Buenos Aires Getting There & Away

Getting There & Away

By plane Ezeiza International Airport (EZE) Ricchieri Highway, Km. 22. Tel. 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. 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) , Lufthansa , Iberia and Air France. There is a departure tax of $18 USD (about 54 pesos) for all international flights. From the airport there are the usual taxis, private cars (remises), buses and minibuses. Trips on the comfortable Manuel Tienda León coaches from EZE to Retiro cost 25 pesos (as of December 2005). The coaches leave at least once an hour - more frequently during daytime. From the Retiro Terminal, a smaller van will deliver you to any downtown address for an additional 2 pesos. Manuel Tienda León also offers transfers between EZE and Aeroparque. Tickets can be purchased from their booth just outside of customs. Prepaid taxis from EZE to downtown cost about 75 pesos. Hailing a non-prepaid taxi is not recommended for tourists, but if doing so be aware that there is a 2 peso toll and a 0.80 peso toll if the driver goes by the autopista; the driver will inform you as you approach the toll booths. Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (AEP) Located in the Ave. Rafael Obligado. 4576-5300 extension 107/122 (Information: 4576-1111). Most domestic flights use the smaller Jorge Newbery Airport ( referred to as Aeroparque), 10 minutes away from the downtown area. You can take a taxi (25 pesos) or bus from there. By train There are some long distance domestic services. uses are usually faster and more comfortable, but also three times as expensive. There are several main stations in the BA area (see below). Retiro - Córdoba: Sale: Lunes y Viernes 20.10 hs. :Llega: Martes y Sábado 10.25 hs. Córdoba - Retiro: Sale: Jueves y Domingo 16.30 hs. :Llega: Viernes y Lunes 7.33 hs. 25 pesos (tourist class) Retiro - Tucumán: Sale: Lunes: 10.05 hs. :Llega: Martes 10.40 hs. Tucumán - Retiro: Sale: Miércoles 18.00 hs. :Llega: Jueves 19.20 hs. 35 pesos (tourist class) By car Theoretically, you can get to Buenos Aires from any of the neighboring countries by car, but it is far away from most of the borders. It is only common to travel there from Uruguay and southern Brazil. By bus Almost all the long-distance buses use the huge and well-organised Retiro bus station on the northern edge of the city centre. The buses are mostly modern and the roads are good; there are frequent services to most parts of the country and international bus services to neighbouring countries. You may catch taxis from Retiro bus station, and the subte (underground) also stops there. There are many local buses that stop outside the station as well. By boat There are daily journeys to and from Colonia and Montevideo in Uruguay. Two companies operate this service. Buquebus - Puerto Madero terminal - Córdoba avenue & Madero avenue. 4316-6400/6500/6550. Ferrytour - Dársena Norte terminal - Viamonte & Costanera Sur - 4311-4700 The services are now coordinated by Buquebus. The ferrytour ship is the slower one, used for Colonia. You may still make a fast trip to Colonia, at a higher price. From the official city site: The City is an important destination for the maritime and fluvial cruisers industry of South America. The Benito Quinquela Martín Passenger Terminal, a few blocks away from downtown, at Ramón Castillo street between Avenida de los Inmigrantes and Mayor Luisioni street, has a surface of 7,100 square meters, a boarding room for 1,000 passengers and baggage facilities with capacity for 2,500 suitcases. In addition, it provides tourist information, handicrafts shops, snack bars; and Migration, Customs, Interpol and Prefectura (Coast Guard) Offices. You may also take a boat from nearby Tigre to Nueva Palmira in Uruguay. Trains leave from Retiro Station to Tigre frequently. Boat services to Nueva Palmira also connect to Colonia del Sacramento by bus. There is also a service from Montevideo-Carmelo-Tigre-Buenos Aires. It costs around 10 dollars one way for the whole shebang. Get the tickets and depart from Tres Cruces in Montevideo. The price includes bus to Carmelo, boat to Tigre and bus to the centre of Buenos Aires. The official website is http://www.cacciolaviajes.com and they often have very good special offers that include some nights in hotels in Buenos Aires. Geting Away By train There are national railways, but they are scarce. The terminal stations are the same from suburban transportation. From Retiro station you can take the train to the Tigre Delta. There you can do a boat cruise and see the wetland and recreational area of the portenos. By car There are four main highways entering the city, those permit fast communication with the huge suburban area and access to the national routes. As with the trains, the most important routes are centered in Buenos Aires, so you will have no problem driving to and from the rest of the country. Heading to Rosario city, you can travel by highway all the way (north access highway, then route 9), from here you can keep going to the north by a good route (Panamericana), or turn right about 150km from Buenos Aires and go to the Mesopotamia region. To the west, you can drive to the Cuyo region using the north access highway, then the route 8. Going out with the west access highway, you can follow by routes 7 and 5, heading to the west and southwest, respectively. For visiting western Patagonia, the route 5 is a good choice. Finally for visiting the Atlantic shore of Buenos Aires (province), you head to the southeast access highway and the the route 2, a very good highway to Mar del Plata city. By bus There are very good services parting from Retiro bus station, covering the whole country. By buying the most expensive tickets, you can get very comfortable seats and on-board meals. Terminal de Omnibus de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires There are numerous operators. The basement level is for cargo and package services. The ground level holds waiting areas, cafes, shops and services including a barber. The upper level contains the ticket offices, or boleterias. The upper level is conveniently divided by color into geographic areas for companies which serve the place you want to go, including an international area. Look for the signs. Cama Suites or Dormi Camas lie completely flat and some have dividing curtains. With these services, the seating arrangement is one seat one side and two seats on the other side. Other Cama services are laid out two and two, and do not recline as far. Companies usually have photographs of bus interiors. Make sure the journey you choose has the service you want. Most buses are double decker.