Most travellers arrive by air. Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport is about 7 km west of the centre and is served by daily flights from Buenos Aires (Aerolíneas Argentinas, around three and a half hours) and by less frequent connections from El Calafate and Ushuaia. A taxi into town costs around AR$5000 at last check.
By bus, Rio Gallegos is a major hub on the southern Patagonian network. Long-distance buses run north to El Calafate (around four hours), Comodoro Rivadavia (eleven hours), and Buenos Aires (around 36 hours, an experience), and south across the Chilean border to Punta Arenas (around six hours with customs) and on to Ushuaia. The bus terminal is on the western edge of town.
The Chilean border crossing at Monte Aymond is straightforward but slow — allow at least an hour for paperwork on a normal day, longer in summer.