Andean Mountains
Andean Mountains
3.5
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Among the longest and highest mountain ranges in the world, the Andes extends 4,500 miles along South America's west coast.
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3.5
32 reviews
Excellent
18
Very good
2
Average
2
Poor
1
Terrible
9
Tom H
Santiago, Chile2 contributions
Apr 2019 • Solo
Travelled to Mendoza from Santiago return journey via Andesmar bus from Santiago Terminar Sur. As other commenters have pointed out, Terminal Sur is crowded, chaotic and a complete nightmare to find your bus, it's actually three separate terminals with one being on a separate block from the other two, requiring an immense amount of faffing about to find your bus with no departure board or signposting, I only managed to find mine two minutes before departure after spending 25 minutes frantically running about and asking several people, it was blind luck that I found it in the end.
Seats were reasonably comfortable, although I was taken aback when the service assistant walked down the aisle halfway through the journey blatantly asking for tips, I found this very bizarre and unprofessional as the only 'service' this man had provided us was to hand us a rock hard inedible sandwich and a cup of water. Journey was approximately 8 hours including a 45 min wait at the border crossing, I imagine it can be much longer in high season, although once in Argentina we seemed to be constantly stopped by random police checkpoints which was quite annoying. On the return journey I stupidly forgot the time difference in Mendoza and missed my 10.30pm bus, resulting in having to wait 8 and a half hours in the terminal for the next one all through the night, strongly recommend you don't miss your bus, not a pleasant experience.
The return journey resulted in a longer wait in processing as Chile is very strict about food items being brought into the country. I've heard anecdotal reports about people being fined hundreds of thousands of pesos for having an apple in their backpack, so it's best to dump all your food before boarding the bus. Again in the customs screening hall we were harassed for tips by some random worker in dirty hi-vis vest, I had no idea what 'service' he was supposed to be providing so I declined to give him anything, it seems Chile is becoming almost as bad as the US for having service people constantly hassling you for money. All in all, Mendoza is a great city and the journey has some majestic scenery, but make sure you arrive at the bus station at least half an hour in advance and be prepared for lots of nagging little annoyances along the way, I would even consider booking a flight for my next trip to Mendoza as it seems it would save a lot of hassle.
Seats were reasonably comfortable, although I was taken aback when the service assistant walked down the aisle halfway through the journey blatantly asking for tips, I found this very bizarre and unprofessional as the only 'service' this man had provided us was to hand us a rock hard inedible sandwich and a cup of water. Journey was approximately 8 hours including a 45 min wait at the border crossing, I imagine it can be much longer in high season, although once in Argentina we seemed to be constantly stopped by random police checkpoints which was quite annoying. On the return journey I stupidly forgot the time difference in Mendoza and missed my 10.30pm bus, resulting in having to wait 8 and a half hours in the terminal for the next one all through the night, strongly recommend you don't miss your bus, not a pleasant experience.
The return journey resulted in a longer wait in processing as Chile is very strict about food items being brought into the country. I've heard anecdotal reports about people being fined hundreds of thousands of pesos for having an apple in their backpack, so it's best to dump all your food before boarding the bus. Again in the customs screening hall we were harassed for tips by some random worker in dirty hi-vis vest, I had no idea what 'service' he was supposed to be providing so I declined to give him anything, it seems Chile is becoming almost as bad as the US for having service people constantly hassling you for money. All in all, Mendoza is a great city and the journey has some majestic scenery, but make sure you arrive at the bus station at least half an hour in advance and be prepared for lots of nagging little annoyances along the way, I would even consider booking a flight for my next trip to Mendoza as it seems it would save a lot of hassle.
Written 16 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carlos S
Atlanta, GA193 contributions
Dec 2013 • Family
The trajectory between Mendoza and Santiago by road is definitely worthwhile, with stunning scenery. The service from Andesmar is acceptable at best. We booked a return trip from Santiago to Mendoza around Christmas 2013. The bus on the outbound trip smelled poorly, and the seats were dirty even for the higher-end cama. They had cancelled an earlier service, so the bus was over full and several seats were double-booked including ours. Fortunately our fellow travelers with our seats were very well natured about it and accepted to be downgraded to a semi-cama since we wee traveling with an infant. The bus on the return leg was significantly cleaner. The process of crossing the border can do away with some of the customs drama on both ways, but this is not controlled by Andesmar. The food is inedible but one would not choose the bus service based on food anyway. The most annoying feature was that films were displayed at full volume, and it was impossible to simply have a restful ride without having to watch/listen to superman and the like.
Written 19 January 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Frankie S
new york city3 contributions
Apr 2015 • Solo
As per everyone else's review Andesmar is a terrible bus company that will ruin your trip. I travelled these 2 buses because they had online booking. avoid this and pay at the bus terminals in Argentina instead where there are plenty of other options. Andesmar is non returnable and non changeable. Both buses were extremely late causing me to miss both bus connections. The first one I was stuck in a bus station for 7hrs and 2 one I had to wait overnight in a bus station because no hostels were available so late at night. It truly is the worst company ever, and they just don't care at all. When I let them know that there are poor reviews of andesmar they said "great! We don't care what you people think"
The best way to travel though is by renting a car to get around Argentina.
The best way to travel though is by renting a car to get around Argentina.
Written 16 April 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ryanjohns2ne
Newrybar, Australia1 contribution
May 2016 • Couples
We booked tickets from Buenos aires to Mendoza. When buying our tickets they asked for the email address of both passengers (we were two passengers) unluckily they sent the tickets to my girlfriends gmail account which is locked when travelling overseas. They wouldn't let us on the bus with a photo screen of our tickets. We had to forfeit our tickets and book other fares (with a different company of course). And to make matters worse while we were stuffing around with the ticket fiasco my bag got stolen at the buenos aires retiro terminal de omnibus.
My complaint is that the staff were unhelpful. They had our names on their list and we had proof of ticket purchase but because we couldn't print our tickets they wouldn't let us on.
My complaint is that the staff were unhelpful. They had our names on their list and we had proof of ticket purchase but because we couldn't print our tickets they wouldn't let us on.
Written 30 May 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
henry_brazilian
Rio de Janeiro, RJ24 contributions
Feb 2013 • Family
We took the bus from Mendoza to Santiago with Andesmar (Thursday, 7/feb, 07:30 am). It was a total disrespect!! 1) They embarked the passengers knowing that the road was interrupted and that a long wait, with unforeseen results, would be needed. They did not warn the passengers about it, so we could have other options (I had an air ticket!). 2 the scenic places on the second floor just in front of the bus was covered with a plastic material which allowed for a poor view. 3) The air conditioning was almost not working.4) When I asked the driver to raise the air conditioning, he answered with scorn. A very bad educated driver! 5) We had to wait for 5 hours the road to be opened. Finally we got to the Chile-Argentinian border where we had to wait for 3 hours! The driver (a thin one, there was a fat one more educated) treated me very badly because I asked to get off the bus and stay by its side (it was very hot inside the bus). 6) They offered only a sandwich during all the delay... So maybe one should try CATA but avoid ANDESMAR, with a dirty bus, bad educated drivers, non working air conditioning and lack of respect for its passengers!!!
Written 13 February 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris M
1 contribution
Dec 2019
I want to say first - Andes mountains are great. But I don't know where to put a review for AndesMar.
I asked for a round trip to Aconcagua from Mendoza. The ticket for the way back to Mendoza was supposed to be at 16:30. The lady at the counter even wrote 16:30 on a paper to confirm it. When I was leaving Aconcagua the bus driver said that the ticket was for 11:30, and he was right. So I had to buy a new ticket. When I got back to the bus terminal I complained and was told that since the ticket said 11:30, there was nothing they could/wanted to do and that I should've checked the ticket after buying it.
They then pointed to a sign hidden in the bottom corner of the window that said you had to check your ticket after buying it. I thought this was a bit ridiculous considering the person at the counter had confirmed this time with me the previous day. So, apparently it is my fault for trusting their employees. I also called their customer service and was given the same response - no sympathy/empathy only that it was my fault for not checking. Great way to run a business.
I asked for a round trip to Aconcagua from Mendoza. The ticket for the way back to Mendoza was supposed to be at 16:30. The lady at the counter even wrote 16:30 on a paper to confirm it. When I was leaving Aconcagua the bus driver said that the ticket was for 11:30, and he was right. So I had to buy a new ticket. When I got back to the bus terminal I complained and was told that since the ticket said 11:30, there was nothing they could/wanted to do and that I should've checked the ticket after buying it.
They then pointed to a sign hidden in the bottom corner of the window that said you had to check your ticket after buying it. I thought this was a bit ridiculous considering the person at the counter had confirmed this time with me the previous day. So, apparently it is my fault for trusting their employees. I also called their customer service and was given the same response - no sympathy/empathy only that it was my fault for not checking. Great way to run a business.
Written 11 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Merril B
Newcastle, Australia57 contributions
Mar 2019
If you are in Chile and have time I fully recommend a bus trip from Chile to Mendoza in Argentina. Or the other way round from Mendoza to Chile. There are daily buses either way and if you are returning to your starting point you can get cheap Sky flights at unpopular flight times. When we have visitors from elsewhere we always take them on this trip. Especially if you are from a place with limited mountains. Just note that the toilets at the Argentine border crossing are not inviting at all and you are better off using the one in the bus. You will get some sort of sandwich, biscuit and tea or coffee on the bus. No milk for tea or coffee. Better to do this trip in late Spring, early Autumn or summer. Do not bother In winter as you will probably not get the views due to low clouds and the trip could be very long due to snow.
I have done this trip by bus to Mendoza and return by plane 3 times now and have not had any problems. Sometimes the border crossing can take longer than others but not significantly so. Usually leave around 9am and arrive around 5pm.
I have done this trip by bus to Mendoza and return by plane 3 times now and have not had any problems. Sometimes the border crossing can take longer than others but not significantly so. Usually leave around 9am and arrive around 5pm.
Written 5 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Melina Liberatore
Uruguay14 contributions
Sept 2019 • Family
A “must go place” in this planet.
The Alps looks small compared to the Andes.
The clean, fresh air, the politeness of the locals and good food makes this trip a special one
The Alps looks small compared to the Andes.
The clean, fresh air, the politeness of the locals and good food makes this trip a special one
Written 30 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Isabella44_G
Sardinia, Italy140 contributions
Apr 2014 • Family
Yes, my last trip in the North West Argentina was like reaching the sky! Multicolored mountains go up to 6000-7000m and you can drive up to 5000m! then you hike for 100m and you are out of breath, but the rewards are blue lagoons with pink flamingoes, snow covered mountain peaks and the multicolored layers of the various minerals. it's difficult but worth it!
Written 13 May 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sophie
5 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
Booked with Andesmar because they do have nice own busses. However, instead of that they put us in an Andesmar bus, they put us in a super cheap and old looking bus from Cata International. No WiFi, no charging points, dirty toilet, 7 hours of delay, seatings that could not even decline 10 centimeters and bloody hot in the bus at night.
Please check which bus you get beforehand and don’t get fooled!
Please check which bus you get beforehand and don’t get fooled!
Written 4 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Olá, bacana seu relato. Estava na dúvida porque algumas pessoas criticam muito, então acho que a agencia que faz o tour é o grande diferencial. Qual a agencia você utilizou?
Written 26 November 2019
Boa noite! Gostaria de saber o nome da empresa que contratou para fazer o passeio. Obrigada
Written 24 February 2017
Qual a melhor época do ano para fazer esse passeio? Estou pensando em tirar férias a partir da segunda quinzena de maio, este seria um bom mês?
Written 5 September 2016
fioreze2011
Brasilia, DF
Quantas horas dura a excursão?
Qual a altitude máxima que chegaremos?
Written 13 June 2015
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