Getting Around Buenos Aires: Transport Guide

A majority of residents in Buenos Aires and its suburbs use public transportation. A Buenos Aires invention is the "colectivo", originally a small bus built out of a truck chassis and seating 21 to 27, today they have grown in size and carry up to 60 passengers. Numerous colectivos and larger public buses traverse the city continuously each hour providing access to virtually all neighborhoods.

The Buenos Aires Metro (locally known as el subte, from "subterráneo" meaning "underground") is an extensive system providing access to various parts of the city. Opened in 1913, it is the oldest subway system in the Southern Hemisphere and in the Spanish-speaking world.

The street structure, organised in a grid pattern, makes Buenos Aires easy to navigate and the best way to explore the city and take in its character is on foot. The city is serviced by an efficient, widespread and cheap public transport system that consists of buses and an excellent underground rail service (the Subte). Although it services most of the city centre, the Subte is not very extensive beyond the central core. The Subte costs $0.70 per journey. Pre-paid Subte cards or passes can be purchased from the ticket booths (boleterias) at each station in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10 or 30 journeys. It gets very hot and crowded in summer especially during peak hours, and closes between 10pm and 5am. The bus network is huge and covers the city, and although very useful for getting around, the overwhelming amount of routes makes it confusing for tourists. Bus fares are paid in coins into an automatic ticket vending machine when boarding the bus. Many services run all night but with less frequency. There are also urban train services that can be useful for reaching the outlying suburbs. Taxis are everywhere and relatively inexpensive, but although generally safe, visitors should be aware that there are fake taxis that pick up tourists and rob them. It is safer to phone for a radio taxi or remise, a fixed-price radio cab booked in advance that acts like a chauffer-driven car and can be cheaper than taxis over longer distances. They are more useful than renting a car for excursions from the city and even for a day's tour of the suburbs.