Let Me Help You Travel to Buenos Aires
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Travel to Buenos Aires since it is a top tourist destination for good reason. It’s affordable (for those from the global north). It’s rich in culture and history. The food is fantastic. The locals are fun and friendly. The country of Argentina is super diverse- from desert in the north, sweeping mountain ranges in the south, wine and thermal baths to the west, wildlife and oceans to the east, and of course great cities- the largest of which is the capital city, Buenos Aires.
I’ve been creating Argentina content for over a year now, and have traveled extensively across the country. I want to help you do the same. I’ve created this blog post to connect you directly with the things you want and the things that will make your life so much easier. You can also check out these other blog posts for things you should know before you travel Buenos Aires and Argentina.
Insure Yourself Before You Travel Buenos Aires
Let’s start with insurance. You never know what can happen when you travel, and the worst thing is to have something happen and you find yourself stuck. My personal favorite travel medical insurance company is SafetyWing as it is made specifically with nomads in mind with lots of flexibility. SafetyWing is a travel medical insurance that was created by nomads for nomads. You can purchase a policy even if your trip has already started. You can pause and resume coverage with flexibility. 185 countries are covered and you don’t need to let them know about your itinerary in advance. Perfect for people like me who don’t know where they’ll be next month! Check out their website here.
Before I flew down to Argentina last year, I made sure to cover myself with SafetyWing and never regretted it.
Flights to Buenos Aires
You’re reading this, so you are probably considering heading down to Argentina soon. One of the first steps is of course to buy a flight. Don’t just buy the first flight you see. Do a little research to find the most affordable flight you can.
Skyscanner
Whenever I’m looking for flights, the first thing I do is consult Skyscanner. The reason I like Skyscanner so much is because you can very easily select your desired location and then visually see the prices for the entire month. That will easily help you to make a decision about the best time to travel.
Hopper
Download the Hopper app to check when prices are best for buying. Hopper will tell you if you should wait or buy now. It gives estimates of when prices will drop or increase. I usually create “flight watches” and then get notifications when the price changes. This has saved me a ton of money.
If you join Hopper, use my code nicholep4jh and we’ll both get $20 in hotel vouchers.
CheapOair
This is a discount flight aggregator. It scans through several airlines looking for the best price for you.
WayAway
WayAway is a newer travel company on the scene. It is a flight aggregator, city guide tip giver, and assistant for local tours, car rentals, and hotel booking all in one. You can opt for the WayAway Plus option, which is $45/year (if referred). If you use WayAway Plus, you can get cash back on all the purchases you make through their portal. If you book a flight, cash book. Book a hotel, cash back.
Click here to get 10% off of your WayAway Plus membership, or use the code NPTS.
Fly for Free
One of the best ways to travel Buenos Aires for free is to have a credit card that rewards you. If you’re going to be spending money anyways, why not get something back? There are several travel credit cards out there with varying yearly prices and various rewards. Some don’t even charge you a fee for the first year; you just need to spend a certain amount of money within a certain amount of time and then you’re rewarded with points. So if you’re thinking of going to Buenos Aires in the next several months, get started now to accumulate those points.
My favorite credit card for international travel is the Chase Sapphire Card. I’ve used my points to pay for international flights, and most recently a 3-night stay at a hotel in downtown Guadalajara.
Private Driver When You Travel Buenos Aires
One of the biggest worries people have is- how am I going to get from the airport to my hotel/Airbnb? Well, there are a few options: Taxi, city bus, Tienda Leon (shuttle bus), or private driver.
Personally, my idea option is getting a private driver. There is nothing worse than arriving to an international destination for the first time, groggy and tired, and then having to sort out transportation. For me, it’s worth paying just slightly more to have someone waiting for me at the airport. Someone I can trust who will deliver me and all my belongings safely.
Well, I have that person for you. I have used his services several times, as have my friends and family; I have also referred many other people to him without complaint. His name is Emilio, and you can contact him via whatsapp. Let him know that Nicki referred you.
Emilio
+54 9 11 5905 8226
Sim Card
It’s normal that you would want to be connected right away when arriving to a new country. You want to let your friends and family know you made it safely. You want to use maps to get around the city. But sometimes it can be tricky to know where to go to get a sim card without already having data.
This is my suggestion to you:
- Purchase an Esim for the shortest amount of time available. Airalo currently has two plans in Argentina (see photo above): 2GB for 7 days for $15, and 6GB for 30 days for $26. Compared to Argentina prices, this is expensive. But worth it to give you peace of mind when you first arrive. So, I suggest you purchase the 7 day plan. This will give you a few days to settle in, having data, before you can make it to get a local sim card. If you use my Airalo link, you can get $3 off your first purchase. Download the Airalo app and follow the instructions to install your new Esim.
- Find a Claro store. Claro is the phone company I recommend as it is super easy to get a sim card with them. The prices at Claro are much more affordable than Airalo, so this is the best option for longer term sim use. At Claro you can purchase the tourist package for 30 days (see photo to the left), or you can just ask for a free sim card. If you want the free sim (without the tourist package), they will provide you with instructions for how to activate it. Then you can go to any kiosk to add money to your sim card.
Things to note about charging a sim card at a kiosk:
- Make sure you know your local phone number.
- The maximum you can add to your sim card is 1000 pesos at a time.
- If you need to add more than 1000 pesos, you should wait 5-10 minutes before doing the second transaction (otherwise it won’t work).
- When you add money to your sim card, you will receive a text message with a link
- To purchase a sim package, click on the link and select from the available options
Housing for Buenos Aires
I wrote a whole blog post about housing in Buenos Aires here.
The short of it is this: If you’re planning to stay short term (a couple weeks or less), it is worth it to pay slightly more with a hotel or Airbnb for the convenience.
If you’re looking to stay longer term, like 3 months or more, you can contact my friend Guido’s assistant. He has many connections and can assist to find you rental contracts for 3 months, 6 months, 1 year. More if necessary. When you contact him, please let him know your preferences for: neighborhood, budget, personal demographics (age, nationality, gender identity), and interests. Contact via Whatsapp and tell him Nicki referred you.
Martin
+54 9 11 4145 6443
Money in Argentina
When you travel Buenos Aires, you might her a lot of talk about money. The most positive thing coming out of Argentina as of late (as of December 2022) is that finally Finally FINALLY people are able to use their credit cards. Previously, using your credit card would get you the official exchange rate, effectively losing you HALF of your purchasing power. Don’t know what I mean? Click here to understand Argentina’s exchange rates.
Now, you can use your credit card (Visa and Mastercard only) to receive the MEP rate, which is not exactly the blue rate, but almost. Keep that purchasing power!
That said, there are still a TON of places that are cash-only. One fact you have to accept about traveling in Argentina is that it is largely cash-based. That is why most people use the Western Union. Click here to read my blog post about how to create a Western Union account and double your purchasing power.
Click here to open a Western Union account. If you create an account and send yourself at least $100 within the next 30 days, you and I will both get a $20 gift card to Amazon.
Buenos Aires Guide Book on Amazon
I spent an entire year in Argentina (and 5 months many years ago), and the bulk of that was spent in the capital city of Buenos Aires. I found that there was a lack of real, solid, up to date information in guide books that I found. So, I wrote my own. I knew that I had a lot of insight to offer, and I really want to share that with you.
You can purchase my guide book here. It is available in both Kindle/eBook and paperback formats.
Argentina Thatch Guides
In addition to the Buenos Aires city guide I wrote, I have also created several other guides on the Thatch app. Some are for purchase, and others are totally free. I have guides for all the cities I visited, in addition to several guides on specific parts of Buenos Aires. These will help you plan the best parts to see when you travel Buenos Aires.
Click here to see all of the available guides for Argentina. My most popular guide is the extremely detailed 10-day Buenos Aires itinerary.
Buenos Aires Tour Guides
Buenos Aires can be tricky if you don’t speak the local language. Therefore, I have gotten in contact with several English speaking tour guides for just this purpose- to help you out and make things easy. If you contact any of these tour guides, please let them know that Nicki sent you, so they know how you found them.
Marcela Fernandez
WhatsApp: +54 9 11 3605 1739
She has many years of experience with several different tour companies in BA, with various excursions.
Caro
WhatsApp: +54 9 11 3429-0730
Instagram: @labandadebuenosaires
She has been giving tours for many years in BA.
Ezequiel
WhatsApp:+54 9 11 3674 0390
Email: ezequiel.b.nazer@gmail.com
He does walking tours, bicycle tours, or particular neighborhoods
Marcela Santos
WhatsApp: +54 911 4915 1963
Email: marcelaestangasantos@yahoo.com.ar
She has many years experience giving tours in BA, especially with Dutch tourists.
YouTube channel
If you’re a visual person, well don’t you even worry. I have a ton of videos about my travels in Argentina on my YouTube channel. I also have several playlists broken down into regions if you’re looking for a particular area.
I am often told by my viewers that I consistently provide useful information and valuable content. I work really hard on these videos, and I hope you’ll find them useful as well.
This blog
If you prefer to read blogs than watch videos (it me!) than this blog that you’re reading right now can be a really useful tool for you. I have an entire page dedicated to Buenos Aires content. I also have several other pages dedicated to the rest of the country. If you’re planning a trip throughout Argentina, make sure to check out what other blog posts I have for you.
Consultations (email & Google Meet)
If you have read through the blog posts, and watched the videos, and think to yourself- but I have more questions! Then fantastic. I want to meet you. Let’s chat! I started offering 1×1 consultations this year. We can discuss the specifics of your trip, your itinerary, what to do in Buenos Aires or the rest of Argentina, when to come, what to do, etc.
There are 30 minute and 60 minute consultations available via GoogleMeet. If you aren’t into video chats, I also have email consultations available. For further information on how to book a consultation, click here.
If you want to have a visual idea of what several of these places in Argentina look like, find me on Instagram. I have more than year’s worth of Argentina and Buenos Aires content. Posts, stories, reels. This content is informative, educational, and fun. You can definitely find something useful.
Other Instagram accounts
So you’re ready to go to Argentina, but looking for more inspiration? Check out these other accounts:
Erin at Sol Salute: Instagram and blog
Carolyn at Wander Ramble Roam
Martin at Buenosaires.ar
Mica at CoolBuenosAires
I hope this information will give you a good head start on your trip to Buenos Aires, and get you feeling a bit more comfortable to head to the City of Fury!
TRAVELING SOON?
INSURANCE: Make sure you cover yourself with travel medical insurance by SafetyWing.
FLIGHTS: Get the best flight deals with Skyscanner and set flight alerts with Hopper (use code nicholep4jh to get $20 in hotel vouchers).
TRAVEL: Get cash back on flights, hotels, and more with WayAway Plus.
STAYS: Check out hotels and apartments with Booking.com and Vrbo.
RENTAL CARS: Get the best deal on rental cars with Discover Cars.
eSIM: Get an international eSim with Airalo.
CITY GUIDES: Save time and purchase pre-made city guides with Thatch.
CITY TOURS: Book your tour with GetYourGuide and Viator
LUGGAGE: Get the best carry-on suitcase here.
CREDIT CARD: Start earning travel points with the best travel credit card.
BUENOS AIRES GUIDE: Purchase my Buenos Aires travel companion here.
CONSULTATION: Book a 1:1 travel consultation with Nicki here.
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