LandingPad Buenos Aires

After a long, possibly cramped flight to Buenos Aires, the last thing anyone wants is to run into problems at the airport. Here’s a quick guide to help you get through your airport and on your way to enjoying your time in Buenos Aires!

After disembarking your plane, you will be immediately ushered through immigration. Be prepared, as depending on the number of flights arriving at the same time, you may stand in line for a while. Don’t forget to fill out the immigration form they give you on the plane.

Once you are through immigration, you will then need to retrieve your luggage. Just grab a free luggage cart (yes, they really are free), collect your bags and make your way to the customs inspectors. Don’t be surprised if you get waved through customs without inspection, as they scan the bags of incoming foreign tourists less often.

The next task at hand, if you haven’t already made airport transportation arrangements, will be to get cash and find a taxi. DO NOT change dollars at the money changing stations in the airport because they will give you a low rate of exchange AND charge an additional service fee. Instead, find an ATM (cajero) in the arrivals lobby of the airport and extract what you need.

With pesos in hand, you will then be ready to find a ride to your hostel, hotel or apartment. To do so, you have several options: remise, airport taxi, illegal taxi, airport shuttle or public bus. Here’s a brief breakdown of your options:

Remise – a private car, much like a taxi, but without the cool yellow paint. Hiring a remise will cost you between $130 and $180 pesos (June 30, 2010). If you reserve your remise before your arrival, it will likely cost you less. Also, don’t forget to tip your driver $2-5 pesos for helping you with your bags. If you want, you can hire a remise through LandingPadBA by clicking here.

Taxi – Taxis will cost you about the same as a remise. To hire a certified airport taxi, find your way to the taxi stand inside the reception area outside of the terminal, tell them where you need to go, and ask them how much the ride will cost. Again, don’t forget to tip your driver $2-5 pesos for helping you with your bags.

Illegal Taxis – After walking through the doors to the curbside waiting area, you will find a line of remises waiting at the Manuel Tienda Leon cabin, a line of official yellow taxis waiting for their next clients, as well as a line of men dressed in casual wear. If you wait just a minute or two at least one of these men will approach you and offer you a ride into town. This is actually an illegal business offer, as official airport taxis are the only ones technically allowed to do business at the airport. But if you’re sly, your Spanish isn’t too bad, and you want to save a few pesos, take one of these guys up on their offer. An illegal taxi ride will cost less than hiring an official taxi and will run somewhere in the ballpark of $130 pesos (June 2010).

Airport Shuttle Bus – Manuel Tienda Leon also offers an airport shuttle. The shuttle costs around $50 pesos and runs every hour. This shuttle will take you between the airport and Manuel Tienda Leon’s headquarters, located at the intersection of Avenidas Madero and San Martín in downtown Buenos Aires. Keep in mind that this drop-off spot will likely require you to hire an additional taxi to take you and your luggage to your hostel, hotel or apartment.

Public Bus (colectivo) – Line 86 of the local public bus system also runs regularly from the airport. The bus is your cheapest option, by far (costing you just $2.50 pesos). There are several drawbacks to this most affordable option, however. First, if you have luggage, it will be a cramped public bus ride into the city. Second, the 86 will slowly lumber into town and will take at least and hour and a half. And third, the colectivos only accept payment in coin form. Given the current coin shortage in Buenos Aires, and the fact that you will likely have just taken out fresh cash from the ATM, these coins may be hard to find. The 86 will take you all the way to Plaza de Mayo, a major landmark of Buenos Aires and a great place to start your travel experience. Disembark the bus at the Plaza, take a quick glimpse of the Casa Rosada, the Catedral Metropolitana and the Cabildo, and make your way to the nearby subway (subte) station to get to your hostel, hotel or apartment.