A work in progress...
General rules of thumb:
Buenos Aires is a huge, bustling, diverse city with an infinite amount of things to do. Tons of restaurants, cafes, wine, tango, steak, futbol, theater, beautiful architecture, lots of things going on.
We are going through some tough economic times, but we are resilient. Many are multi-decade veterans of these unfortunate circumstances. Keep in mind that there are many families really struggling under the high inflation and slow salary/wage raises these days. What was once a healthy middle class that traveled the world can no longer comfortably reach the end of the year (some cases, month). Being respectful and aware of this will ensure a fun, safe trip. Which leads us to...
Blue Rate, Money Exchange, Credit Cards, Western Union, etc: This site and their article about the blue dollar keeps things relatively up to date with what is happening and why it is happening.
- Where to change money? You'll want to find a "casa de cambio" which can be found searching in Google maps. Shop around for the best rates.
- Avoid using USD, Euros and foreign currency for day to day transactions or negotiating. Switch to pesos at the blue rate. We are in the midst of a rough economic crisis and well, this sucks for us. It could come across poorly to your Argentinian hosts when a traveler flashes their stable currency and push for a discount or can't be bothered to have the local currency.
- Visa and Mastercard are giving the "MEP" rate which is about 10-15% less than the blue dolar rate. It is more convenient, but note that many locations do not accept credit cards as the merchant fees are high. There have been many reports of the charges appearing at the official rate and then correcting to the MEP rate a few days later. Keep an eye on your CC statement.
- Western Union has locations all around the city. Consider setting up an account with them and wire yourself money. You'll receive it at the blue dollar rate minus their fee. (Hint: Do not send large amounts in one transaction as many locations run low on cash)
What's the weather like in the month of____
- Magic internet predictor
- Generally speaking, humid most of the year which exaggerates the feel of whatever temperatures we're experiencing
Getting around: Taxis, Uber, Buses, Subway
- Lots of taxis in the city, but as a traveler you'll likely want some accountability as there are some bad apples in the bunch. Hail cabs that are connected to large companies like Radio Taxi. Taxis take cash only 99% of the time. Get your pesos ready.
- Almost everyone, drivers and riders, rounds up to the nearest round number. Ex: Taxi fare is $4,851 pesos, round it up to $4,900 or $5,000.
- To add a measure of safety use Cabify, a local taxi app
- Uber, DiDi and others function here, but do not like the "Pay with card" option. Change it to cash to help prevent cancellations.
- To use the public transportation you will need a SUBE card.
Depending on when you read this they are currently in short supply so head to the largest subway terminals (end points of the subway lines). Check kiosks, lottery stores that say they have SUBE. "Discúlpame, tienen tarjetas de SUBE?"
- Most buses and subway now accept credit and debit cards.
- When using the bus system tell the driver where you are heading to 1. Make sure you are on the right bus heading the right direction 2. For him to properly price your bus fare
Safety: This is a tricky one and very relative to you, your hometown, your instincts and your past travels. Buenos Aires has it's grittier side, but generally speaking very little violent crime compared to cities of equal or greater size. It is the safest large metropolis in South America. General rules of thumb:
- Leave your nice jewelry and watches at home. No need to draw extra attention to yourself.
- Crime here is mainly opportunistic. Leaving your phone on a cafe table, setting your purse on the back of your chair, using your lap top at a sidewalk cafe are scenarios we avoid.
- General map of safer and potentially problematic areas
- Keep in mind that thieves look for easy, disoriented or distracted targets.
- Thousands upon thousands of travelers come here annually with varying levels of Spanish. Seeing or helping travelers out is nothing unusual for us.
Common scams:
- Mustard trick
- Sock salesman approaches your table to sell you something, places goods on top of your phone or wallet on the table and after some distracting chat leaves with his merchandise and your valuables hidden underneath.
- Bill switch. When paying for something with, say a $10,000 bill, the receiver claims you only paid with a $2,000 bill. Typically done at night as the designs are somewhat similar.
Where to stay:
- Recoleta- Old money, French and Italian style architecture, well located for access to many of the city's sites
- San Telmo- Grittier, cobblestone streets, old school street lamps, tango, antique stores
- Palermo Soho- Lots of cafes, designer shops, trendy restaurants, boutique hotels
- Palermo Hollywood- Lots of cafes, trendy restaurants, a bit quieter than Palermo Soho
- Villa Crespo/Chacarita- Up and coming area, newer bars, cafes
More info on neighborhoods
Things you should not miss...
- Wine...madre mia our wines are good and ridiculously affordable. Argentina focuses on malbec, which is a robust wine, but plenty more to try.
- Fernet and coke, local favorite cocktail
- Steak. Go to a "parrilla" (steakhouse) and feast. Don Julio is internationally famous, but there are plenty of others that have the same caliber of quality. Check out La Brigada, La Cabrera, Lo de Jesus, Carnicería, Parrilla Peña and many more that are simply your local, neighborhood parrilla.
- FÚTBOL! We are the champions after all! Just be aware that getting tickets is not always easy and many clubs are loaded with season ticket holders and club members reducing availability of tickets sold publicly. Search the sub for various suggestions and leads. LandingpadBA is a reliable local agency and common starting point for Boca Juniors and River Plate.
- Mate), a slightly bitter tea drunk from a hollowed out gourd and filtered straw
- If you can, see an event at Teatro Colón
- Night life...it is insane here compared to many other countries' restrictions with closing times and such. Bars, clubs, restaurants are all open late. The average dinner time is around 9:00 pm and many people do not leave to go out to the bars until 12 midnight. Recent post about best clubs in Buenos Aires
- Recoleta cemetery, Plaza de Mayo, Casa Rosada, wandering around San Telmo, shopping in Palermo, take a stroll through the rose garden...if you want a more in depth learning experience hire on a local bilingual guide. They are required to get a degree in tourism and really know our stuff here. Or hop on one of those double decker city tour buses the city offer.
- Tango. There are plenty of tourist oriented tango shows coupled with dinner around town. Favorites among travelers are Cafe de los Angelitos, Tango Porteño and Viejo Almacén. If you are looking for a more "real" experience check out milongas or take a lesson at one of the local studios. Tango is about as popular as jazz is in Europe or the U.S. currently. It is a nostalgic genre, worshipped by the older generations, very niche now for younger Argentines.
Avoid
- Visiting La Boca outside the touristy area or at night
- "Exploring" impoverished neighborhoods
- Renting a car- it is not necessary if you are staying in Buenos Aires. There are thousands of taxis, Ubers and the sort.
- Cars here seem to think they have the right of way. Careful crossing streets with no traffic signal which make up most intersections in the neighborhoods.
Controversial
Some people are going to ask or seek anyway so we might as well point you in the right direction. We'd rather not see weekly posts asking where one can find the devil's lettuce or where to see boobies. By no means are we encouraging, but rather trying to reduce these types of questions and prevent the sub from becoming a market place for sketchiness.
What's the deal with weed?: Technically illegal, but tolerated. Lots of people will light up in the street with little fear of repercussions. Search Telegram for sales. Be street smart.
Prostitution: Again, technically illegal, but tolerated. Street walkers are not common and actively prevented. Google will be your friend using Spanish vocab.
Where else should I go in Argentina? Most common suggestions are:
- Iguazu Falls (Ridiculous amount of water falls in beautiful national park)
- Mendoza (wine, scenery and more wine)
- Bariloche (hiking, beautiful scenery)
- Jujuy, Salta (Northern culture, scenery, salt flats)
Good reading/research:
Another general rundown of everything you need to know in Buenos Aires (gracias u/MrKiwi24)
Restaurants, bars and cafes from a local expert
New York Times: 36 hours in Buenos Aires
Active Facebook group in English
Eater: 38 essential restaurants in Buenos Aires
More general ideas of things to do in Buenos Aires
F.A.Q.s:
Where to meet people
