The welcome we received in the train that would take us to Tucumán was not exactly encouraging. “You two aren’t from this country,” the señora sitting directly behind us fired accusingly, sensing our momentary hesitation on where in the overhead racks to store our bags. The next 27 hours would be spent under the same lady’s suspicious gaze.

The Ferrocentral train (Photo: Daniel Edwards)
Many readers might be surprised to learn that there even exists a long-distance train that twice a week spends more than a day crossing Argentina’s wild expanses to connect the Buenos Aires transport hub of Retiro with the northern city of San Miguel de Tucumán, some 1,100km away. Indeed, the service’s sporadic availability, complete lack of advertisement or publicity, and less than friendly customer attention cannot help but leave the impression that they are actively trying to discourage travellers from jumping on the 12-carriage leviathan. But for those who value economy over time, it is a fantastic way to traverse the eighth-largest country on the planet.
Long-distance bus services have long been the transport of choice for destinations across Argentina. Well-maintained, easy to access and with regular services, it is a simple if rather long-winded way to see the country and all its delights. However, the 100s of different companies who offer such excursions are not immune to the rampant inflation which has seen products from milk to football tickets rocket in price. A one-way, semi-cama seat to Tucumán back in 2010 would set you back around $170 (around US$40 at the then-exchange rate): now, you would be extremely lucky to make the same trip for anything less than $500-$600.
This is where Ferrocentral and its trains come into their own. Seemingly impervious to inflation, a turista (the lowest class) return ticket will lighten the thrifty traveller’s pocket to the tune of just $87 (US$18), with prices gently rising in line with increased comfort until you arrive at the luxury of private cabins with bunk beds and breakfast included – still an absolute steal at just $400 shared between two people. Add to that a fully-stocked dining car with prices straight out of 2007, and one can understand why tickets for the services, especially during the holiday months of December and January when Tucumán natives living in Buenos Aires flock home to see the family, can be like gold dust.

“Turista” seats in the Ferrocentral (Photo: Daniel Edwards)
After the rather brusque welcome we settled into our turista seats, fending off constant questioning from the aforementioned señora and her gaggle of friends who were clearly train veterans and looked around our home for the next day and a bit. The cheapest class gives you few luxuries: a cushioned seat that will nevertheless leave your rear end rather numb after the first eight hours or so; a toilet that, while clean and impeccably maintained, is little more than a hole giving the user a view of the tracks speeding past below; a legion of ceiling fans that do their best, in the absence of air conditioning, to stave off the heat of summer; and a window that opens roughly halfway, and is covered on the outside by a Perspex screen.
My companion and I had both wondered aloud early in the trip why it was necessary to deprive passengers of a refreshing blast of country air by covering the apertures with such ugly screens. We soon got our answer, somewhere on the outskirts of Rosario when our daydreams were interrupted by a loud thud on the side of the carriage. The tracks are peppered with informal settlements and shanty towns known as villas in Argentina, and the arrival of the train is always a big event. Some of the younger inhabitants wave at the locomotive as it meanders past, while others entertain themselves by hurling rocks and other projectiles at the perfect example of a slow-moving target.
That rather rude awakening aside, the trip was actually very pleasant. Unlike a coach, movement is easy between carriages, whether one wishes to grab a drink or coffee from the dining car, get up and talk to another passenger or sneak a furtive cigarette in the connecting passageways. The food is cheap and tasty, with the plastic trays on laps normal with road transport replaced by proper tables, an air-conditioned canteen, attentive waiters, and proper cutlery. If you don’t like the look of the menu, don’t worry; cool boxes full of home-made food are ubiquitous among families and you can pack as much as you like, while at the intermittent stops along the way vendors flock to stations such as Rosario Norte, Ceres and La Banda to sell ice-cold drinks and fruit salads, sandwiches and local delicacies. One thing is for sure; you will not, or at least should not, go hungry with Ferrocentral.
Train travel in Argentina was once extensive, but in recent years it has fallen victim to neglect and under-investment. By 1920 there were 27,000km of operational track across the nation, reaching far-flung provinces such as Mendoza, Santa Cruz, Misiones and Chaco. Privatisation in the 1990s under President Carlos Menem, however, proved fatal. Scores of lines that were judged unprofitable or unsustainable were discontinued and left to rot, as were many of the towns that sprung up along the rails. In 2012 there exists just a handful of intercity services; as well as Tucumán, one can reach Córdoba by train as well as several cities on the coast such as Mar del Plata, which leave from Constitución.
The latest casualty of this systemic neglect was the service between Federico Lacroze station in Chacarita and Posadas in Misiones, a journey of over 30 hours that was suspended in 2011 after years of poor upkeep, worse conditions onboard, and wranglings between government and transport unions.
Our plan in the north of Argentina was rather simple. The saving of over $1000 each by opting for the rails would go a long way to funding the renting of a car in Tucumán, a decision which opened up one of the country’s most beautiful, spectacular and friendliest regions. Around San Miguel, the nearby towns of San Javier (one hour away by local bus and complete with one of the biggest statues of Christ in the world, according to the tourist board) and Tafí del Valle offer outstanding examples of the lush vegetation and mountainous terrain found in the area, while further on the wine hub of Cafayate was our introduction to the province of Salta.

Cristo Bendicente statue in San Javier (Photo: Daniel Edwards)
San Miguel itself, often overlooked by travellers, is also well worth a look. Locals are fiercely proud of the fact that it was their city which held the congress in 1816 that declared Argentina’s independence from the crumbling Spanish empire; the whitewashed building that housed delegates has been lovingly restored after being demolished in 1903, and is one of several colonial-era buildings that give Tucumán a distinctive appearance for sight-seers. Also unmissable is the province’s take on empanadas; smaller than their cousins in Buenos Aires, the pastries are also made with more spice than elsewhere in the country and are served with a wedge of lemon to create a uniquely tangy flavour.

‘But… how could I not love you?’ graffiti poetry in the streets of San Miguel (Photo: Daniel Edwards)
A personal vehicle allowed us to stop whenever it took our fancy, and discover a host of towns and villages hidden from the main roads negotiated by charter coaches. A particular favourite was La Caldera, situated on the river of the same name just outside of Salta on the way to Jujuy by way of the sinuous mountain road of the Ruta 9. In suffocating midday temperatures the water, almost completely dried up save for a handful of fast-moving torrents and lagoons among the rocks, was the focal point for hundreds of families and youngsters who had come down to enjoy the ice-cold currents; and despite taking more than a few tumbles in the rapids as the water battered down, I could more than understand why.
The trip took in Jujuy and the awe-inspiring canyon of the Quebrada de Humahuaca, before returning to Tucumán for the next odyssey on rails – for some reason one hour longer than the outgoing voyage. We were now past masters at negotiating the train, and even pulled off a midnight move into the upgraded primera carriages, which offer a similar comfort to a semi cama seat by road albeit at the same ponderous speed of the locomotive. None of the boisterous atmosphere was lost, however; the trip was livened up five hours in by a catholic school on their way to Retiro to visit the sacred city of Luján, and who counted in their ranks an hilarious kid who had the whole carriage in stitches with a pitch-perfect imitation of Argentina’s ubiquitous moving salesmen. From patis to helados to diarios, the lad could have sold anything with his affected rasping tones.

Quebrada de Humahuaca landscape (Photo: Daniel Edwards)
Perhaps the biggest challenge of making the trip by train is getting a ticket in the first place. Demand is fierce due to the extremely competitive pricing and, with just two journeys a week, supply is scarce. Tickets generally go on sale one month beforehand (so December’s trips will be available from the 1st of November), and there is no provision for telephone or electronic sales, Buenos Aires’ only point of sale is the Ferrocentral office secluded in a remote corner of Retiro’s Mitre station. Passengers can queue for days outside the office in the hope of securing their passage, and while turista seats are hard enough to get in the first place, any higher classes are almost impossible unless you are willing to take a sleeping bag and do the hard hours.
Patience and tenacity, as well as a complete lack of shame, are vital attributes if you want to be one of the lucky few; be flexible on dates and class, if unsuccessful once keep going to the office as cancellations do occur on a regular basis, and don’t fret if you can only buy one of the cheapest, most uncomfortable tickets. Ferrocentral allocates a certain number of seats to all of the seven stations stopped at on the way to Tucumán, and demand is much lower than in the nation’s capital. This is where the shameless aspect comes into play: a few hours into the trip, nonchalantly make your way into primera (the other classes are somewhat more tightly supervised by the train’s employees) and slide yourself into an available seat. You always have the confused tourist card to play in the unlikely event that a guard asks you to move, but this is a rare occurrence. If you are happy to do the whole stretch in turista, do come prepared; a small pillow is easy to overlook while packing, but it will be worth its weight in gold 15 hours in when your body is crying out for a bit of rest.
The Oriental Express, or the Trans-Siberian Railway, it most decidedly is not, and passengers looking for luxury and comfort should look elsewhere – or at least start queuing now in the hope of taking one of the fabled private cabins. For the traveller on a budget, though, looking to begin their exploration of Argentina’s spectacular north-west and continue onwards into Bolivia and Perú the train to Tucumán represents a fantastic alternative to pounding the Rutas; pack the icebox, make yourself comfortable, and in no time at all you’ll have mastered the art of preparing yerba mate balanced on the rickety rails while telling your life story to the señoras who rule the roost in turista.
http://www.sateliteferroviario.com.ar/ is a privately-run website which is a brilliant source of information for everything train-related, giving practical information and advice on trains to Tucumán and elsewhere as well as fascinating histories of the rails. (In Spanish) http://www.ferrocentralsa.com.ar/ is the official site of the company, and gives information on timetables, fares and a rundown of the different classes (Spanish). Reservations, however, must be made in person at Retiro’s Bartolomeu Mitre station.






















Women expats and helpers who live in Buenos Aires have voluntarily given their time to put together ‘Hola, Buenos Aires!’ e-book for those wishing to relocate to Argentina’s capital city. The ladies are from all over the world and, after experiencing the city first-hand, decided to take an old, spiral-bound city guide that they had found in the
HI Travel provides a service to and from the Ezeiza Airport five times daily. The shuttle service costs US$11 and can take you from Ezeiza to one of the many drop-off points throughout Buenos Aires.
Not a fan of crowded public transportation or stumbling through Spanish with bus terminals or taxi drivers? Private car company, Silver Star Car, is a more personal alternative to airport transportation. Founded in 2009 by husband and wife couple, Fred Badagnani and Karina Zurita, this personal car service is not only provided in English and recommended by Lonely Planet, but also gives your arrival or departure into Buenos Aires a celebrity feel.
The Mini Bus S.R.I service provides a small shuttle serving 4-19 passengers depending on the vehicle and operates right outside of Paseo Colón Avenue in Monserrat. For $21 you can travel with Mini Bus to Ezeiza.
Manuel Tienda León prides themselves in the security of their ride to and from Ezeiza airport to their station, Terminal Madero. With a bus running at least every hour, coming and going from the airport has never been so easy.

