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Travel tips for Buenos Aires

Travel on the ground

Taxis
Taxis in the Capital are easily spotted by their black body and yellow roof; all journeys are metered and very inexpensive compared to other capital cities. Cases of passengers being robbed in taxis have occurred but only rarely, and anyway, as a general precaution, you should never allow any one else into the vehicle and ensure all doors are locked from inside. Most streets are one-way so when giving the driver instructions it is always more helpful to give your destination as the junction of two streets and then look for the building number later.

Subte (underground)
Subte is short for subterraneo. There are five lines with another under construction. Most radiate out from the centre and travelling on the system is not difficult. A single journey costs just $0.70 (US$0.23); for convenience it is possible to buy a card with 2, 5, or 10 journeys (no discount). See a map of the system here.

Colectivo (bus)
Colectivo is the local name for a street bus. There are hundreds of bus lines and thousands of buses, and they run at all hours (some services run through the night). A single bus journey costs $0.80 (US$0.26); coins are needed to purchase a ticket from the machine on the bus - the driver does not carry any money or give any change. The buses are very convenient for getting to places not reached by the Subte and a pocket local bus guide called Guia T can be purchased inexpensively from just about any kiosko (magazine and newspaper kiosk). However figuring out any route needs time and patience.

Micro (coach)
Micro is the local name for a long-distance coach. In the Capital all departures take place from the Estacion de Omnibus at Retiro. Long distance bus travel is a major business in Argentina; the Retiro bus station has 75 loading platforms and on just one day alone before the Christmas holidays there were 1550 departures.
The bus station is on three levels; the upper level has all the ticket offices, the middle level is for passenger arrivals and departures, and the lower level is for freight. As at any bus station keep a very close eye on your cases and watch out for thieves.
Bus comfort varies from good to luxurious. The top class is called Suite class and the seats are like first-class aircraft seats and recline down to 180 degrees. There is an on-board hostess and dinner is served with wine and a whisky nightcap, blanket and pillow is provided on overnight buses, and breakfast is served in the morning.

Railway
There are three major rail stations in the Capital but tourists are only likely to use the Mitre station at Retiro. From here you can travel, for example, to San Isidro or Tigre for a day trip.
There are a few long-distance trains operating; for example there is an overnight service to Córdoba that takes 14 hours and an overnight service to Tucumán that takes 24 hours. A useful web-site with train and other travel information (in Spanish) is XColectivo.


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