When planning your trip, the question arises: What is the best airport in Buenos Aires? The main gateway for travelers to Argentina is undoubtedly the Ezeiza airport, the largest in the city, but it is a little far away, 45 minutes from the center.
But if you are going to explore other parts of the country, such as Bariloche, Mendoza or Patagonia, it is very likely that you will need to go through the airport, which only receives domestic flights in the country, but has the great advantage of being only about 10 minutes away from the center. Do you want to know how to get there, how to get off and how much the ride to each of them will cost? Come with me!
Travel insurance for Argentina
Taking out travel insurance is essential, even for countries as close as Argentina and Uruguay. No matter how close it is to home, it is best to travel protected so as not to suffer from unforeseen events.
The good news is that it is possible to take out good travel insurance for around 10 reais per day. To do this, we recommend using a search engine like Seguros Promo, which compares the main insurance companies and ensures that you find the best value for money, according to your needs.
Furthermore, blog readers are entitled to an exclusive discount coupon: 360MERIDIANOS05. See some of the offers below and choose yours:
What are the airports in Buenos Aires?
Ezeiza (EZE), also known as Ministro Pistarini International Airport, is about 30 km from the center of Buenos Aires. This is where the largest volume of international flights in the city pass through. The airlines Aerolíneas Argentinas, Avianca, British Airways, Gol, LAN, Qatar, TAM and Turkish Airlines fly there with direct flights leaving Brazil. Ezeiza has a gigantic Free Shop full of options to spend that little money left (or not) at the end of the trip.
Aeroparque (AEP) has the full name Jorge Newberry Airport and is located in the Palermo neighborhood, 8 kilometers from the center. This airport also receives international flights from neighboring countries, but since 2018, the number of international flights has dropped significantly and in April 2019 they completely disappeared, which is a shame, because from a location point of view, it is better to get off at Aeroparque, which is inside the city and close to everything. You will still use this airport for internal trips in Argentina.
How to get from the airport to the center of Buenos Aires?
Arriving at Ezeiza airport
When you arrive at Ezeiza you have five transport options to your hotel. The same options apply to return to the airport.
1. Uber or Cabify: The famous transport apps also work in Buenos Aires. The race costs between 1700 and 2000 pesos (R$140). Remembering that the fees will be charged to your Brazilian credit card, so the IOF of 6.38% is added to this amount.
2. Taxi. The best value for money if you are in a group, arrive late and/or want to go straight to your hotel. Ignore all the vultures that will offer you transport when you disembark. You can leave the arrivals area and, outside the airport, look for the Táxi Ezeiza booth, the safest option, chosen by 100% of the travel blogs I know. Another option is to use one of the taxi apps out there. The Brazilian Easy Taxi is regulated in Buenos Aires. Another option is the porteña BATáxi. Currently (December 2019) it costs around 2000 pesos, but the price varies. If you pay in cash, it’s cheaper. It is more difficult to negotiate on cards.
3. Remis. These are chauffeur-driven rental cars, a more “tidy” option than a taxi, with better cars and drivers in suits and ties. The most famous company that offers this type of service is Tienda León and charges 1990 pesos to go to the center. You can check if your hotel offers a transfer to the airport, as it may be cheaper than Remis.
4. Executive bus. This option is cheaper, but it’s only worth it if you’re alone. It costs 490 pesos. The final (or starting) point is Terminal Madero (Av. Madero, 1299). The bus makes the journey in approximately 45 minutes. From 6am to 9pm it leaves every 30 minutes. During the night, it runs every one hour. The company is also Tienda León.
5. Common Bus. This option is only available during the day and the journey takes two hours to the center. However, it is very cheap, it only costs a few pesos (the amount varies according to the point you are getting off at, but the fare starts at 16), but it must be paid with the Sube card, the single ticket in Buenos Aires. Buses leave from Terminal B. The main line is 8, which stops at Plaza de Mayo, but you can also take other lines: 51, 518, 394. Check the routes on the official website.
See here how to use public transport in Buenos Aires
About Ezeiza Airport
This is without a doubt the airport in Buenos Aires that has the best infrastructure. There is a food court with some international chains, such as McDonnald’s, and other restaurants that serve food at airport prices like everywhere else in the world.
The Banco de La Nación branch exchanges pesos 24 hours a day and has exchange rates at attractive prices, which makes it a good option for those arriving in the country. Consider exchanging at least enough for the first day. See here how parallel exchange works in Argentina.
Arriving via Aeroparque
As Aeroparque is within the city, the routes are much cheaper:
1. Uber, Cabify or other apps: you can use transport apps, remembering that the airport has free wifi. But be careful to book an exact location with the driver, as it needs to be “outside” the airport.
2. Taxi. You can leave the airport and take one of the taxis in line, but, according to the people at the Aires Buenos blog, this is not a good option, with scams and tampered taximeters. Prefer Tienda León apps or remis.
3. Remis. If you want transportation with frills, pomp and comfort, it costs 620 pesos in one of Tienda León’s chauffeur-driven cars to the center.
4. Executive Bus. The executive from Tienda Léon to Terminal Madero costs 230 pesos and leaves from Terminal Madero.
5. Common Bus. It costs 2 pesos and has four lines: 45, 37, 33, 160. See the routes on the official website.
About Aeroparque
The airport is smaller and has few restaurant and store options, take this into consideration when planning your trip there. There is a branch of Banco de La Nación to exchange money, but at Aeroparque it closes at midnight.
Where to stay in Buenos Aires
The main neighborhoods to stay in Buenos Aires are:
- center
- San Telmo
- Recoleta
- Palermo
The first two are for those who want to save money, stay close to everything and don’t mind clutter. Recoleta and Palermo have more expensive accommodation, but they are more upscale and beautiful neighborhoods. You can find out more about the regions in our post Where to stay in Buenos Aires.
Recommended accommodations in Buenos Aires:
Find hotels in Buenos Aires
