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Argentina Transportation

Get around

The public transport in Buenos Aires is very good, although crowded during rush hour. The metro network is not very large, but reaches most tourist attractions of the city, and there is a large range of bus routes and several suburban railways used by commuters.

Finding your way around is easy. Most of the city grid is divided into equal squares with block number in the hundreds. Most streets are one way with the adjacent parallels going the other way, so beware that the bus or taxi won't follow the same route back. Going by taxi, you simply need to tell the driver the street and block number, eg. "Santa Fe 2100"; or two intersecting streets, eg. "Corrientes y Callao".

City maps are issued by many different publishers (Guía T, LUMI) and the local tourist authority. They are indispensable for those wanting to use public transportation, since they include all bus routes.

 By taxi

Taxis are not the quickest option for moving around in the most congested areas at rush hours, as traffic jams are common. Still, you will find that taxis are usually rather inexpensive, convenient, and exciting (in a white-knuckled, the roller-coaster-seems-to-have-some-pieces-missing kind of way.)

It is safest to have your hotel or host call for a radio taxi. If you must hail a cab on the street, watch out for private operators disguised as commercial services. Also avoid paying in large bills as there have been cases of counterfeit change.

If a taxi driver says that your money is counterfeit and says that he will take you to an ATM, just tell him you want to get out there. There are many stories of travelers (especially when they spoke little Spanish and were coming from the airport) being robbed under this premise. It also helps if you see a police officer nearby because if they are trying to rob you they will probably be scared off. If you are headed to a hostel or hotel, the receptionist will usually understand the situation if you honestly do have counterfeit money, and will lend you money to pay the cab.

Also, if the cab "breaks down", it is recommended that you just get out and finding another cab.

Also recommended is keeping your luggage in the seat with you if possible in case a situation arises in which you want to get out of the taxi.

By bus

With an efficient underground (the Subte), a labyrinthine 24-hour bus system and a plethora of affordable taxis, Buenos Aires is cheap and easy to get around. Relying on public transport, however, does require a bit of initial study. The capital is very walkable and most tourist magnets are within walking distance from one another. But if you need to get across town fast, the Subte or a cab is your best bet. Buses also ply the streets of Buenos Aires, but the system is huge and complex, so it's not great for short- stayers.

Buenos Aires has a huge and complex bus system. To get to know it better, you'll have to buy a Guia T (sold at any newsstand), but try to find the pocket version for US$1.00 . Look at the grids to find out where you're going, and find a matching bus number. Most routes (but not all) run 24hrs.

If you're heading out of town, you'll probably go via BA's modern Retiro bus station. It's three floors high and has slots for 75 buses. The bottom floor is for cargo shipments and luggage storage, the top for purchasing and the middle for everything else. There's an information booth that provides bus information; they'll also help you with the local bus system. Other services include a tourist office, telephone offices (some with Internet access), restaurants, cafes and dozens of small stores.

The principal means of public transportation within the city, are the buses (colectivos). They have a cheap maximum fixed price as long as you are moving inside the city borders (0.80 pesos). Tickets can only be bought on the bus, through a machine that accept coins only.

There are more than one hundred lines, covering the whole city. They work 24 hours a day, the whole year; but run less frequently on holidays and at late hours. For each route the bus is painted differently to make them easier to distinguish. The best way to figure out the bus system is to buy a Guía "T". It's essentially a little book with a directory of streets, which correspond to map pages, and have a bus listing on the facing page for each map. Once you get your hands on one, it's very easy to figure out, but give yourself fifteen minutes the first few times you use it to plan a route. These can be bought at many kiosks around the city, or subway stations.

Otherwise, visitors who are comfortable with speaking a little Spanish can call 131 toll-free from any phone for help finding which colectivo to take. You just have to tell the corner (or the street and the number) where you're at and the one you want to get to.

On many services, board the bus and tell the driver your destination (or do what Argentines do -- just say "ochenta, por favor" meaning you'll be traveling a normal distance and want to pay 80 centavos); he will press a button instructing the coin machine to take a certain amount of money for you, which will then appear on the machine as the amount to insert. Step a bit further back into the bus and insert coins into the machine which now knows your destination and has calculated your fare because the driver punched it in. You will receive change and your ticket automatically, collect it at the bottom of the machine.

If you see a little metal knob on the coin machine, it's not for dispensing your ticket like the candy/toy machines in grocery stores in the U.S. ... it's the door to the inside of the machine to change the paper and whatnot. Don't turn it!

You can also use buses to move to and inside the suburban area (Gran Buenos Aires), but the fares are higher (up to 2 pesos, depending on the distance and service). The suburban-only lines (you can differentiate them because their line numbers are above 200) have lower standards of comfort, and many of them don't run after 11 pm.

By metro (subway or underground)

The city has a metro network ("subte", short form of "subterráneo", which means "underground"). It is very efficient - you can gain a lot of time by using it - and very cheap too (0.70 pesos for any combination). If you need to be somewhere by 9 am or 9.30 am on a weekday, however, the Subte will be incredibly crowded and depending on where you are catching it from, you may have to miss several trains in a row before there is space for you. Once on board, during peak hours it can get very crowded. Factor this into your timing arrangements to make sure that you make your meeting on time.

The Subte is BA's underground system. Built in 1913, it is also South America's oldest subway. Usually hot and crowded, it's an efficient and easy way to get around.

It consists of lines A, B, C, D and E; new lines and upgrades are always being planned.

Single-ride magnetic cards cost about 0.70 and can be purchased at boleterías (ticket booths) in all Subte stations. To save time standing in queues, buy a five- or 10-ride card. At some stations, the tracks separate the platforms, so be sure of your direction before passing through the turnstiles. Trains operate from around 05:00 to 22:00 Monday to Saturday, and 08:00 to 22:00 on Sundays. Service is frequent on weekdays, slower on weekends.

The lines converge to the downtown area and connect the main bus and train terminals.

In the southeast branch (the E line), the service is extended by a train way known as premetro, but beware, it goes to some of the least secure places in the city. Premetro is 0.60 pesos (approx. 0.15 euros), or 0.70 with a Subte Transfer.

The subte works approximately from 5 am to 10 pm, except on Sundays, when service starts at 8 am.

The A line is a destination on its own because of the old wooden carriages. It was the first subway/underground built in Latin America (1913). 

Many subte stations have interesting murals, tiles and artwork. Transferring between lines is indicated by combinación signs.

You may purchase magnetic stripe tickets encoded with more than one fare. This saves the time of individual cashier transactions; and you may also buy a rechargeable card at some stations. Tickets are not swiped upon exiting stations, therefore you may use one magnetic stripe ticket for more than one traveler, as long as it has the required number of fares.

The subte and premetro services are under Metrovias S.A. control. You can reach their Customer Service personnel by calling -toll free, within Argentina- to 0800-555-1616 or by sending a fax to 4553-9270.

• Buenos Aires metro map

• boat

  Buenos Aires has a regular ferry service to/from Colonia and Montevideo, both in Uruguay. Ferries leave from the Buquebus terminal at the corner of Avs Antártida Argentina and Córdoba. There are many more launches in the busy summer season.

• train

  Retiro train station can get you to just about anywhere in Argentina and the surrounding region.

  For getting around the city, the only train that really comes in handy is the Mitre line (running between Retiro and Tigre), which makes getting from Retiro to Las Cañitas or Belgrano's Barrio China (China Town) a snap.

• car

  Anyone considering driving in Buenos Aires should know that most local drivers are reckless, aggressive and even willfully dangerous. They'll ignore speed limits, road signs, road lines and often traffic signals, tailgating you mercilessly and honking before signals turn green. Buses are a nightmare to reckon with, and parking can be a pain. Public transport will often get you anywhere faster, cheaper and with much less stress.

  If you still want to rent a car, expect to pay around US$35.00 to US$50.00 per day (it may be worth making a reservation with an international agency in your home country, as these can sometimes guarantee stable rates). You'll need to be at least 21 years of age and have a valid driver's license. You'll probably need to present a credit card and your passport as well.

• taxi

  Taxis are reasonably priced for shorter cross-city journeys. BA's ubiquitous black-and-yellow taxis ply the city day and night. Step up to a curb and throw your arm up - you rarely have to wait. Ranks are not often used.

• bicycle

  Buenos Aires is not a great city to cycle around. Traffic is dangerous and less than respectful towards cyclists; the biggest vehicle wins the right of way, and bikes are low on the totem pole. Still, some spots cry out for two-wheeled exploration, such as Palermo's parks and the Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur; on weekends and some weekdays you can rent bikes at these places. You can also join city bike tours, which include both a bicycle and a guide.

• Disabled Travelers

  Travelers with disabilities will find things somewhat difficult. In particular, those in wheelchairs will quickly realize that narrow, busy and uneven sidewalks are difficult to negotiate. Crossing streets is also a problem; not every corner has ramps and Argentine drivers don't have much patience for slower pedestrians, disabled or not. Nevertheless, Argentines with disabilities do get around; buses called piso bajo lower to provide wheelchair lifts.

  Most hotels do not have wheelchair accessible rooms; doors are narrow and there is little space to move around inside - bathrooms at midrange and budget hotels are notoriously small. For truly accessible rooms, you'll have better luck in pricier hotels.

  In Buenos Aires, Movidisc (tel: 4328 6921; www.movidisc-web.com.ar) offers private transport and day tours in vans fully equipped for wheelchair users. If you're taking a tour with another agency, Movidisc can provide the transport, provided you ask your tour company to arrange it with them.

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