Buenos Aires Travel Guide: Taxis

With almost 13 million inhabitants, greater Buenos Aires is a huge city and though there is quite an efficient bus and subway system, it can be overwhelming for newcomers, making a taxi the preferred option for most tourists during the best vacations in Buenos Aires.

Within the Buenos Aires city limits a regular taxi is the easiest way to get around. Always painted in black with yellow roof and door pillars, they are impossible to miss and there are literally tens of thousands roaming the streets 24 hours a day. Though most are very friendly and reliable towards tourists, many locals like to choose one from one of the bigger firms that have radio links to their base as these are seen as more reliable. Though painted in the same black and yellow, they are easily identified by a big circle on the front doors with the term “Radio Taxi” and an identifying number below.

All taxis are obliged to have a sign with a photo identifying the driver as well as the owner and brand and model of the taxi hanging from the front seat with its identifying number which you can always write down if you think you were treated unfairly and want to register a complaint with the city government. A sign hanging from the other chair has the latest prices, whereby you pay a combined fee per mile as well for time spent waiting in traffic along the way. Remember that with inflation, prices go up around 10-15% every 6 months, so check the latest tariffs online just before leaving your home country for one of the best vacations in Buenos Aires.

A Remis delivers the same service as taxis but they are private cars, mostly without specific identifying marks and you can not catch them directly on the streets. Almost every street has one or more local “remiserias” where you can order one in person or by telephone. They have no meter, so you agree upon a fixed price beforehand and they will also take you outside of city limits. They calculate their prices from their starting location, so try always to select a remiseria that is close to either your location of departure or your final destination. It is normally a bit cheaper than taxis and very safe and preferred by many locals over a “real” taxi, especially for longer distances.

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Travel to Argentina with your dog or cat

If you are only thinking about spending a few weeks in Argentina, most people will be able to find someone to take care of your beloved pet. Many people however come down to South America for longer periods these days either for work, extended vacation or as part of their sabbatical and do not want to spend that much time separated from their dog or cat. Below we give you all the tools to make sure you can bring your pet on the greatest tours to Argentina.

The first important precaution is that all animals must be vaccinated for rabies at least 30 days but not more than 12 months before you travel to Argentina. A few days before traveling, an accredited veterinarian in your home country must then fill out the Argentina Veterinary Certificate. Each country has its own special certificate, so make sure to ask one, through the Argentinean Embassy in your country for example, with plenty of time in advance.  

Your airline must notify the Argentine airport at least 24 hours prior to landing (normally Ezeiza Airport, near Buenos Aires for most international flights),  giving notice of pets on board in order to ensure attendance of a local vet for inspection of your pet on arrival. There is a $25 USD customs fee that will be added to your airway bill if you are traveling in or out of Argentina. 

Remember also that even if it’s only a small cat or dog, the local airline, Aerolineas Argentinas, does not allow pets to travel in the cabin under any circumstances, unless they are medically certified service animals, such as guide dogs for blind passengers. You will therefore always have to make arrangements in advance for transport in the live cargo section. Your pet must also be traveling in a crate that is in accordance with the rules set by the international airline organization IATA, amongst others: adequate ventilation, waterproof bottom, a spring loaded door and no handles on the crate. Keep these simple rules in mind and there should be absolutely no problem on bringing your pet on the greatest tours of Argentina.

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Buenos Aires Travel Guide: The BA City Tour Bus

Following the example set by many cities around the world, since May 2009 Buenos Aires has its own Hop On Hop Off tour bus run by the city government.  Affordable and with an open upper deck, it makes for a great way to see the highlights along a 3 hour loop it follows through downtown. Running every 20 minutes and with 25 stops in all, here are 4 stops to certainly visit during the best tours to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Stop 0: Diagonal Norte & Florida

On the corner of the most important shopping street in Buenos Aires and mere yards away from the Plaza de Mayo with its many monuments including the Casa Rosada, the Cabildo and the Cathedral, it’s no wonder it’s the first stop on the tour.

Stop 8: Caminito

La Boca’s cultural and touristic heart beats on the few blocks around Caminito. This small street on the waterfront has managed to preserve some of its original houses with their different bright colors for almost every wall. This tradition dates back to the dockworkers bringing back left over ship paint from the shipyards they worked at to use on their walls, normally not being enough to paint the entire house in one color

Stop 18: Barrio Chino

Buenos Aires’ Chinatown is the perfect place for lunch. Even more than in other cities around the world it’s the place in Buenos Aires to get some spicy food. Argentines normally do not eat spicy food and the Barrio Chino has by far the best options for those missing food with a bite to it.

Stop 23: Recoleta Cemetery

The number one attraction in Buenos Aires is this cemetery. Most visitors come for the tomb of Eva Peron, but a host of famous Argentines and members of the most important families in town have found their final resting place here. Directly outside the burial grounds is the church of Our Lady of Pilar, built in 1732 and with beautiful silver ornaments inside and certainly an important stop during the best tours to Buenos Aires, Argentina 

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Argentina Travel Guide: The Old Patagonian Express

Made famous by Paul Theroux in his 1978 book, the Old Patagonian Express is described as the railway almost at the end of the world. Though no longer running the entire route it did in its heyday, a journey with this train is still a great addition to any of the best vacations to Argentina.

Officially the Patagonian Light Railway and named La Trochita by the locals, because it runs on narrow gauge tracks, the line opened in 1935 to link the 400 kilometers separating  Ingeniero Jacobacci in Rio Negro from Esquel in Chubut. This line also completed the railroad going all the way up to Buenos Aires.

In the 1960’s the roads improved ever more and faster and more comfortable long distance buses and trucks led to the slow and steady decline of the former popular railway, especially after lines connecting to it also started to shut down because of economic difficulties. When Paul Theroux first rode the train in the late 1970’s the line itself was already making great losses and on the verge of closure, with may of its locomotives and wagons in a perilous state.

The first waves of backpackers discovering the train around this same time however and especially the tourists coming after the publication of Theroux’ book, made the line continue on until the government in 1992 finally decided to close it down because it could not afford the huge investments needed to bring the line up to current safety and economic standards. Almost all rolling stock by this time was over 70 years of age.  

Luckily an international outcry made the two provincial governments think of a plan to keep the line open in a different form. It now runs shorter trips on part of the former line as a so called heritage railway on two touristic sections in Chubut between (a) Esquel and the settlement of Nahuel Pan and (b) between El Maitén and Desvio. It still uses the original steam engines and period wagons and is a great way to spend a part of the best vacations to Argentina.

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Buenos Aires Travel Guide: Plaza de Mayo

There are many monuments and landmarks in Buenos Aires, Argentina and the Plaza de Mayo is undoubtedly home to some of the most important. The heart of the city since 1661 and in its current form since 1884, here are the 5 most important sights to visit on the square during the perfect tours to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Casa Rosada

The “pink house” is based on the remaining annex of the former demolished city fortress from 1713 and underwent many extensions and modifications during the 19th century before getting its not so subtle paint of coat in 1882 under president Sarmiento, supposedly to merge the red and white colors of the two main opposing political parties. It’s been the work palace of the Argentine president ever since independence. 

Piramide de Mayo

Put up to commemorate the newly independent "Provinces of the Rio de la Plata" in 1811, it’s the oldest surviving monument in the city of Buenos Aires. 

Banco de La Nacion

Built between 1940 and 1955, the headquarters of the biggest bank in Argentina also houses an art gallery and a numismatic museum which are both open to the public.

Cabildo

The Cabildo was the original seat of the city government and dates back to 1610, making it one of the oldest buildings in the city. Though half of it was destroyed on purpose in the early 20th century to make room for the new Avenida de Mayo, in 1940 the remaning half was reconstructed with its original colonial features.

Catedral

The Roman temple you see on the corner of the Plaza de Mayo is actually the Metropolitan Cathedral of Buenos Aires. Rebuilt several times since its humble origins in the 16th century, the present building is a mix of architectural styles. The interior has more to offer with impressive statues and silver altars. It’s also the final resting place of Argentina’s national hero Jose de San Martin, better known as El Libertador, and certainly an important stop during the perfect tours to Buenos Aires, Argentina 

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