Mini Guide to Buenos Aires & Argentina

[gimmegimme]

There are a few other threads on BA & Argentina, but they seem a bit out of date.

I learned a few things about travelling in South America recently...some random tips:

Money

-Argentinian bank machines will only let foreign card-holders withdrawn $100 at a time (300 pesos)...its a pain in the ass as I was charged $5 from my bank for each transaction.

-it wasn't uncommon for bank machines to not let you take out any money at all

-smaller bank branches will not let you withdraw money...they'll insist you use a bank machine (even if you tell them it didn't work)...ask where the main branch is located and try there

Food

-food is cheap...although there is a large strike in the meat industry, so your options will be limited in that area

-wine is also cheap...expect to pay on average $10 for a bottle in a restaurant, and no more than $40

-waiters/servers will take your order, bring it to you, and then you will never see them again...there will never be a rush for you to leave

-when you see everyone drinking a cup of sludgy green stuff that looks drug-related (with a straw)...its a local thing (like tea)...make sure to try if you can!

Transportation

-city bus in BA is inexpensive, but very crowded. you pay on the bus using an automated machine (which only accepts coins)

-cabs are everywhere, but they often try to rip you off...if possible, have someone call you a cab and inform them where you are going to get a quote

-a cab to/from the international airport to the city centre is 71 pesos....25 to the domestic airport

-instead giving the address (123 main st.), give the cab driver the cross-street...although most maps will give you the address range for each block

Culture

-we often ate dinner around 10pm, clubs get going around 2-3 am

-almost every club in BA played house music only...some played rock/latin

-men are reputed to be vocal towards females, but this only seem to be the case when there was no man standing next to them

-English is not as common as you might think...especially in smaller towns

-bring an actual spanish/english dictionary if need be...phrasebooks are useless!

-smoking is permitted almost everywhere

Shopping

-although there is a lot of leather, most of it is not very stylish

-there are several Christian Dior men's stores...I don't know what they are, but they aren't Dior Homme!

-tax is 21% and is included in the price

-if you apply for a tax refund, it will be 15% and will be mailed to you later (maybe)

These are some things that I learned...no guarantee that any of its totally accurate.

[poly800rock]

I was talking to some friends that went to Argentina last spring, they fucking loved it

[cathexis]

good stuff gimmegimme

heading to BA in september -- never been there before

so any advice + updated info would be awesome

[gimmegimme]

It was an awesome trip and I'd love to go back. I think I covered most stuff in the first post, but basically, cheap food, friendly people, beautiful scenery.

Other tips:

-we flew through Mexico City on Mexicana because it was cheaper. Mexico City airport is ghetto and scary, but if you're willing to put up with that, you can save a few hundred dollars

-if you're not travelling alone, don't bother with the airport-bus, get a cab instead (cheaper), and be prepared to give him detailed information, and have a map of where you're going if possible

-lots of people recommended that we rent a car when we were in smaller towns, but after seeing how they drive, you couldn't have paid me all the money in the world to be behind the wheel there

-we stayed in a hostel called Hostel Estoril in BA, and it was absolutely awesome. The people were great, they had organized outings almost everyday (soccer games, etc., which you shouldn't go to alone btw). The rooms were meh, but everything else was worth it

I'll post more when I think of it.

[Uncanny]

Any neighborhoods to stay away from? I heard San Telmo can have pick-pockets at times, but aside from that?

Any good ideas for side / day-trips?

Great guide btw.

[gimmegimme]

Any neighborhoods to stay away from? I heard San Telmo can have pick-pockets at times, but aside from that?

Any good ideas for side / day-trips?

Great guide btw.

San Telmo is super busy, but only stupid people would keep their wallet somewhere that can be pick-pocketed. Bring a shoulder bag, and when you're walking through crowds, keep it in front of you. Otherwise use a moneybelt or something. Either way, I never felt unsafe in any neighbourhood, but I hear that La Boca (where the soccer stadium is) can be quite rowdy. Stick to the tourist areas in that part of town.

For day trips, we would go to Recoleta Cemetery, which is quite nice (scenic that is), and we did a lot of roaming and shopping in various areas (Palermo, etc.) Some of the people we met went to Uruguay on day trips and said it was fun. We did a lot of traveling throughout the country (El Calafate, Bariloche), so we didn't do a lot of excursions in BA.

[callejeros]

Any neighborhoods to stay away from? I heard San Telmo can have pick-pockets at times, but aside from that?

Any good ideas for side / day-trips?

Great guide btw.

San Telmo is not a dangerous neighborhood but in Argentina you have to be always alert from pick-pockets (eben Joge Bush daughters have suffered this!).

I wouldn´t reccomendo walking in La Boca except for the touristic streets. If you are willing to go to the stadium just get the transfer service + ticket at the hotel (the price is almost the same as if you get the ticket at the stadium and they are really hard to get!).

If you need any other information please pm me that I will help you

[Uncanny]

Sweet. Leaving in a couple hours.

[islandboi8204]

bumping this, heading down to BA at the end of this week. does anyone have any must see/eats? definitely wanna try those argentine wines, any recs on wineries? oh shit, and lots of beef. i'll be staying in palermo soho for 8 days.

[poliopoliopolio]

word, double bump. going in august.

[islandboi8204]

polio, i just got back from BA, and it's a really great city. i only had time for 8 days and it wasn't really enough, but i'll definitely visit again sometime in the future.

some highlights of my trip:

the weather was really nice, sunny and around 60 during the day time. coming from philly it was a nice cooler day. the argentines over dress quite a bit, wearing their heavy jackets, but i think it's just their excuse to change up their fashion.

for day trips: take the boat to colonia, uruguay. it's only an hour ride and it's a small historic town, with nice views of the delta. on another day, take the mitre train out to the tigre, where you can take a boat out and chill on the delta passing the day. nice and relaxing imo.

gotta do the recoleta cemetary, obelisk, and the pink house. take a stroll along puerto madero docks.

clubs: club nicetto, pacha, asia de cuba. all really fun. pacha is a huge warehouse electro dance club thing, while asia has some dancers. it was funny to watch the argentines attempt to grope them as they danced on stage. things don't get started until 1:30, 2ish, so expect to be out till 6 or 7am.

i stayed in palermo soho, best location imo. there's a lot of clubs and restaurants and shopping to be done in that neighborhood. not really sufu shopping, but whatever.

restaurants: don julio in palermo was my favorite parilla. great lomo (tenderloin) for $40 AR and other things to go along with it. el preferido in palermo is good for spanish food too, huge portions. cabanas de las lilas in puerto madero, (dike 3) has good parilla food too, although it's more expensive than don julio.

drinks: malbecs from the mendoza region, and mate. mate gives you a nice buzz. you can venture to mendoza if you want, but it's a lengthy bus ride, about 15 hours...

transportation: renting a car isn't necessary, my friend and i got around on foot. we took the taxi sometimes, just know where you're going cuz they can rip you off. the subte is okay, really crowded and hot during the day, but cheap as hell for a ride. same with the buses, but they only take coins.

for some reason people are really reluctant to give you change when you buy something, so make sure to always have smaller bills available. change them at a hotel or something before you head out. people hold onto coins for dear life, as buses only accept coins.

check out a soccer match if you can, it's really an event to see. there might not be any more club matches, as i went to the championship, but still worth a shot. matches are usually on sat/sunday.

that's all i can think of for now, lemme know if you need anything else.

[White Teeth]

Bump. Superthoughts? Going in March.

[JayPee]

Just got back..

Amazing place! Really nice people also.

There is a beer cafe right next to the entrance of La Recoleta Cemetery, check it out! They have some lovely beers and great food for a really decent price.

Check out Palermo district for bars and clubs.

EAT A HEAP OF ARGENTINIAN BEEF!

Grab a football game (I did River Plate V Arsenal)

Have a day of polo training, very touristy but great fun.

Wonder the streets for hours exploring shops and cafes then just cab it back to your hotel for a couple of $. Cabs are extremely cheap and the most legit in Sth America from my experiences.

Also check out a chain of stores called AY Not Dead. Not real highend stuff, but a few treasures in amongst the piles of ordinary stuff. Very cheap too! The staff gave us some traveling tips on where to party. Nice folk!

[White Teeth]

Nice. Did you experience the earthquake down there? How are things with that?

[SAY CAR RAMROD.]

I'll be headed to Buenos Aires for a while. I was hoping to get a pair of custom quoddy-esque moccasins made. Anyone have any leather recommendations? is it even worth the trouble?

[White Teeth]

"For leather, try the two blocks around number 600 on Murillo street, out in the west of the city, where you may find a bargain as you will be dealing directly with the leather wholesalers. It is probably best to get a taxi out there and back. The last few blocks of Florida street before Plaza San Martin (and within Galerias Pacifico, which is situated in these blocks) is also a well known leather shopping area, although you are unlikely to find such a great bargains there.They also have some factories there, theres one called Silvia y Mario's, on Mt de Alvear St. They also show "live" how they were making the jackets right in front of everyones eyes. The quality is superb."

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g312741-s405/Buenos-Aires:Argentina:Shopping.html

[Corbin Law]

SUPERBUMP. Im about to head to buenos aires for 6 months to study at USAL. Does any one have some experience with extended stays in the ol BA?