pmacher61

I have used Uber in Bs As to go distances similar in length to that of EZE to Recoleta. Cost is about $10 at todays exchange rates (USD = 70 pesos+).  The problem is that UberXL (large vehicles) is not an option. Accordingly, if you have a lot of luggage and want to be sure to obtain a vehicle capable of carrying it all, it is best to go to the Taxi EZE stand OUTSIDE the secure area and ask for a taxi "familiar" which is a larger SUV type vehicle. The EZE stand inside the secure area has much higher prices. I would estimate the cost to be about $20 or less.

p.s. Today the USD is trading for 70 pesos or more. Owing to the elections tomorrow, it is believed the USD will trade at 80 pesos or more very soon.

Take a cab to the base of Sugarloaf in the Urca barrio, then the cable car to the summit. https://www.google.com.ar/maps/place/Sugarloaf+Mountain/@-22.9492383,-43.1633305,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x9980409039f845:0x8075d7bcdfbcb48c!8m2!3d-22.9492586!4d-43.1545757

If you want to fly out of Santiago on the day you disembark, be prepared to spend the night in Lima, then next day take a bus or train to Machu Picchu or better yet, hire a car and driver/guide for the approx 1 hour trip. See:

https://www.google.com.ar/maps/place/"Machu+Picchu"+Park/@-12.1201972,-77.1154591,12z/data=!4m22!1m16!4m15!1m6!1m2!1s0x9105b767aa465ac7:0xe10b99cc3cfd325c!2s"Machu+Picchu"+Park,+Chorrillos,+Peru!2m2!1d-77.0191491!2d-12.1943849!1m6!1m2!1s0x9105c5f619ee3ec7:0x14206cb9cc452e4a!2sLima,+Peru!2m2!1d-77.042754!2d-12.0463731!3e0!3m4!1s0x9105b767aa465ac7:0xe10b99cc3cfd325c!8m2!3d-12.1943849!4d-77.0191491 Last time I went (40 years ago),  the train was the best optionto get to Machu Picchu and it took a couple of hours. That does not appear to be the case today and I would recommend a driver with pvt car.

The site can be done in less than 1 day so you can return back to Lima the same day. Plan to spend the night before flying home. So ...2 nights in Lima.

On 3/4/2019 at 4:32 AM, Lunenburg said:

Perhaps, but the taxi drivers at the port are choosy who they will carry and just say no if you query their prices. There are a few hundred more behind you who will pay what they ask!

Not really,  though many port taxis are cheats. Just walk down the block away from the congregated cars and hail a street cab. Meters are mandatory in the city limits. Taxis in BA are about 1/3 the price of taxis in NYC. The port is not remote from the best parts of the city. Puerto Madero and Recoleta rides would cost anywhere from $5-10 max. Palermo might be as high as $12 (480 pesos).

Uber is also an option though Uber drivers would probably have difficulty picking up at the port - the taxi drivers (whose medallions have now lost much of the value they paid before Uber came to town) would surely harrass them or worse. 

p.s. I have lived in Bs As for over 10 years and have sailed in or out about 10 times.

Returned from B.A .early Feb this year...had read these warnings so was aware that we should be alert.

 

I never remove my jewellery, so even though Princess had given warnings, I ( perhaps stupidly) carried on regardless.

...

We walked around, caught hop on/off buses and taxis, shopped, took photos, ate in restaurants, shopped some more..all the touristy things. Whilst we remained vigilant, we did not feel threatened.

 

 

Perhaps we were lucky. Just be aware, do not draw attention to yourself and you will enjoy.

You were lucky. Wearing jewellry (sic), in and of itself, does draw attention to yourself!. No locals would wear jewelry of significant value while casually traipsing about town.

See Guiaoleo.com.ar for starters.

My favorites are Norte, Marcelo in Hotel Intursur, Vasco Francais, Mirasol de la Recova, El Estrebe, Pecora Nera, Sarkis, Resto (in Architects bldg. on Montevideo)...but there are too many too list unless you specify a cuisine...

Can you recommend a nearby restaurant to these venues?

Yes, however remember that taxis are inexpensive, plentiful, and safe so a restaurant can be selected without too much emphasis on proximity to either location. Tango Madero is in Puerto Madero and there are a plethora of upscale places within a stone's throw. I like Red Resto in the Hotel Madero. See https://www.guiaoleo.com.ar/bares/Red-Resto-Lounge-Hotel-Madero-1410 .

If you opt for Tango Porteno I suggest Marcelo's in the Hotel Intersur (on Av Callao). See https://www.guiaoleo.com.ar/restaurantes/Marcelo--Hotel-Intersur-Recoleta--10050. There is also a related Marcelo in Puerto Madero, but I have not frequented the place as the Callao locale is near my home.

CORRECTION

I just called La Cabrera. The doors open at 6:30, not 7:30. The discount is 40%, but all diners must pay and leave the table by 8 pm to qualify for the discount. Not sure I would choose this place for a social get together given the time restraint.

Check http://www.guiaoleo.com.ar and https://buenos-aires.restorando.com.ar/

If arriving at EZE, the best option is to change at the Banco de la Nacion window right near the exit from the secure area. It is open extended hours though you should check for the specific schedule. Try to estimate how many Arg pesos you will need as it will be difficult to change back. The duty free store when exiting is the optimal place to spend remaining pesos.

Dr D is correct about dining hours and his recommendations are valid. I would endorse especially Mirasol de la Recova of the ones he mentioned. However, if you and your gang don't mind waiting in line to gain entry to the early bird special at La Cabrera, you should also consider it. La Cabrera is a famous place, a quintessential Arg parrilla albeit probably patronized by more tourists now than locals, but still good and fun. Even waiting in line can be entertaining - at least it was the last time I went there about a year ago. Doors open at 7:30 and there is a significant early bird discount (20% or more) for those entering when doors first open so a line to enter forms shortly before that time.

If that doesn't suit your taste, I would recommend my favorite place - Marcelo in the Hotel Intersur on Av Callao near Av Quintana in the Recoleta (not the one in Puerto Madero). It is a great place for a get together with a menu emphasizing Italian and Arg specialties. Comfortable ambience, good service, swank, but with large plates to share, great food and value. If I were organizing a pre cruise get together it would be my choice.

Check out www.guiaoleo.com.ar for restaurant reviews and contact info. Best to make reservations wherever you go.

The info here is generally correct. The differential between the "blue" aka "black" market exchange rate for the USD has dwindled to about 2% in Arg. Accordingly, it makes sense to use a credit card that has no foreign currency transaction fees as the rate you will get for your USD will only be about 2% less than if you had paid with pesos obtained at the blue rate.

Caveat: Some merchants including many, if not most, restaurants will give a 10-20% discount for payment in peso cash (and some merchants will also accept USD at a decent rate of exchange). It's a tax thing....like in evasion. Accordingly, it still makes sense to obtain cash if not inconvenient and if you plan on making large purchases or dining out extensively.

I believe it is true that payment with a foreign credit card will also allow avoidance of the Vat tax in Uruguay hotels and restaurants. Not sure if same is true about hotels elsewhere, but that is not the case in Arg restaurants. So, it makes sense to pay restaurant tabs with plastic in Uruguay and cash in Arg - assuming you get a discount for Arg peso cash.

As for getting cash in Arg, the problem is that Arg ATMs charge outlandish fees (5-7%) per transaction in addition to any fees your card issuing bank may charge for using an ATM owned by another institution. Withdrawal transactions are capped at about 3000 pesos.

That kind of fee may be okay if you only need a small amount of cash for taxis, tips etc, but If you are going to need much more than that for significant shopping/dining tabs while in Arg, you may want to consider going to an "informal" exchange house aka cueva (not a guy on the street corner on Av Florida). You can easily and safely acquire pesos at the current blue rate at any cueva. See ambito.com for the correct rate for selling a USD - take 20 centavos off the high rate (now 17.95 pesos) to calculate what you should get for each USD.

If you are overnighting in Bs As, simply ask your hotel desk clerk, barman, porter (or O'Henry- ian "man about town") where you can exchange money. Cuevas, often found in travel agency offices, are ubiquitous and safe. If you can't get a local to point you to a cueva, go to the rear of the hotel Alvear Palace building on Posadas St in the Recoleta - there's a famous and reliable cueva inside the mini-mall there...a travel agency with large painting of cows on its outside window.

The terminal is a zoo. Hop in a metered taxi and go to the nearby Sheraton Hotel in Retiro. Meet at the bar. Caveat: the taxis that work the cruise terminal are a gang of thieves who always try to overcharge by using fixed fees. Don't accept that. Inasmuch as you won't have bags, just cross the street, walk down a bit either way and hail a street cab. Tipping is neither required nor expected. Should not cost more than the equivalent of $5-7.

The cruise terminal is about 15 km from Copacabana. Taxis are metered and may add a small fixed surcharge for large suit cases.Tipping is neither expected nor required. Taxis are the way to go. Should not cost more than $10.

You need the visa to board and it is odd that the cruise line would equivocate about it.

Going from the cruise terminal to EZE has always been a bit more challenging than vice versa. There is no taxi Ezesia booth at the cruise terminal so one is left with accepting an over priced/ over charged rate from one of the mafia taxis in line at the cruise terminal or shleping the suitcases about 50 meters to a spot near a corner across the street to hail a street cab. Street cabs are uniformly meter operated and reliable. It is best to pick a spot to hail a cab not directly across from the mafia taxis so as to minimize any chance of intimidation tactics preventing the street cab from stopping.

Uber is alive and well in Bs As...sort of. Requesting an Uber to stop at the cruise terminal (or EZE) would be problematical inasmuch as the taxi drivers might try to intimidate/hassle the driver. Street cabs are safe, reliable, and plentiful.

what is your budget?

No, but if you pay with USD you are going to get a terrible rate of exchange (on the order of 10% less than actual correct exchange rates - even the official rates). Pay with a credit card if possible. The rate will be better and, therefore, the ride cheaper. Of course, it is advisable to have a credit card that doesn't charge a foreign currency transaction fee (usually around 3%).

I second Dr D's advice. The cabs at the cruise terminal are notorious "mafia" cheats. Be wise - don't patronize them.

.You are welcome. By the way, it's Tango Porteno, not tango portero (portero is a resident super of a building).

LATAM - Arg and Aerolineas Arg are one and the same. Both are unreliable and a pain in the neck to deal with especially if you seek compensation for cancelled flights.

I think you mean "Tango Portero" which is located on Cerritos in Barrio Norte, not far from the obelisk. Both it and Tango Madero are good choices for the kind of show you want. I also endorse your plan to skip dinner and just go for the "drinks" show. I believe you can buy tickets in advance or reserve them over the phone (with credit card) and you can dine much better in a nearby restaurant then cab it to the theater. Hailing cab(s) on the street is easy, safe and inexpensive. Just know how to say your destination!

You can more comfortably get to the restaurant in various cabs rather than have a bus circulate to all of the hotels. Then you can comfortably cab it to the tango destination.

I concur. Besides, even if you wanted to get to know an area in a barrio farther from the ship than Recoleta ( e.g. San Telmo, Boca, Palermo), an area more conveniently located near your 1 night hotel, taxis are cheap and easy to hail. No need to spend the extra money - stay on the ship.

I live part time in Bs As. Yes the govt has sought to close Uber, but it is still functioning. I use it all the time . It is cheaper than a remise or cab.

try uber....,,,will be cheaper (like 1/2 the cost) than a remis (pvt car) from the car/transport service Manuel Tienda Leon http://www.tiendaleon.com/resultados/busqueda/remis/