How to get to Uruguay from Buenos Aires
How to get to Uruguay from Buenos Aires
Argentina and Uruguay are separated by the Uruguay River that flows into the Río de la Plata. At the height of Buenos Aires and Colonia, the Uruguay River joins the Paraná River and they make up the Delta of the Río de la Plata, recognized as the widest river in the world with about 219km
Often times, many tourists who visit Buenos Aires also want to visit Colonia and / or Montevideo, due to its proximity to our country.
Next, we are going to detail how to get to Uruguay from Buenos Aires.
How to get to Uruguay from Argentina
Of course, the fastest way to get to Uruguay from Buenos Aires is by crossing the River directly. For this, it is necessary to take a boat. There are several companies that perform the service and, some of them, offer one-day packages to enjoy the neighboring country.
Boat companies to go to Uruguay
Buquebus is the best known company and part of Puerto Madero, near Plaza San Martín.
It offers packages for a day to Colonia and Montevideo, including passage, excursions and lunch.
If you want to pay in cash you will need to go to the port of Buquebus or its offices located in different parts of Buenos Aires.
There are two options: Boats direct to Colonia and Montevideo; or boat to Colonia and bus to Montevideo. If it is to spend the day, the latter is not convenient because it takes about 3 hours.
An alternative to Buquebus is Seacat, which is neither more nor less than the Buquebus sub-brand. Many times the boat they use is the same and the prices are cheaper.
To buy your tickets you can do it from their website or also at the river port of Buquebus.
The limitation of Seacat is that it does not have direct service by boat to Montevideo, but rather, the boat goes to Colonia and then you have to take a bus to the capital of Uruguay. It is a good alternative to go to Colonia for half the price of Buquebus. They also offer packages with tickets and excursions, but only in Colonia.
The third option is Colonia Express, a company that starts its service from La Boca. It is the cheapest company among the three, but it also does not have a direct boat to Montevideo, since you have to go by bus from Colonia. It offers complete packages and, also, it can be paid from the web or at its offices in the city.
Travel Time
The trip from Buenos Aires to Colonia takes 1 hour, with all companies.
Buquebus, in its Buenos Aires-Montevideo service, takes 2:15 hs. In the case of taking the boat to Colonia and the bus to Montevideo, it takes about 4 hours between the trip and the passage through Aduana.
Companies have services every day with many frequencies, but given the situation of COVID-19, we recommend checking the websites of each one to have updated information on the different services, options and schedules.
Documentation
When making the crossing to another country, you must take into account the necessary documentation to enter Uruguay. Depending on the nationality you have, you must present corresponding documents and, in some cases, pay a visa. On the following website you can see the countries that are exempt from visa to enter Uruguay.
Information to Consider
It is necessary to check-in to board the transport (regardless of the company you choose), for this, you must show up 1 hour before at the indicated terminal.
It is possible to check luggage. 2 pieces up to 30kg in total are allowed (verify information with each company due to possible changes to the COVID-19 virus).