I returned from a week in Buenos Aires and wanted to share some thoughts on my travel experience. Overall, if you're contemplating BA, just go - it's wonderful! We are a Canadian couple in our mid-50s and I wanted to share some thoughts on the airport/safety/money as these were areas I researched before the trip. Our experience may not be your experience but this is was happened on our trip.
AIRPORT ARRIVAL: Flew from Canada (YVR) to BA (EZE). We arrived Thursday morning at about 10:15 am and there were no lines in customs. It took us roughly 5 minutes to clear customs and 10 minutes total to exit the airport. Customs asked the hotel we were staying at then scanned our passport and took our photo and thumbprint. You exit into an area to pick up bags from carousels but we didn't check any bags. We continued to the final check before leaving the secured area -- there's a small screening section where you run your bags through another machine. There were one or two uniformed people in the area but it seemed largely self-service. We ran our bags through without any assistance and exited - easy!
AIRPORT DEPARTURE: The airport seems newly renovated and quite modern (ie older trip reports speak to something much different). We arrived at 4pm for an evening flight. We proceeded to security, and again, no lines at all. English isn't spoken but a few gestures are all you need (ie remove your belt etc). You then proceed to another area where you speak to an agent. They scan your passport, and take your photo and thumbprint. That's it - maybe 5-10 minutes total. Delta listed Terminal C as our departure gate but the alphabet terminal naming didn't seem to apply to the updated airport -- it's all one long set of gates in one terminal. You exit security at gate 12 (1-11 are to your left, 13-28+ are to your right). It's a 10-minute walk from one end to the other. Lots of restaurants/food/shops. We went to the Centurion Lounge and they had lots of seating.
HOTEL TRANSFER: We opted to use Welcome Pickups as we didn't want any surprises. Although you pay a premium over regular taxis, we appreciate having a professional service to rely on. When our last flight was delayed two hours, I texted the driver and he responded to say he would move back our pickup time. He showed up on time to greet us -- even gave us a quick Spanish lesson and travel tips on our ~40m drive to Recoleta. We used the same service to return and it was on time.
HOTEL/Neighborhood/Safety: We stayed at Palladio Hotel on the edge of Recoleta and loved it. When booking, they reference the USD price estimate and then convert it to CAD for us. It was odd to know what we could pay. I recommend confirming with your hotel how they will charge you before you arrive. The good news is that the hotel charged in ARS. Price quoted at CAD 3k for 6 nights with breakfast included. After the currency adjustment by our credit card, it was about CAD 1,400 (note: it took AMEX a full week to refund the difference on our credit card while VISA seemed to charge at the lower rate automatically). We walked to most destinations and never felt unsafe. Police and pseudo-security/safety folks are stationed every few blocks. We walked day/night without issue. From our hotel to the Cemetery/heart of Recoleta was 20m and to Palermo/Don Julio about 45m and Puerto Madero about 40m. We took 1 taxi to San Telmo market because my feet hurt and it was 2,500 ARS w/small tip.
MONEY: Our bank didn't exchange pesos but we found a currency exchange in Vancouver that did. The rate isn't great but we wanted some cash in our pockets when landing. We converted $100 CAD (and got 25,000 pesos). I set up the Western Union app before I left and found this a great/safe way to get money. I transferred CAD 100 and received 65,000 pesos. Take a bag with you ... it's stacks of bills. The best Pago Facil to pick up money was in Montevideo near Callao - it's a small shop in the middle of the block (not the big one on the corner). The line is much smaller. Write down your money pickup/transfer code, name, address while in Argentina (hotel), and your cell phone number. Pass it to the agent. Ours was so surprised that we had all the info written down and greatly appreciated it. We had a hard time spending all the paper money and forced ourselves to use it on the final day. Most casual meals ran about 14-16,000 ARS with drinks. Credit cards are so easy to use at almost every place we go to. We found cash best for smaller businesses/cafes. Oh, and if you use a credit card, make sure you know your PIN. Most credit card machines require it to be entered.
FOOD: Don Julio. Lots of nice steak and it's lovely BUT it's not a typical restaurant experience. If you don't get a reservation, don't stress and don't regret it. It feels like a theme park and there's a very unwritten process to everything (felt highly choreographed to move people through tables in less than 2 hours). It's not a truly leisurely dinner IMHO. We had a reservation for the 7 pm time slot. You line up down the block and when they are ready they sit one table after another.
Empanadas are everywhere and are so good. I didn't realize the Italian influence in the city and there is also gelato and pizza everywhere too! Cafes around every corner make it easy to grab a bite/rest wherever you are. Beef is dominant in the cuisine but you can find seafood if you hunt around. Sanjuanino restaurant was a nice low-frills/inexpensive option for a casual dinner. The staff was amazing and the milanesa and empanadas were great. My husband loved the Modongo (tripe stew). Offal is more common here and I'll admit I enjoyed grilled sweet breads and blood sausage at another restaurant.
NOTES: The parks are nice to grab a shady bench on a hot day/evening. Parque Vicente Lopez is such a gem at night. Police are stationed in the park so it's safe. Families/children were there late into the evening. We sat under the big tree and people-watched. Eco-Parque is also a fun free place to visit - you'll see LOTS of capybaras and peacocks roaming around. San Telmo market is nice to visit and makes for a leisurely walk up the street to Plaza de Mayo (Casa Rosada and other official buildings). We then walked toward the obelisk. For shopping, the Galireas Pacifico mall Instagram worthy but it's in a less interesting area. Florida street runs along this area which is littered with people saying 'cambio' to exchange your money. Nothing to see. The more 'local' mall was Alto Palermo Mall which had nice cafes inside to rest/relax as well. The national museum Bellas Artes was great if you have a couple of hours - lots of great local/world art on display.
AIRPORT ARRIVAL: Flew from Canada (YVR) to BA (EZE). We arrived Thursday morning at about 10:15 am and there were no lines in customs. It took us roughly 5 minutes to clear customs and 10 minutes total to exit the airport. Customs asked the hotel we were staying at then scanned our passport and took our photo and thumbprint. You exit into an area to pick up bags from carousels but we didn't check any bags. We continued to the final check before leaving the secured area -- there's a small screening section where you run your bags through another machine. There were one or two uniformed people in the area but it seemed largely self-service. We ran our bags through without any assistance and exited - easy!
AIRPORT DEPARTURE: The airport seems newly renovated and quite modern (ie older trip reports speak to something much different). We arrived at 4pm for an evening flight. We proceeded to security, and again, no lines at all. English isn't spoken but a few gestures are all you need (ie remove your belt etc). You then proceed to another area where you speak to an agent. They scan your passport, and take your photo and thumbprint. That's it - maybe 5-10 minutes total. Delta listed Terminal C as our departure gate but the alphabet terminal naming didn't seem to apply to the updated airport -- it's all one long set of gates in one terminal. You exit security at gate 12 (1-11 are to your left, 13-28+ are to your right). It's a 10-minute walk from one end to the other. Lots of restaurants/food/shops. We went to the Centurion Lounge and they had lots of seating.
HOTEL TRANSFER: We opted to use Welcome Pickups as we didn't want any surprises. Although you pay a premium over regular taxis, we appreciate having a professional service to rely on. When our last flight was delayed two hours, I texted the driver and he responded to say he would move back our pickup time. He showed up on time to greet us -- even gave us a quick Spanish lesson and travel tips on our ~40m drive to Recoleta. We used the same service to return and it was on time.
HOTEL/Neighborhood/Safety: We stayed at Palladio Hotel on the edge of Recoleta and loved it. When booking, they reference the USD price estimate and then convert it to CAD for us. It was odd to know what we could pay. I recommend confirming with your hotel how they will charge you before you arrive. The good news is that the hotel charged in ARS. Price quoted at CAD 3k for 6 nights with breakfast included. After the currency adjustment by our credit card, it was about CAD 1,400 (note: it took AMEX a full week to refund the difference on our credit card while VISA seemed to charge at the lower rate automatically). We walked to most destinations and never felt unsafe. Police and pseudo-security/safety folks are stationed every few blocks. We walked day/night without issue. From our hotel to the Cemetery/heart of Recoleta was 20m and to Palermo/Don Julio about 45m and Puerto Madero about 40m. We took 1 taxi to San Telmo market because my feet hurt and it was 2,500 ARS w/small tip.
MONEY: Our bank didn't exchange pesos but we found a currency exchange in Vancouver that did. The rate isn't great but we wanted some cash in our pockets when landing. We converted $100 CAD (and got 25,000 pesos). I set up the Western Union app before I left and found this a great/safe way to get money. I transferred CAD 100 and received 65,000 pesos. Take a bag with you ... it's stacks of bills. The best Pago Facil to pick up money was in Montevideo near Callao - it's a small shop in the middle of the block (not the big one on the corner). The line is much smaller. Write down your money pickup/transfer code, name, address while in Argentina (hotel), and your cell phone number. Pass it to the agent. Ours was so surprised that we had all the info written down and greatly appreciated it. We had a hard time spending all the paper money and forced ourselves to use it on the final day. Most casual meals ran about 14-16,000 ARS with drinks. Credit cards are so easy to use at almost every place we go to. We found cash best for smaller businesses/cafes. Oh, and if you use a credit card, make sure you know your PIN. Most credit card machines require it to be entered.
FOOD: Don Julio. Lots of nice steak and it's lovely BUT it's not a typical restaurant experience. If you don't get a reservation, don't stress and don't regret it. It feels like a theme park and there's a very unwritten process to everything (felt highly choreographed to move people through tables in less than 2 hours). It's not a truly leisurely dinner IMHO. We had a reservation for the 7 pm time slot. You line up down the block and when they are ready they sit one table after another.
Empanadas are everywhere and are so good. I didn't realize the Italian influence in the city and there is also gelato and pizza everywhere too! Cafes around every corner make it easy to grab a bite/rest wherever you are. Beef is dominant in the cuisine but you can find seafood if you hunt around. Sanjuanino restaurant was a nice low-frills/inexpensive option for a casual dinner. The staff was amazing and the milanesa and empanadas were great. My husband loved the Modongo (tripe stew). Offal is more common here and I'll admit I enjoyed grilled sweet breads and blood sausage at another restaurant.
NOTES: The parks are nice to grab a shady bench on a hot day/evening. Parque Vicente Lopez is such a gem at night. Police are stationed in the park so it's safe. Families/children were there late into the evening. We sat under the big tree and people-watched. Eco-Parque is also a fun free place to visit - you'll see LOTS of capybaras and peacocks roaming around. San Telmo market is nice to visit and makes for a leisurely walk up the street to Plaza de Mayo (Casa Rosada and other official buildings). We then walked toward the obelisk. For shopping, the Galireas Pacifico mall Instagram worthy but it's in a less interesting area. Florida street runs along this area which is littered with people saying 'cambio' to exchange your money. Nothing to see. The more 'local' mall was Alto Palermo Mall which had nice cafes inside to rest/relax as well. The national museum Bellas Artes was great if you have a couple of hours - lots of great local/world art on display.
