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By taxi[edit]
Taxis are not the quickest way to move around the more congested parts of the city, especially during rush hour, 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.)
These days safety of traveling by taxi has improved considerably. For details refer to Buenos Aires#Stay safe. If you are uncomfortable hailing a taxi on the street you can have your hotel or restaurant call a taxi for you.
Ezeiza International Airport (EZE IATA)[edit]
Ricchieri Highway, Km. 22. Tel. +54 5480-6111 - International and some domestic flights use the Ezeiza International Airport (referred to as Aeropuerto Internacional Ministro Pistarini), located in the suburban area named Gran Buenos Aires, about 30-45 minutes from downtown by highway. Planes fly to most countries in South America, the United States, and Europe. Non-stop service to the U.S. is available from Atlanta (Delta), Dallas (AA), Miami (AA), Houston (Continental),New York (AA, United & AR) and Washington, D.C. (United).
Some flights from Aerolíneas Argentinas to Ushuaia leave from Ezeiza during peak season, so check which airport you fly into or leave from.
There is also a useful Aerolínas Argentinas flight direct to Sydney, with a stop in Auckland and a twice-weekly Malaysian Airlines flight to Kuala Lumpur via Cape Town and Johannesburg. Direct flights to Europe are available with British Airways (with a stop in Sao Paulo) [1], Lufthansa [2], Iberia [3], Air France [4], Air Comet [5] and Aerolíneas Argentinas [6]. Also Air Canada flies from Toronto via Santiago. There is a departure tax of $18 USD (about 54 pesos) for all international flights, which can be paid in pesos, US dollars, euros or credit card.
From the airport there are the usual taxis, private cars (remises), buses and minibuses.
Trips on the comfortable Manuel Tienda León [7] coaches from EZE to Retiro cost 40 pesos (as of October 2008). The coaches leave every half hour - less frequently during evenings. From the Retiro Terminal, a smaller van will deliver you to any downtown address for an additional 5 pesos. Manuel Tienda León also offers transfers between EZE and Aeroparque. Tickets can be purchased from their booth just outside of customs.
Prepaid taxis (remises) from EZE to downtown cost about 120 pesos. They are your simplest and safest transport from the airport. As you exit customs there are booths on either side of the receiving area of the airport. Some of the prepaid remises will provide you with a 20% discount coupon for your airport return. If you manage to hold on to this coupon, dial them directly to come and collect you and save yourself 20%. You must also present the original receipt to receive the discount.
Hailing a non-prepaid taxi is not recommended for tourists, but if you do, be aware that there is a 2 peso toll and a 0.80 peso toll if the driver goes by the autopista (as should be done); the tolls will be added to your fare. You should select a taxi that is dropping someone off. It works out to around 50 to 55 pesos to downtown. You should not do this unless you have some familiarity with Buenos Aires and speak Spanish well.
The cheapest way to get downtown is to take the number 8 bus (formerly number 86). The stop is just outside terminal B arrivals, you need to walk 100 meters. The bus will take almost 2 hours to get to the Mayo square, going straight on Rivadavia Avenue and then on Hipolito Yrigoyen street. It will cost 2 pesos to get downtown. Be ready to have coins to use them on the bus, you can get change at the counters where the airport tax is paid or at any airport shop. This is not advised for someone unfamiliar with the city. Be mindful of your surroundings and avoid the common scam mentioned in Stay Safe.
If you are returning to Ezeiza from downtown, be sure to ride the 8 bus that says "AEROPUERTO" as there are several 8 buses that go to other places. The bus stops all along Mayo Avenue and then Rivadavia Avenue. It can take more than two hours to get to the airport from downtown (longer than the trip in from the airport), and the bus can get extremely crowded. If you are at all pressed for time, or short on patience, it is highly recommended that you skip this bus and take a taxi or remise.