Buenos Aires

Are you a football fan, tango enthusiast, or gourmand? Whichever you consider yourself to be, Buenos Aires has something for you.

The City of Buenos Aires is home to about three million inhabitants (the metropolitan has almost 13 million inhabitants). One of the most popular districts to visit is La Boca, which is famous for its houses with facades made of corrugated metal, painted and bright colours. In La Boca, you can also experience a soccer game between archrivals Boca Juniors and River Plate at the La Bombonera stadium. Tickets can be bought at the stadium, but make sure you buy them well in advance.

The easiest way to get around in the city is with a taxi. In a city with over 30,000 taxis, you won’t have to wait long to get one. It’s safest to get a taxi from one of the official taxi companies, like Radio Taxi. Otherwise, the bus is a good and cheap option to explore the city. You can buy a bus map at almost every street kiosk and then go on your own sightseeing tour. Bus tickets are often bought from a ticket machine, which accepts coins.

Buenos Aires is sometimes called the cultural capital of South America. With more than 190 theatres, 150 cinemas, and 120 museums, it’s an El Dorado for culture lovers. You can also find a wide selection of bookstores and concerts. One museum well worth a visit is the MALBA (Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires), which houses the world’s largest collection of Latin American art from the 20th century. Also, one of the world’s most important opera stages can be found in Buenos Aires, the Teatro Colón, which has world-class acoustics.

Tango… not mentioning this fiery dance in connection with Buenos Aires would be almost a crime. And truth be told, tango wouldn’t be what it is without Buenos Aires. This partner dance was created by the immigrants in the poor harbour areas at the end of the 19th century, a combination of, among other things, the German waltz, the Czech polka, the Polish mazurka, and the Finnish jenka. ‘Milongas’ or dance venues can be found everywhere in Buenos Aires, so there’s plenty of opportunities to experience the Argentine tango. There are different styles of tango – classical, electronic, and ‘nuevo’ – so there’s a lot to choose from among all the courses and shows being offered. We do want to warn you, though – some people become addicted to the tango and spend a lifetime perfecting their skills in this sensual dance.

Adjust your dinner habits when you cross the Argentine border because dinner isn’t served before until around nine in the evening. Satisfying a desire for juicy steaks isn’t hard in a country which is a perfectionist when it comes to barbecue (asado). ‘Parrillas’, grill restaurants, can be found on almost every street corner, and the selection of meat is endless and first class. But try to leave some space for ice cream if you can – one or two scoops of ‘dulce de leche’ (caramel-flavoured ice cream) is an Argentine speciality.

Buenos Aires combines European majesty with Latin passion. It’s a city without distinct attractions or must-sees but has few equivalent in beauty.

Did You Know:

Casa Rosada, which has been the presidential palace, consists of two combined buildings, designed by two Swedish-Argentinian architects.

Five Nobel Prize winners were born in Buenos Aires, which is a record.

The city’s most famous soccer team, Boca Juniors, plays in Swedish colours. When the team picked the colours for their uniforms, they couldn’t agree on any colours, so they decided to use the colours of the first ship that arrived at the port the next day, which happened to be a Swedish ship.

Good to Know!

Tips

Tips are a large part of salaries in all of Latin America and are for a job well done. You usually tip 10% of the bill when visiting a restaurant. But how much should you tip for things like cleaning at the hotel, helping with carrying bags, as well as guides and drivers? That’s completely up to you. Remember, you’re paying for good service – if you’re not satisfied, leave a smaller tip or no tip at all.

Electricity

The plug and socket system in Argentina uses three “pins”, so we recommend you bring a universal adapter.

Airport Tax

In Argentina, you have to pay both domestic and international airport taxes. The domestic tax varies depending on which airport you depart from but is usually around $5-10 per passenger. However, international airport taxes are included in the ticket price if you fly from Ezeiza Airport (EZE). All taxes are paid in cash at departure.

Climate

The seasons in Argentina are the opposite of Europe, which means summer lasts from November to March in Argentina. So make sure to check how the weather will be like during your stay in Argentina.

Travel Insurance

Make sure you have travel insurance during your vacation, before your departure.

Getting to/from the Airport (EZE):

You can get to/from the airport by either local buses, shuttle service, or taxi. Although the distance between the airport and hotels is short, it might take some time to get there due to traffic.

Mobile Phones

Argentina has good coverage for mobile phones in high populated areas, but whether your mobile phone works or not also depends on your mobile network operator and the type of cell phone you have. In Argentina, you need a mobile phone that is tri-band. For more information and prices, contact your mobile network operator.

Vaccination

We recommend that you make sure you are vaccinated against diseases like tetanus, jaundice, and yellow fever. The area of distribution of yellow fever is constantly changing, and in order to get the latest and most correct information about infected areas, you should contact your local health centre.

Currency

The Argentine currency is pesos. Exchange your currency to USD at home, and then exchange your USD to pesos in Argentina to get the best exchange rates (traveller’s cheques are not recommended!). The major payment cards like VISA and Mastercard work in the major cities, and there are plenty of ATMs. But contact your bank before you travel to make sure your card is not blocked for withdrawals abroad, etc.

Visa

British citizens do not need a visa if they intend to stay for less than 90 days.