Argentina builds long weekends into its calendar, and when one comes round a large part of Buenos Aires leaves town on the same afternoon. For a visitor this explains full hotels, sold-out domestic flights and slow roads on days that look ordinary from abroad.
Which dates count
- Carnival. Monday and Tuesday are public holidays, in the middle of summer.
- Easter week. Good Friday is a public holiday and Maundy Thursday is a non-working day. Easter falls in the southern autumn.
- Movable and bridge holidays. Some holidays are moved to a Monday, and extra bridge days are sometimes added to join a holiday to the weekend.
The calendar is set year by year. Check Argentina’s official public holiday calendar for the year you travel.
How the traffic behaves
There are two peaks. People leave on the afternoon and evening before the holiday and on the first morning. They come back on the afternoon and evening of the last day. Queues form at the toll booths on the motorways out of Buenos Aires and at the entrance to resort towns. Between the two peaks the roads are quiet.
If you can choose, leave very early or a day ahead, and return on the morning of the last day.
Where the pressure is
The Atlantic coast, the Córdoba hills, the thermal towns of Entre Ríos, Mendoza and Iguazú Falls take most of the movement. Land borders with Brazil and Paraguay have longer queues. Aeroparque, the domestic airport, is busy too, so read how early to leave for the airport.
Buenos Aires itself is calmer than usual. Banks and public offices close. Museums and restaurants vary, so check each one.
Ways to travel
- Long-distance bus. Seats for the eve and the last day go first.
- Domestic flight. Good for distant places. Availability is tight.
- Hire car. Flexible, but the drive back in traffic is tiring.
- Private transfer. One vehicle for your group, door to door, with stops on request. Routes are listed under transfers around Argentina.
Booking a transfer for these dates
Write early and book both directions together. Larger vehicles are taken first. We do not promise a journey time on holiday dates, because it depends on the day and the hour. Ask for child seats when you book.