Travel tips for Buenos Aires

[The Big Gill]

For a 3-day stay, would appreciate tips on flights from London, things to do, etc.
Thanks.

[jno]

have to fly via Madrid or Miami, I think, so anything up to 16 hours. Go see Evita's tomb in Recoleta cemetery, the Boca suburb - all painted in primary colours - and vast central avenue, whose name eludes me at the moment. Take trip to the pampas and have lunch at an estancia, or to Uruguay. Eat at a vast number of steak houses.

[The Big Gill]

Boca suburb: is that like a shanty town / favela?
Thanks again.

[jno]

no, it's not terribly far from the middle of town, not rich but not a shanty town; popular with tourists and near the Boca Juniors stadium.

Picture here:
http://users.emt.ee/~meelis.luiks/album/slides /20%20-%20Buenos%20Aires%20-%20La%20Boca%20-%2 0Caminito.jpg

[littlechick]

I loved Buenos Aires - Florida street is great, full of lovely shops and amazing street entertainers. There are also exquisite antique shops and pubs in one part of the city, as well as the Boca district near the footie stadium where Maradonna played. There are incredible coloured bars, shops and restaurants with tango dancers performing in the street. Enjoy your stay - I spent one week there but I could have spent a month - I'm so jealous!

[Trotbot]

The huge road (supposed to be the widest avenue in the world) is the July 19th Avenue (or something similar, it is late where I am). You can fly direct on BA.

A Tango show is an absolute must, as is a steak dinner with Argentinian Red (the best stuff is not exported - try Luigi Bosca)

Be careful in taxis, they are not wholly trustworthy. Radio cars are ok, flag downs are less so.

try the tube - built my British navvies digging up roads and relaying them. the result is the old tunnels are rectangular not circular. Looks very odd. Some of the rolling stock still has wooden doors with handles, which is quaint.

[jno]

Looking at BA's website, they seem to go there via Sao Paulo, still 16 hours or so

[missmoore]

we went to an incredible tango show... cafe tortoni - on avenida de mayo (the big street) which is pretty famous too. if you're there on a sunday there is a market in San Telmo which sells loads of brilliant antiques and is a real chance to see some proper portenos. Also, you can buy some silver which apparently argentina is famous for. visit the casa rosa, the building from which Peron and Evita did all their rousing speeches. the steak really is out of this world - everyone goes on about it but once you've tried it you'll be one of those people too... am trying to think of everything we did!! a visit over to uruguay is a nice idea - although instead of sailing to montevideo, I'd go to Colonia de Sacremento. Montevideo is much like a less good Buenos Aires, Colonia is something else. I think it's a world heritage site, it's really beautiful and if you go there on a clear day it'll just take your breath away. what else...? have a lomo completo - it's a brilliant steak sandwich. and a submarino - a glass of hot milk which you dissolve chocolate in (my description does not do it justice. having these on a cold day in ba is one of my happiest memories!!) la boca is lovely too, but prepare to be hassled by the locals - they are desperate for you to visit their shop and their tango show! finally, if you can take in a football game. the atmosphere is unsurpassed!

[lucasluk]

Besides the main tourist attractions -- such as Recoleta Cemetery, Plazo de Mayo, Casa Rosada, etc -- I would suggest going to a tango milonga rather than a tango show. A milonga is a dance hall where you can take a lesson and then sit around and eat, drink and watch people dance. It's a wonderfully authentic Argentine experience, much less touristy than a tango show, and cheaper.

Probably the best site for Buenos Aires travel tips is http://www.batips.com

Have fun!