USEFUL ADDRESSES AND NUMBERS
Should you run into problems, the following numbers may come in handy:
- General Emergency: 911
- Buenos Aires Police: 101
- Ambulance: 107
- Fire Brigade: 100
Tourist Information – 011 4313 0187, or the most useful Tourist Kiosk located in the centre on Av. Diagonal Roque Saenz Peña and Florida (Monday-Friday 9am-6pm, Sat 10am-3pm). The kiosk and helpline staff do not usually have much specialist knowledge but can ply you with a wealth of glossy leaflets and maps. If you are planning to stay in the city for a while and to use public transport it would be worthwhile buying a Guia T, a combined street map and bus guide, from any of the magazine/newspaper kiosks dotted along the streets.
The Ministerio de Turísmo provides a website with the most comprehensive tourist information. Visit www.turismo.gov.ar
Embassies: Buenos Aires is a ‘world city’ and most countries have an embassy or consular presence here. Below are a list of a few of them…
Australia: Villanueva 1400, Palermo, Buenos Aires. Tel: 011 4779 3500
Canada: Tagle 2828, Recoleta, Buenos Aires. Tel: 011 4808 1000
Ireland: Av. del Libertador 1068, Recoleta, Buenos Aires. Tel: 011 5787 0801
New Zealand: Carlos Pellegrini 1427, 5th Floor, Retiro, Buenos Aires. Tel: 011 4328 0747
South Africa: Marcelo T. de Alvear 590, 8th floor, Retiro, Buenos Aires. Tel: 011 4317 2900
UK: Dr Luis Agote 2412, Recoleta, Buenos Aires. Tel: 011: 4808 2200
USA: Av. Colombia 4300, Palermo, Buenos Aires. Tel: 011 5777 4533
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PRACTICALITIES
ATM
You will be able to use the ATMs here relatively problem free. Cash machines operate differently, but usually you will have to insert your card and follow the instructions and take your card back at the end of the transaction. Some, however, will ask you to insert and retract your card at the beginning and therefore you should ensure that you have completely finished the transaction before you walk away from the cash point!
Some banks impose limits on how much you can take out in one go and others will charge around $11 (pesos) for the transaction and this is totally separate to what your bank at home may charge you for taking out money abroad.
Banks are only open from 10am-3pm, Monday-Friday if you need to do an over-the-counter transaction, be sure to head along during those hours. Just after closing at 3pm, most banks refill the ATMs, so don’t be surprised if between 3 and 3.30 you find it impossible to get money anywhere.
Post
The Buenos Aires central post office (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
If you want to post something you can go to either the post office, Correo Argentina, or if it is a letter or some paper work, there are authorized kiosks where you can send things from. However, to send packages you will need to go to the post office. Here you will be offered different sized boxes to place your item in. It is advisable to pre- wrap items that are fragile before sending them in the boxes.
Beware if you want to send expensive things as they tend to get ‘lost’ or arrive a lot later than expected to the final destination. A safer option is to use a private courier system but this is infinitely more expensive.
Electricity
Electricity leaves the mains at 220v so you may need a transformer if your device uses a different voltage.
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TRANSPORT
Buenos Aires is a city full of transport options for all budgets. Occasionally you have to weigh up the option between crawling along in a bus or taxi at rush hour or trying to survive the heat on the subte, but you can always get to where you want to go.
There are two cards which can be used as electronic payment cards, which can be ‘topped-up’ at most kiosks, and can also be used for bus and Subte trips. SUBE cards can be bought at the post office, kiosks, at various Subte stations, and online at the official government website (www.sube.gob.org). The cost to purchase a card is usually around $20. Another card is the Monadero and can also be used on all Subte. It is a worthwhile investment to put $10 or $20 credit on at a time to save long queues at peak times.
Buses (AKA ‘colectivos’ or ‘el bondi’)
Running 24 hours a day, there are 140 bus lines connecting the city.
Argentina is very unique in that people queue for the bus; don’t go upsetting anyone by cutting in line as everyone knows when they arrived and in front of whom. Tell the bus driver where you want to go, he will program it into a machine which will be just past him into the bus on the left or right hand side, pay with either your SUBE or put your money in the slot and a paper ticket and change will come out. Fares with the SUBE are $2.50, $2.85, $3.90 or $4.50 depending on length of journey. Without the SUBE card, fares are almost double the amount, so it is worthwhile to invest in one. If you don’t have a SUBE, you need coins (or ‘monedas’) for the bus. If in need, pop into a kiosko and buy something small to get the change.
A few extra tips:
- Do wave down the bus if you see it coming
- Do get on quickly and get out of the way of the doors
- Do get off as soon as it has stopped (or before if you’re daring)
The bus drivers act super efficiently, they will not wait for you to be comfortable before moving.
Websites
The Buenos Aires city government hosts a super useful website called Mapa Interactivo de Buenos Aires (at mapa.buenosaires.gob.ar) which allows users to plan their journeys from point of departure to point of arrival. You can filter your mode of transport (foot, bicycle, car, public transport) to find the best and quickest route throughout Capital Federal. Another option is www.comoviajo.com, which is also extremely useful.
Guia T
The Guia T has become many people’s best friend though there are days when it will upset you and you’ll never want to see it again.
Bought from road-side magazine stands (a more than adequate pocket size edition is currently from $10) it contains the best map you will find of the city split over 36 glorious technicolour pages with every bus and subte route detailed inside. The hard part is trying to use it…
- Find where you are on the map on the right hand page (use the road index at the front if needed), and the buses that stop in that square correspond with the equivalent square on the left hand page.
- Find where you want to go and match up any numbers of buses that travel between these two squares.
- After securing some possible bus routes, turn to the back of the guide and read through the list of roads on the route to find where the bus stops and where it will get you to (note IDA will be the bus going in one direction and REGRESO the other, you need to work our which way you are travelling).
N.B. you still don’t know where the bus stop is along the road, you just have to walk until you find it (every three blocks or so as a rule). There will normally be a sign on a shelter but occasionally it’s a sticker on a wall or a tree or…
It’s not fun and it will take you weeks to master. And it’s not just you, it is a ridiculous way to map the city but indulge in the pretty pictures of bus designs in the back (every one is different after all!) and stick with it, soon it will never leave your side.
Subte
Fares are a flat rate of $3.50 for the underground train, pay for tickets from the booths in any station with cards available for 1, 2 or 5 trips (a multi-journey card can be used by more than one person at any time) or directly with your SUBE or Monadero card. Sometimes if it’s busy and you’re super lucky, staff will wave you through the barrier without you having to pay.
It’s pretty easy to navigate, stations are easy to spot above ground, just note that two stations at an interchange will have a different name for each line that they run on.
Buskers (some extremely good) and people selling things are very common but if you don’t want to give money, there’s no pressure (though you may want to join in the clapping after each song of a busker which is extremely respectful to see).
Trains
To visit outlying neighbourhoods, trains leave from Retiro, Constitución, Once and Federico Lacroze. Buy tickets from the relevant station and price varies according to distance of journey. www.tbanet.com.ar or www.ferrobaires.gba.gov.ar
Trains also leave from these stations a few times a week to head to far flung provinces on the decrepit national railway network that has been left to rot due to underinvestment. But if you have more time to travel, it is a novelty and will show you places you would never see from motorway aboard a luxury inter-city bus. The system is not particularly organised and it is slow, but go to each of the stations to ask for details as to where they go and when. The locations of the stations in the city are something of a clue – Constitución tends to have trains heading south, Once and Federico Lacroze west, and Retiro north.
Long haul buses and local bus terminal
Intercity buses are by far the most common way to travel long distances in Argentina, and they are good. Unlike many other things in Argentina, they leave on time and are extremely efficient. Meals are included (although to avoid scurvy it may be an idea to take some fruit or juice with you, as you can expect soft drinks, extremely sweet coffee and lifeless, carbohydrate based cuisine), as is entertainment, which tends to depend on the taste of the driver and crew – anything from pirate versions of the latest blockbuster to some straight-to-video action flick from the mid-80s could be on the agenda. On some carriers, on-board bingo is standard.
The bus terminal at Retiro should have you all you need. Av Ramos Mejía 1680, www.tebasa.com.ar
Airports
Aeropuerto Internacional Ezeiza Ministro Pistarini (or often referred to as simply Ezeiza) handles international flights. It is a 45-minute taxi ride from the centre, expecting to pay around $200-250 one-way.
Some branches of bus number 8 (check the sign in the front window), that run through San Telmo, Plaza de Mayo and the length of Avenida Rivadavia, also go to the airport at a cost of $1.75, but leave upwards of two hours for the journey.
Other alternatives ways to get to the airport, from shuttles and minibuses, can be found here.
Aeropuerto Jorge Newbery handles domestic and some South American flights and is located by the river in Palermo. It is a quick taxi ride, and some buses go there.
Ferry
Although possible to catch a 8hr bus from Retiro to Montevideo in Uruguay, many people prefer to go by sea. Choose from 1hr to 3hr trips to Colonia or Montevideo and boats leave from the Buquebus terminal near Puerto Madero and the Colonia Express terminal in La Boca.
Taxis
An easy option to get around, you can flag one of the 32,000 official taxis down from any street corner any time of day and night. There is an initial charge and then the price increases over length of journey. If you would rather reserve one for that important trip, get in touch with …
Car rental
The fast pace and confusing network of one-way streets should put a lot of people off renting a car in Buenos Aires – it is much easier to go by public transport. However if you wish to take the plunge and take advantage of the ease of visiting outer towns and provinces, a plethora of national and international companies are at your fingertips.
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VISAS
Tourist visas last for 90 days so if you are planning to stay for longer you have several options. A day trip to Colonia will provide you with a nice day out and a new 3-month tourist visa. Alternatively, you could travel to Chile by bus or plane.
The border crossings are;
Argentina and Uruguay, you can take a boat from either Puerto Madero to Colonia or Montevideo or from Tigre where you will go to Carmelo. There are also crossings from the Entre Ríos province to Uruguay but one of them is blocked due to an on going feud between to the two countries over a new paper mill which has been built which may be polluting the area. If you do over-shoot your stay the fine is a set 300 pesos.
You can also extend your stay for a further ninety days by presenting your passport to the main immigration department, Direccion de Migraciones, at Av. Antartida Argentina 1350, Retiro, in Buenos Aires (Tel; 011/4317 0237). This costs $300 and can be done on weekdays between 8am and 1pm.
US, Canada and Australia: If you are entering Buenos Aires from Ezeiza Airport, you will be charged a reciprocity fee of US$131, which is valid for entry into Argentina for ten years. The fee will be collected at the Passport Control checkpoint.