Pre-Program Steps

Please complete the following steps prior to the program start date:

  1. Complete the Pre-Program Form

  2. Book your Flights + Submit your Flight Information Form

  3. Attend the Mandatory Pre-Departure Webinar

  4. Participate in the Discovery Meeting(s)

  5. Send WhatsApp Test Messages to Puentes

  6. Pack your Bags!

1. complete the pre-program form

To help us prepare for your arrival, please complete the Pre-Program Form by Wednesday, March 5.

2. BOOK YOUR FLIGHTS + SUBMIT YOUR FLIGHT FORM

Please read the following instructions carefully before booking your flights.

  • Required arrival date: Friday, May 2, 2025

  • Program end date: Saturday, May 17, 2025

You are responsible for booking your own roundtrip international flights to and from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and your domestic flights between Buenos Aires and San Carlos de Bariloche, which is the city where the FGC program will take place.

Booking your arrival flight to Buenos Aires, Argentina: You must arrive to Buenos Aires to the “Ministro Pistarini Ezeiza” international airport (EZE) between 6am and 10am on Friday, May 2. Most international flights are overnight, so make sure that you book to arrive (not depart) on the required date of Friday, May 2. Puentes team member Kelly Williamson will meet you at the EZE airport and accompany you on the group transfer to the “Aeroparque Jorge Newberry” domestic airport (AEP), to take the flight from Buenos Aires to Bariloche. There will be one group transfer from the international EZE airport to the domestic AEP airport, so early morning arrivals to EZE airport will wait for the rest of the group. If you arrive to EZE airport after 10am on Friday, May 2, you will be responsible for your own airport transfer between EZE airport and AEP airport.

Booking your domestic flights between Buenos Aires and Bariloche: You should book the following domestic flights on the Aerolineas Argentinas airline to ensure that you are included on all group transfers and that you can participate in all program activities.

  • Friday, May 2: Aerolineas Argentina flight AR1684, departing Buenos Aires domestic AEP airport at 2:45pm, arriving to Bariloche BRC airport at 5:10pm

  • Saturday, May 17: Aerolineas Argentina flight AR1671, departing Bariloche BRC airport at 11:00am, arriving to Buenos Aires international EZE airport at 1:05pm

Book the above recommended flights on Aerolineas Argentinas as soon as possible because seats are limited, and the pricing may increase as seats are booked.

Puentes will coordinate your airport transfers between your program-coordinated housing in Bariloche and the Bariloche airport on May 2 and May 17, according to the flight times listed above. If you book different flights to and from Bariloche, you will be responsible for your own transfers, and you may miss program activities.

While there are several domestic airline carriers in Argentina, we recommend that you travel domestically on Aerolineas Argentinas, due to the frequent cancellations and delays experienced by alternative, budget airlines, such as FlyBondi and JetSmart.

Booking your return international flight from Buenos Aires, Argentina: You should book your return international flight to depart from Buenos Aires international EZE airport after 6pm on Saturday, May 17, to ensure that you have enough time to check in for the international flight.

As soon as you book your flights, please complete the Puentes Flight Information Form.


3. Review THE MANDATORY PRE-DEPARTURE WEBINAR

The mandatory pre-departure webinar took place on Friday, February 21, at 12:30pm ET.  If you were unable to attend it is mandatory that you review the slides and watch the recording.

4. SEND WHATSAPP TEST MESSAGES TO PUENTES

In Argentina, it’s very common to use WhatsApp to communicate. Please send the following Puentes team members a WhatsApp test message with your “First Name Last Name Puentes.”

  • Kelly Williamson: +54 9 11 5466 8512

  • Ann Noguer: +54 9 11 4196 5400

When adding new WhatsApp contacts, be sure to include the plus sign (+), the country code (54), and the area code (9 11).

Please continue to contact the Puentes team by email or phone for any non-urgent matters as you prepare for your program. We will use WhatsApp as a way to connect in the case of urgent matters.


5. Participate in the Discovery meeting(s)

Puentes Abroad will be coordinating a Discovery Meeting in which each consulting team will be meeting with their host organization virtually to introduce everybody, to have an introduction to the organization and to the project scope, and to answer questions. Please come prepared with questions about your host organization and the project scope!


6. PACK YOUR BAG

Below are packing suggestions. Read them carefully, and pack smart!

Important note on Baggage Weight Limit: For the domestic flight between Buenos Aires and Bariloche, your checked bag can weigh up to 33 pounds (15 kilograms).  For international flights, the checked bag can typically weigh up to 50 pounds (23 kilograms). Thus, we encourage you to only check one bag of up to 33 pounds maximum weight.

Featured
Your Passport
Your Passport

Make sure that passport is valid for at least six months after your last planned date abroad. U.S. passport holders can enter Argentina and Uruguay as tourists without a visa for the Puentes programs. If you are entering Argentina or Uruguay on a passport from a country other than the U.S., please review the possible visa requirements for Argentina or for Uruguay. It is ultimately your responsibility to secure a visa for the program if you are required to do so.

Put your passport in your carry on bag - not in your checked bag.

Money: Cards and Cash
Money: Cards and Cash

Bring a debit card, a credit card, and U.S. dollars in US$100 bills (smaller denominations are often not accepted in exchange houses) so that you have options for payments while abroad.

Also notify your credit and debit card banks about the dates during which you will be abroad so that you will not be flagged for fraudulent activities. Ask your bank to waive the ATM withdrawal fee as an exception during the time that you are abroad. 

If you plan to use Western Union to access pesos while abroad, create the Western Union account while physically located in the U.S. before you travel.

Laptop
Laptop

You must bring your own laptop. Also of note is that electronics are very expensive in this region of the world, so it’s best to bring any cords, plugs, and accessories that you need for electronics.

Cell Phone
Cell Phone

It is a requirement to have a functioning cell phone (with both a calling plan and data plan) for the entire duration of your program. Contact your cell phone provider to set up an international cell phone plan

If you have an extra cell phone already on hand, you may want to bring it with you in case something happens to your phone while in country so that you have a ready, easy replacement.

Adaptor
Adaptor

Argentine and Uruguay electricity is 220 V, 50 Hz, which is different than the 110V in many countries. When using a computer, generally there is a voltage converter on the plug that protects your computer, but with bigger electronics like hairdryers and hair straighteners, you might need a 220 to 110 volt transformer.

Argentina and Uruguay use a mix of European and Australian plugs. The most common plug in Argentina is two flat blades in a V shape (type I). The most common plug in Uruguay is the plug with three points (type L). You can either bring adaptors or buy them upon arrival in any “ferretería” (hardware store).

Prescription medication
Prescription medication

Bring more than enough of any prescription medication for your entire stay abroad. Medicine cannot be sent via postal mail from your home country, and you cannot use an international prescription at a pharmacy abroad; if you need prescription medication filled while abroad, you must see a local doctor.

Clothes for Fall Weather
Clothes for Fall Weather

The month of May in Bariloche can have varying temperatures, rain, and sunshine, so do bring different options for layers, including a rain jacket and a warm jacket. Buildings do not have central heating systems so be sure to bring warm clothes for the workplace too. 

Outdoors/Walking Shoes
Outdoors/Walking Shoes

Comfortable and durable walking shoes are a must to get around Bariloche’s streets, many of which are unpaved and gravel or dirt.

Zipper Bag
Zipper Bag

Do not bring open-top tote bags to transport your laptop, but instead opt for a zippered bag or backpack for daily outings. You’ll find most people carry their belongings in a fanny pack or crossbody purse, rather than their pockets, when out in public.

Reusable Lunch Bag
Reusable Lunch Bag

Bring a reusable lunch bag to take your lunch to your workspace each weekday.  The office of your host organization may not have nearby options to purchase food or receive food delivery, so you should plan to take your lunch to work each day. 

Preferred Toiletries
Preferred Toiletries

If you prefer certain types or brands of toiletries, pack them in your suitcase. If you use tampons with applicators, those are hard to find here, since the applicator-free model is the one widely used.

Items to not pack
Items to not pack

No need to pack towels or sheets; your Puentes housing provides them.

We also recommend that you do not bring any expensive or irreplaceable jewelry or personal items so that you do not have to fret about them while adventuring.

}