Unless you are very sensitive to cold, September should be fine. For hotels, I suggest either the 4 Seasons or the Alvear Palace. Depending on your taste, the Alan Faena property could also be an option.

For the Alvear Palace, check out the Leading Hotels website.

Have a great trip!!!

Ok so this is very last minute. I have about 12 hours there from arriving from Miami before flying back. What should I see? What should I do? Which starwood property should I park at for the day? I want to do as much as possible.

Thanks to Gaunch100k for this thread and all the useful information that I learned by reading it. I just returned from 4 days in BA and I enjoyed it quite a bit. You can spend a day just visiting each of the individual neighborhoods Recoleta, San Telmo, Palermo to name a few each have their own character and lots to explore. I stayed in the Loi Suites in Recoleta and can recommend the hotel. The rooms are a bit small, but the lobby and breakfeast area are superb. Got a $127 pre-paid deal through Expedia, which was a pretty good deal. One word of caution is that when paying for a taxi from Bellas Artes to La Boca the taxi driver swapped my Argentinian pesos for fake peso bills. He told me the first bill I gave him was fake, so I gave him another and again he stated that one was fake. It was all very innocent and I did not realize until later that he was swapping my bills for fake ones. I now have some souveneir fake currency :eek: . Don't let this be a deterrent to visiting BA, but just warning about something that can happen anywhere while traveling away from home.

Rates around Thanksgiving
 

I am planning a trip late November:

- Any thoughts on this time of the year for BsAs?
- What is a good fare for this time of the year?

Thanks

I went to BA late November 2004 and the weather was wonderful - breezy not yet quite yet summer so it wasn't too hot. Nonstop from JFK to EZE was $700ish on American. Took a short trip to Iguazu - the sun was definitely out there but worth the sun burn!

"Legal Pesos" and Other Advice to Assist Peace of Mind
 

There's a scam going around in Argentina now with a very credible looking 50 Peso banknote which is completely bogus. Unscrupulous scammers attempt to pass these off to foreigners in change transactions... Here's some advice that has worked well for me and my family...

After clearing Argentine Customs and Immigration at EZE, exit into the main terminal and walk around to the right to the Banco de la Nacion Argentina... It's kind of hidden away in a corner. You can use their ATM there with your regular bank card... I only usually take out 300-400 Pesos, about USD $100 -$130. Since you'll usually get ARS (Argentine Pesos) out of the ATM in 100 Peso notes, go to one of the 2 bank counters (the bank is even open on Sundays and holidays) to change some of the notes to 10 and 20 Pesos. Ask the Teller to provide you with a "Legal Tender Convertible Pesos (Pesos Convertibles de USO Legal)" brochure, which is provided by the State Bank to tourists, which depicts color pictures of the ONLY 6 ARGENTINE BANKNOTES WHICH ARE LEGAL! These banknotes are in the following denominations: 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100. The brochure shows the banknote face in full color and the brochure easily folds into your billfold for discrete, easy reference. Note the posters on the bank walls which show current counterfeit bills being passed.

Also, I usually bring along about 30 - 50 single US Dollars and 10 or so US $5 bills. Along with ARS, I only carry some of these USD bill denominations each day, leaving the rest in my hotel room safe. US dollars are readily useable in BsAs and Uruguay and are excellent for taxi driver tips, etc. Most places accept USD at USD $1.00 = ARS $3.00 (Pesos). In Uruguay the dollar is = to about 25.5 Uruguayan Pesos (UYP).

Lastly, Argentina, like many other Latin American countries, is troubled by a great amount of credit card fraud... As a way to protect yourself against additional charges showing up on your accounts after you leave the country, do the following... Before you leave on your trip, contact your CC company and advise them specifically on the dates and the countries that you will be using their card in and the date that you will be leaving. Also, contact the bank/credit union which issued your ATM card and advise them as well of the dates and countries that you will be accessing ATM machines in.

"When in Rome..." You won't see many Argentines wearing much jewelry except at parties at home ... Religious medals are okay. When in touristic areas, place your wallet in your front pants pocket and keep your hand on it. Except when traveling on a day trip to Uruguay, leave your passports in the hotel safe. Make a color photocopy of your passport and keep it in your billfold in the event that you loose your wallet. Sometimes a reputable merchant will ask for your passport number to be written under your signature on a credit card charge. There is even a line for it on many charge receipts as a way that CC companies can prevent fraud. (I always write a bogus number when asked). DO NOT EVER write your Social Security number anywhere or keep your SS card in your wallet... Leave this card at home! Your SS number is important to thieves who attempt identity theft...

In my experience over the years, 99% of Argentines are great, spiritual, friendly and honest souls who value visitors... It's that 1% who see tourists as a target that we have to be wary of...

Taxi-related problems are too often an issue. Has anyone consider making a habit of using their cell phone to take a digital pictures of the taxi license plate prior to entering it? ;) I have advised a few of my friends and acquaintances to call/email/text over the taxi license plate number to a friend/family when adventuring about. It creates a trail that has been useful for such things as recovering forgotten goods and/or dealing with taxi-related disputes.

It's wonderful in the evenings at that time of the year but can get get a little hot in the sun (although not so much as to make this snow-lover rush to the hills).

Fares in coach can vary from $500 to $900 from JFK at that time. I make a habit of being there at the end of November due to polo.

solo dining recommendations?
 

Many thanks to Gaucho100K and others for all of the useful information in this thread. I'll be travelling to BA next month for two days of meetings and then will be spending the weekend there on my own. I'm looking for suggestions where a solo diner can get a great meal without feeling out of place. Trendy restaurants often make a solo diner feel self-concious, so I'm looking for places that would be more friendly or perhaps casual. For example, I've had great meals at the bar at Gramercy Tavern in New York where you can get great wine and service and feel totally comfortable as a solo diner.

Any suggestions?

What a great question. I always feel comfortable at any of the thousands of informal cafes in Bs. As., usually called "cafe," "confetieria," "panaderia," "pizzaria," or something else casual sounding. For a little more upscale experience I'm not sure that I can give you great suggestions. The upscale restaurants usually don't include bar or lounge seating. Gaucho will probably have some good suggestions though, he always does!

These places have bars, but I don't recall seeing people dine at them:
• Central, Costa Rica 5644 cross streets are Fitz Roy and Bonpland in Palermo. 4776-7374
• Lomo, Costa Rica 4661 cross streets Gurrachaga and Armenia in Palermo. 4833-3200
• Club Del Vino, Cabrera 4737 in Palermo between Armenia and Malabia 4833-0048, 0049, & 0050

Thanks for the kind words. KurtD made some good suggestions above. In addition, I would recommend you consider these places:

Cabaña Las Lilas
Bella Italia Cafe
El Pobre Luis

Please note that solo dining in EZE is just as common as in any other large city, so dont feel concerned about doing this. Im sure you will have a great time and thanks for visiting!!!! :D

I've eaten at Las Lilas on my own - great meal and very attentive staff :)

Taxi Issues - some tips and useful phone numbers
 

Taxi's in Buenos Aires are just like in any other large city... for the most part they are OK - but you will encounter the occasional bad apple here and there.

In a bid to assist those using Taxi services in EZE, I would like to recommend the following Radio Taxi companies, that are all reputable and I use and recommend on a regular basis:

Radio Taxi Pidalo - 49561200
Radio Taxi Del Plata - 45047776
Radio Taxi Premium - 43746666

If you have a EZE operational cellphone, I suggest you keep the above numbers in your phonebook and call whenever you need a car, the usual wait time is under 10 minutes, unless its rush hour or raining (please allow for at least 20 minutes in this case).

The dispatch person will usually ask you for a cell phone number, if you are roaming with a foreign phone just say so, they will usually not need the number to send you a car. Just ID yourself (first name is enough), give them your bearings and they will send you a car. Not all dispatchers speak English, but you should still be able to communicate OK.

For those not carrying a cellphone, you can call these companies from any public phone, or restaurant, shop, etc.

I believe that this has already been answered in the post, but for the life of me I cant find it!

Is there a recommended way to travel between the two airports in BA? Also, how much time should you allot between flights to clear customs and travel between the two airports?

Thanks

There is regularly scheduled bus service every half hour from 0600 - 0045 at EZE and 0830 - 2245 from AEP on modern, comfortable buses operated by Manuel Tienda León between EZE and Aeroparque (Jorge Newbery Airport (AEP)... Buses make one stop at the Terminal Madero at Av. Madero & San Martin in each direction. The trip between airports, including the stop, takes about 1 hour and costs slightly more than USD $7.00...

The Manuel Tienda León desk at EZE is on the left, immediately after leaving the Argentine Immigration and Customs area. You can prepay there using a credit card, if you wish... You'll get receipts and pre-paid vouchers to give to drivers.

Manuel Tienda León has a website, but it's usually down! Thankfully, their bus service is operated much more reliably. By the way, their bus service to downtown hotels is quite good... You leave the big bus at the Madero Terminal and are taken by minibus to your hotel. Bags are well handled by drivers who appreciate a tip of a couple pesos or a dollar a bag. During the transfer at the Madero Terminal bags are guarded by uniformed guards, as are passengers... No concerns about being victimized, it's just Tienda León's mission to provide safe and reliable transportation. I've used their services often and have no complaints...