How to get from Buenos Aires airport to the city center?
When traveling to Buenos Aires City, organizing your ground transportation in advance is a must, including your transfer from and to the airport.
For any traveler visiting Argentina’s capital, trying to figure out how to get from Buenos Aires airport to the city center can become a nightmare.
To begin with, unlike most places on Earth, there isn’t just one airport in Buenos Aires, but two instead.
Another big difference between this city and other metropolises around the world is that there is no railway net connecting these airports with downtown, and the few public buses that do exist are very tricky to take if you do not speak Spanish due to poor signaling, lack of screens displaying the stops within the buses, and the fact that buses do not take cash (not even local currency) and are paid with a particular reloadable card (we will get into more specific details later on).
But worry not, dear traveler! We’ve got you covered. Read on this post to know how to get to the city center from Buenos Aires airport or from one airport to another (in case you have a connection).
BA airports for beginners: EZE or AEP?
Before speaking about transportation options, we have to speak about airports. Depending on where you are coming from/going to, you will arrive in/depart from Buenos Aires through different airports:
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“Ministro Pistarini airport”, EZE airport (a.k.a. Ezeiza airport):
This is Buenos Aires international airport and mostly operates intercontinental flights or regional ones (excluding those between Argentina and neighboring countries).If you are flying from/to Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, etc in a direct flight, this is almost certainly the one you will arrive at/depart from.It is located in Ezeiza district, Buenos Aires province, 33 km (20 miles) southeast of Buenos Aires downtown. The ride takes between 40 min to 1.5 hours depending on the time of the day/day of the week and also the mean of transportation.
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“Jorge Newbery airport”, AEP airport, (a.k.a. “Aeroparque”):
Located within Buenos Aires city and only 3 km (1.90 miles) away from downtown (a 30-60 min drive), this is the city’s domestic airport.It is mainly used for domestic flights (within Argentina’s borders) and flights coming from/departing to bordering countries (Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia).
Tip #1 when choosing your preferred Buenos Aires’ airport transportation: pay attention and be aware of what airport you need to be picked up from/ taken to, as it is very easy to mix them up and miss your flights/transportation services.
That being said, let’s go into Buenos Aires airport transportation options:
Tip #2 when choosing your preferred Buenos Aires’ airport transportation: It is not advised to accept transfer services from unofficial suppliers walking around the airport. Authorized companies will always have their own counters/stands.
Booking a Buenos aires airport private transfer:
This is by far the most direct, easiest, and fastest way to get from both Ezeiza International Airport and Aeroparque Airport to Buenos Aires.
Skip the stress of a taxi or public bus and have a safe and relaxed arrival/departure by booking a private transfer with an English speaking driver.
This option is the most recommended for first time visitors, people who do not speak any Spanish, families with young kids, and specially for people arriving/departing during late night hours.
No hidden fees: Your scheduled transfer service has a fixed price.
Free waiting time (up to 60′) included (only included for arrivals).
Book your private airport transfer online now and get 10%OFF using the TRANSFERBLOG code at check out.
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Taking an airport taxi / “remise”:
*“Remises” are private cars with drivers. At the airport, the service is similar to a taxi, but once in the city there is an important difference between them: usually Buenos Aires taxis go around through the streets waiting to be hailed while “remises” are booked through a phone call.
To get from Ezeiza Airport (EZE) to Buenos Aires by taxi/remise you have two options:
- You can book an airport taxi/remise at the arrivals public area for a prefixed fee (to be paid at their counter before leaving). Payment options: Credit card, debit card and cash.
- You can hail a street taxi outside terminal “A”, and unlike the ones you book inside the airport, these do not have fixed fees, so you do not know the airport to city cost until the end of the ride. They have a meter located on the top right side of the windscreen that will show the amount to be paid, which will ALWAYS be expressed in “pesos” (Argentina’s local currency).In most cases, credit cards or debit cards are not accepted and even though drivers might accept other currencies, the rate of exchange will not be convenient. So, it is better to handle local currency or, in case you need to use another currency, to have pocket money because it is very common that drivers do not have change.
*To take into account: None of the above mentioned can be pre-booked so you may have to wait in line for a long time if several flights have arrived more or less at the same time.
To get from Aeroparque Airport (AEP) to Buenos Aires by taxi/remise you also have two options:
- Book a “Remis” at the stands located at “Arrivals” and the public area for a prefixed fee which is paid at the counter.
- Find one of the many signs stating “taxis” located within the ariport and scan the QR code displayed at it. It will lead you to a website (available languages: English, Spanish or Portuguese) which once you fill in the information (destination, number of people, and number of bags) will give you a fixed fee for your taxi.Go outside, hail a cab, and let the driver scan that code before departing. Arrive at your destination and pay for the ride. In most cases, credit cards or debit cards are not accepted and even though drivers might accept other currencies, the rate of exchange will not be convenient. So, it is better to handle local currency or, in case you need to use another currency, to have pocket money because it is very common that drivers do not have change.
*To take into account: None of the above mentioned can be pre-booked so you may have to wait in line for a long time if several flights have arrived more or less at the same time.
Tip #3 when choosing your preferred Buenos Aires’ airport transportation: It is always safer to take the taxis having the sign “radio taxi” on the roof and painted on the doors.
Renting a car:
If you prefer to go on your own and enjoy the feeling of independence a rented car provides, you will find plenty of Rent a Car companies in both local airports. At Ezeiza Airport the stands are located at “Arrivals” and the public area in terminal “A”, while in Aeroparque Airport you can find them in the “Domestic arrivals” section.
A credit card is a must for renting a car and do not forget to get some “argentine pesos” for the toll booths located along the way as they only take cash and do not accept foreign currency.
Tips #4, #5, #6 and #7 when choosing your preferred Buenos Aires’ airport transportation:
- Driving in Buenos Aires is not an easy task at all. Locals are not very well known for respecting driving rules or speed limits.
- If you do not know the city you might get stuck in traffic due to frequent strikes by picketers.
- Be aware of your accommodation’s location as driving is forbidden in certain areas (downtown).
- Finding a free parking lot is sometimes harder than seeing a unicorn, so consider parking fees into your budget when deciding to rent a car in Buenos Aires.
As you probably realized so far, renting a car is honestly not the best way to move around Buenos Aires.
Taking a Buenos Aires airport shuttle bus:
Are you looking for a cheaper way to get from Buenos Aires airport to the city? Then a shuttle bus is a good option.
“Tienda León” is the only company offering this service and you can find their counters at “Arrivals” area in both terminals A and C (Ezeiza Ariport) and in Sector A/”Arrivals” and public area (Aeroparque Airport).
The service begins early in the morning until the evening and it operates on an hourly frequency from the airport to their “Madero terminal” (located at Av. Eduardo Madero 401).
It is a reliable option and buses are comfortable, but it has a major disadvantage: it isn’t a door to door service, so you will have to find a way to get on your own from the bus terminal to your hotel/apartment.
Using public urban transport:
If you are an intrepid traveler and would like to get a taste of what it is like for argentineans to travel on public transportation, this might not be the best time of the trip to do it.
In general terms public transportation in Buenos Aires is excellent (at least compared to South American standards). But when it comes to traveling from/to the airport the options are very inconvenient.
Before we go into details, you need to know that in order to use public transport you will need a specific reloadable card called “SUBE”, which is the only payment method accepted to pay for bus/train/subway tickets.
You can buy and charge the card at “Open 25” shops located in the public area of both airports.
To get from Ezeiza Airport to Buenos Aires:
*Bus 8: This is by far the cheapest option (less than half a dollar), but you will need patience as the bus will take more than two hours to get to the city, sometimes it is so crowded that there is no room for luggage, and you need to be able to speak some Spanish to ask for directions as there are no screens inside to let you know when to get off at the right stop.
To get from Aeroparque Airport to Buenos Aires:
*Bus 160: The stop is on Av. Rafael Obligado (the avenue where the airport is located). This bus goes to certain Palermo District areas (north of Buenos Aires city), and from there you might have to take other public transport, a taxi, or walk to your hotel/apartment.
Tip #8 when choosing your preferred Buenos Aires’ airport transportation: When taking public transport, please keep an eye on your belongings all the time. Pickpockets and snatchers might be around (just like they are in every single large city around the world).
What if I have a connecting flight and I need to go from one airport to another?
If you need a transfer from EZE airport to AEP airport (or vice versa), these are the best options you have:
-Taxis/”remises”.
-Shuttle bus.
There are no options for public urban transport in this case.
Need help planning the rest of your trip?
Book a free 30-minute call to talk to one of our travel experts who will help you with all the questions you may have about your stay in Buenos Aires and other destinations in Argentina. They will also assist you and give more details about how to get from Buenos Aires airports to the city.
Please do not hesitate to contact us, at Signature Tours we are just a message away, ready to help you and hoping to see you soon around here to say: “Welcome to Buenos Aires. Enjoy your stay”.