Tips and recommendations for a first timer to Buenos Aires?

Hi, we have stayed in Buenos Aires 4 times and once for a month. BA is divided into districts and it is a good idea to take each one to explore in turn. We have always stayed in a flat in the Retiro/Barrio Norte district through a company called BYT. This area is close to everything you mention and is one of the nicest and safest. Alot of people stay in Palermo but this is a little further from the attractions. Starting with a Sunday in BA you must visit the San Telmo market. It is both local and touristy. We started the day with a free visit to the Casa Rosada and Plaza de Mayo which are close by. The guided tour is worth it. Check tImes online. In Recoleta you have the famous cemetery where Eva Peron has her tomb. The park area is nice and at the weekend there are stalls selling crafts. Close by is a cinema complex and restaurants. Most films are shown in their original language. Great if it rains. Have a drink in the well know La Biela. The shops in this area are very upmarket and great for wandering around. Central BA has a lot of shopping streets and the Galerías Pacífico. The newest area is called Puerto Madero and is the transformed docks area which is nice for a stroll and is lined with good restaurants. To get to the famous La Boca you have to negotiate the buses. We didn't find this a problem but you need change for the bus. It is very touristy but worth one visit. It is not as safe to wander away from the main area. Palermo has a lot of parkland and a few museums. We enjoyed an afternoon for free at the races there. You can walk round some of BA but some areas are too far. Taxis are cheap and plentiful and very fast! Be careful you are not fleeced in the taxis and always have change. I speak Spanish but have been done a few times. To get out of BA for a trip I suggest a train ride to Tigre on the delta. It is an eye opener on the ordinary train as sellers board at every stop. We also took the boat across the river to Colonia (Uguguay) in Uruguay. Eating out is cheap and there are hundreds to choose from. We enjoyed the tango show at the Café Tortoni. From the airport we always book a transfer with Manuel Tienda Leon. They take you by bus to the centre then minibus to your hotel. We have always felt safe there but times may have changed and there is a lot more poverty. I could go on for pages but I hope this has helped.

Some good neighboorhoods to stay in Buenos Aires are San Nicolás and Recoleta, I think. They're pretty close to everything and have a lot of accesibility to other parts of the town and local attractions. 

I live here and I use public transportation a lot, mostly the subway, because the maps are easy to read. Buses are a bit more complicated. I walk a lot too, Buenos Aires is really nice to walk because it's a very pretty city (or at least I think so). If it's safe, it dependes mostly on the time of the day and the neighboorhod. Normally on avenues is pretty safe. You have to be careful, of course, because it's not a particularly safe city, but if you don't go flashing around expensive electronic devices you'll be fine. Watch out for pickpockets, too. 

The best advice I can give you it's to be careful and aware of your sorroundings when you're walking, mostly when you walk alone and at night. You can also take cabs, too. With the exchange rate it's not going to cost you a lot, I think.

Good luck, and welcome to Buenos Aires!

Hi Lindsay !

Buenos Aires is a great city, you certainly will enjoy it ! I recommend staying at Palermo area, there you will be close to several types of restaurants, nightlife, shops, etc.

You could book an apartment in www.airbnb.com.ar paying here in ARS. Always it is convenient for you to use argentine pesos than dollars, euros or pounds, because there are two values for foreign currency, the official and the so-called " blue " on the black market. To understand this, for example USD 1 is ARS 8,76 ( official ) and ARS 12,62 ( blue ) today.

Another thing you have to consider, is the removal of money on ATM, because it only dispense local currency and will apply the official exchange value, hence neither it is appropriate to do that. Sometimes you have no choice. 

About the transportation, you could use the subway ( subte ) as a good option, to use the buses ( colectivos ), first you should find out about their routes, you have hundreds of alternatives.

To walk thru Buenos Aires is nice, you have to be careful, pay attention and watch your surroundings, as when traveling on the subway.

You can get more info at http://www.turismo.buenosaires.gob.ar/en.

Anything else you need, feel free to contact to me, I am argentinian and live in Buenos Aires.

Kind regards,

Pablo

I really enjoyed staying in the city center, at an airbnb apartment. I was able to walk to almost every neighborhood I wanted to visit, and my hostess provided transit cards for the bus and the subway, which I was able to fill at the corner shop near the apartment.

I thought most of the touristy neighborhoods - Av de Mayo, Recoleta, San Telmo,   Palermo Soho Loft - were great for walking. I read that anywhere south of Au. 25 de Mayo gets a little dicey, and for tourists to be aware of their surroundings if they visit Caminito, but I took the local bus and walked a few blocks to visit the attraction, and was fine.

You can take Taxis , But for travelling by bus you will have to get a card , wich is called SUBE , with that you can travel

You have very nice neighborhoods to stay, it depends how much do you want to spend and if you want to be near downtown or at the suburbs. Near downtown best places will be Puerto Madero, Recoleta. At the Suburbs Palermo (either Esplendor Palermo Hollywood or Soho Point) will be great. 

Downtown is walking friendly, also you can get a bike, there is a network of bike paths you can use. You also have the Subte (Tube, Metro, Subway) is not as good as London Tube but is the fastest way of moving around the city

I've been at Buenos Aires last year as you.. for walk.

I stayed at Downtown, next to Casa Rosada (Pink House), government house. Great place to take pictures during the day and night. Closer then, there is the Florida Street. Some stores to do shop. This Neighbourhood is next to Puerto Madero (Sea port). Famous place for dinner, special at Cabaña Las Lilas.

I recommend you visit Palermo Neighbourhood, there is a lot of places to dinner or just drink something (young people).

Rosedal is a park to take pictures, it's beautiful during the spring. Next you will find the Japanese Garden.

I didn't like Caminito and La Bombonera area.

In the next time, I will try the Recoleta neighbourhood to stay.

Hi Lindsay

For me the best place to stay is Palermo, it's a beautiful neighborhood with parks, shops, restaurants, pubs, it is also safe and you have a subway and many buses that can take you to the city center. 

Recoleta is also good but not so fun. The center of the city, San Nicolás for instance is near many atractions but it's not what I'd preffer to stay. 

And Buenos Aires is a walkable city, absolutely, some distances are big but you can walk through many neighborhoods