Cheap Buenos Aires vacation tipsTravel through the streets and back alleys during your Buenos Aires vacation and you'll find the population boasts all sorts of colourful characters such as the unknown artist pictured below gracing the city with an enchanting melody back in 1990. A flight to Beunos Aires will take you to a very European city, whether you enjoy your vacation in a hotel, cheap hostel or a bed and breakfast. |
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Cheap Buenos Aires travel tips
Buenos Aires is the third largest city in South America and a great place to enjoy cheap travel. It is a sprawling metropolis with a rich history and an exciting culture of art, music and fantastic spots for nightlife. The city blocks are crammed with cafes and sophisticated shops that can provide a vacation shopping bonanza. The Buenos Aires nightlife can be exhausting so it's a good idea to imitate the locals by enjoying an afternoon siesta to make sure you have enough energy. This is a 24 hour city that never sleeps and many of the nightclubs rock till after dawn. The sophisticated character of the Buenos Aires population is at odds with the cliche vision of South American jungles and swamps. The city's European heritage means travellers from western countries can usually blend in comfortably as soon as they step off their flight at Beunos Aires Airport to begin their sightseeing vacation. Buenos Aires itself is a bit like Paris at its centre. The focal point is the Plaza de Mayo, which is situated near the world's widest thoroughfare, Avenida 9 de Julio. It's worth noting that the population in the barrios (neighbourhoods) surrounding Plaza Mayo has a density around 1500 per square kilometre - among the highest in the world. Many areas of Bueonos Aires nowadays have a neglected character with roads in disrepair and buildings with peeling paint or otherwise poorly maintained. The city can also be fairly smoggy and if you're brave enough during your sightseeing vacation to hire a car to tackle the local traffic... good luck! There are road rules but every driver seems to have a unique interpretation. Bueonos Aires has a reputation as one of the safer cities in South America but crime rates have been rising sharply, particularly in the outer suburbs. Well-off inner barrios such as Recoleta and Palermo are safer. Compared to regional towns in Argentina, Buenos Aires is an expensive city in which to spend your vacation. However, the country's economic downturn in recent years has seen the value of the peso plunge, creating a smorgasbord of cheap holiday pleasures. Take note, however, that the downturn has also led to frequent protests in Buenos Aires and the country's high unemployment rate is evident in the streets with many people obviously looking for work or a tip. Hawkers have become fairly common despite such trade being illegal. Argentina has enjoyed some economic recovery with data showing the country's poverty rate had fallen to 23.4% in 2007. Unemployment dropped to a 15 year low of 8.5% in the second quarter of 2007, down from 21.5% in 2002. The inflation rate in 2007 was above 8%. More cheap Buenos Aires travel tips About half the short-term rentals of Buenos Aires can be found in the barrios of Palermo and Recoleta, where the average monthly rental for a two bedroom apartment in 2009 was $US1,817. A more affordable monthly rent averaging $US882 can be found in the southern barrio of San Telmo. Most real estate agencies provide their listings in (often poor) English. Travellers on a shoestring vacation should check Congreso for cheap hotel bookings. The suburbs of San Telmo (around Plaza Dorrego) and La Boca are where you're most likely to get cheap food. A huge meal can usually be enjoyed at a cafe or restaurant in Buenos Aires for US$7-8. A bed and breakfast in Buenos Aires will usually cost from US$30 per night for a single room. A hostel can be found with dormitory beds around US$5 per day and single rooms from US$15. Buenos Aires was settled in 1580 following years of clashes throughout the country between Indian groups and the Spanish invaders, but was a settlement of little consequence until the late 1700s. Revolution won Buenos Aires its independence from Spain in 1816 but it wasn't until 1853 that the liberal Unitarists based in Buenos Aires held sway and established a constitution that effectively federated the various provinces of Argentina, sparking a wave of national growth and prosperity fuelled largely by agricultural development, foreign investment and European immigration. However, the liberalised economy remained fragile and was a shambles by the 20th Century with mass unemployment, much of Argentina's wealth remaining in the hands of the corrupt and conservative elite.
Direct and indirect military rule dominated Argentina till the 1990s, various administrations having overseen the brutal killing of civilians, the Falklands War with Britain and ongoing stagnation of the nationalised economy. Democratic rule returned in 1983 but ongoing economic reform and corruption have sparked at-times violent street protests which forced another change of government in 2001. The country has been calmer since then and the country's economy has been gradually improving with significantly reduced poverty and unemployment leading into 2008. It remains easy to find cheap rates for hotel, bed and breakfast or hostel accommodation, and it's easy to bargain for a cheaper rate. More cheap Buenos Aires travel tips A vacation in Buenos Aires demands caution as theft is fairly common. The Buenos Aires population is just over six million people (13 million including the greater Buenos Aires). Almost without exception, they are courteous and friendly to strangers. The average temperature in Buenos Aires is 17 to 29 degrees Celsius in January and 6 to 14 degrees Celsius in July. The Buenos Aires climate is temperate and mid-winter days tend to be crisp but sunny. Buenos Aires has an average 950mm of rain each year. This city has been dubbed the Paris of South America. However, it throbs to the Latin beat of Argentina. A flight to Buenos Aires will land you in the home of the tango and it's not unusual for a stylish couple to publicly indulge in this sexy dance - often to the delight of passers-by. Buenos Aires is divided into 48 barrios, or neighbourhoods, each with its own character and history. To the north are the fashionable areas of Retiro and Recoleta where cafes, designer shops and some of the city's most fashionable restaurants line the streets. Travel south and you'll find artists' studios and antique markets in the bohemian barrio of San Telmo - also considered the heart of classical tango in Buenos Aires. The Plaza Dorrego is particularly vibrant on Sundays and boasts numerous antique shops. Perhaps the most vibrant barrio in Buenos Aires is the working-class La Boca, settled by Italian immigrants and mostly an industrial area that is home to much of the city's poor population. La Boca is notable for its abundance of colourful tin workers' cottages. If you want to picnic in Buenos Aires, Palermo is the district of botanic gardens, parklands, cobbled streets, the plantearium and the zoo - as well as upmarket hotels, classy restaurants, bars, cafes, art galleries and fashion boutiques. The bus service in Buenos Aires is fairly complex and should be studied carefully before use. The subway is usually crowded and taxis are recommended for most short trips in the city. Fares are cheap but few taxi drivers speak English. If you travel to Buenos Aires, your best tourist buys are leathergoods, jewelry and crafts from Patagonia, woven rugs and tapestries, clay pottery and Argentenian wines and chocolates. Shops in Buenos Aires are usually open from 10am to 7pm, seven days a week. The suburb of San Telmo has more antique stores than any other Buenos Aires suburb. The famous Feria de Antiguedades de San Telmo is a massive antique fair that takes place every Sunday from 10am to 5pm at Plaza Dorrego, featuring various hand-made arts and crafts as well as antiques. Many tourists enjoy a guided tour of Buenos Aires' world-famous opera house, the 3500 seat Teatro Colon, which has hosted performances by Maria Callas, Enrico Caruso, Toscanini and Stravinsky. The cavernous Gran Cafe Tortoni at 825 Av. de Mayo is worth vistiting to relive Buenos Aires' historic cafe culture. The English-language Buenos Aires Herald publishes exhibitions and other tourist information in its weekend editions. More cheap Buenos Aires travel tips The Buenos Aires population was largely spawned by a 19th Century influx of Italian, French, German, English and Irish immigrants. Eighty five per cent of Buenos Aires residents are of European descent and a Buenos Aires local is known as a "porteno". Poverty and prestige rub shoulders in the streets of Buenos Aires, meat dishes are the staple diet, and travellers should be moderately cautious. Despite many people living in apartment blocks from 10 to 40 storeys, there is a huge number of pet dogs in Buenos Aires. Large dog breeds are favoured. Travellers will sometimes spot a paseaperro, or dog walker, walking the streets with as many as 20 of the animals on a leash. Just 20 kilometres north-west of Buenos Aires are a maze of channels and lush islands within the Tigre Delta, where all transport is by boat. The delta covers 14,000 square kilometres and the 886 square kilometres north of the Rio Parana has been declared a protected UNESCO biosphere reserve. To get there, trains depart regularly from Retiro station in Buenos Aires for a one hour ride to the town of Tigre. Be warned that Retiro train station is said to be a haven for pickpockets. Tigre itself is a quiet coastal town about 30 kilometres north of Buenos Aires. A tourist drawcard is Tigre's Puerto de Frutos, a craft and fruit market staged every weekend. The town has several museums and art galleries, as well as a wide choice of eateries including some elegant restaurants close to or over the water. A flight to Buenos Aires will reward you with a cheap but exciting vacation with some great sightseeing spots. Click here for a list of Argentina embassies and consulates with a website in different countries. |
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