Getting there

Planes

For international arrivals, Buenos Aires’ Ezeiza Airport is the best bet, but you’ll have to switch across to the domestic Jorge Newbery for an internal flight to Salta, which will take around two hours. Most other options also go via Ezeiza and transfer to Jorge Newbery, including incoming flights from Rio de Janeiro and Santa Cruz in Bolivia.

Trains

Train services are not as fast or reliable as their European counterparts, so be sure to check before you travel. A must-do train journey is the Tren a las Nubes (www.trenalasnubes.com.ar), or ‘train to the clouds’, which departs Salta between May and November, crossing the Lerma Valley and Quebrada del Toro, to arrive in Puna, a desert 3,800m above sea level.

Automobiles

Overland distances are epic, so prepare to take internal flights if necessary. Some of the mountain passes can be hairy, and a four-wheel drive will come in handy. Automatic cars are hard to come by in these parts – get used to a clutch beforehand.