fuller walk-through is in connecting to an Antarctic cruise in Ushuaia.