Argentina nov 24/jan 25

[+ José Soplanucas]

I am in Argentina since mid-November. This is not an adventure trip, so I do not think I will share much. I just wanted to post a few tips, as the local situation has radically changed this year.

Bringing cash is yet the most convenient option, but as the local currency is now stronger, the difference between the official rate and the "blue dollar" is less than 10% and dropping. Yesterday it was 7%. This makes the use of credit cards a new and convenient option. CC operations run according to the "dólar MEP" for foreigners, which is slightly higher than the official rate and closer to the blue rate. 

Do not plan on withdrawing cash from ATMs. The limit is extremely low for withdrawals (in my case, $AR 50,000 with a Priority City account), and the fee you have to pay is about U$S 12 each time. Yep, it is a no, no, no. 

An appealing alternative if you run out of cash is to transfer money to yourself through Western Union, just be aware that you may need to carry a voluminous pile of bills due to the rampant inflation. I would not make big transfers, but always less than 1,000, preferably less than 500. Consider that currently the biggest bill here is $AR 10,000, they just printed $AR 20,000 bills but they are not yet available. 

In general, I would say prices are twice (calculated in US dollars) what they were during my previous trip, in June 2023. The challenge for the local economy is that all prices were distorted by subsidies and gov control. You add inflation, and no one knows where prices really are. It is going to take some time for the local economy to balance, meanwhile you will find the same product with a huge price variation from one shop to another. Some prices are currently higher than in the US, like some meds and clothing, but most of the prices of goods that visitors would consume are similar or lower than in the US. For the locals it is unbearable, for a tourist coming from the US or West Europe it is still a good deal. But due to the currency situation in Brazil, all tourism is going to be sucked by our Brazilian friends.

I have not hired escorts so far, and I do not think I will. But perusing the comments in the local forums, the sex market situation seems to be similar to the broader market's. People are sharing experiences with prices from 20 bucks to 200. As in the past, the best deals are from Skokka, the highest prices are in soytuyo, and Rentmen is a guarantee of ridiculous overprices. Again, this is not based on my experiences but on comments I am reading in the Foro Pirata. 

In Buenos Aires, Grindr worked very well for me for non-transactional sex. Now I am inside the country, close to Paraguay. Although I have found a menu abundant on chipá, chipá mbocá, sopa paraguaya, asado, empanadas, milanesas de surubí, and other local delicacies, my diet has been low on dicks. None so far, but I have not been hunting. 

For the older forum members, if you remember and traveled back then, the general situation seems to be evolving to a context similar to the 90s, under Carlos Menem’s presidency. Argentina will probably stop being a popular destination for international tourism (all tourism from bordering countries is already gone), and countries like Brazil, the US, Spain, France, and Italy (all fav destinations for the locals) will see an invasion of Messi fans. 

[+ José Soplanucas]

I am back in Buenos Aires, after a month in the Corrientes region, ready to add a few more tips to this thread. As I said before, you can skip it if you are looking for paid sex information.

As expected, prices inside the country are considerably lower than in Buenos Aires. Grindr works very good ion Argentinean NE, if you are patient with faceless profiles, as homosexuals are still very discreet. I hooked up a couple of times, and in my interactions I was never asked for money. My profile has updated pictures of my face and my body, although I am not honest with my age (I say I am 56 😇). Yet, a lot of young guys contacted me always for not transactional sex.

If you happen to arrive to Buenos Aires via Aeroparque Jorge Newbery, avoid the line to take a taxi cab, as you may stay there longer than you did in your flight. Just go straight to the right end of the taxi cabs deck and you will arrive to the Uber pick up spot. Currently, Uber is fully legalized and the best option. In my previous visit, in June/July 2023, I spent about 40' in the taxis line. Yesterday, it took 3 minutes to be picked up by my Uber driver.

I have been walking a lot this weekend in Recoleta, Barrio Norte, and San Telmo. The city is empty, as the locals who can afford it are vacationing somewhere else. I loved the city with less people. However, the touristic spots are still crowded. I was wrong when I thought foreigners would stop coming over. I just returned from the street fair in San Telmo, and it was packed. Most of the visitors seem to be from Brazil ad the US, but I also recognize a lot of Europeans and accents from several LatAm countries.

My reports about prices in the OP are still current, as well as my tip on using your CC. The country is not the ridiculously cheap opportunity that was until Dec 2023, but if you research and compare, you will still find excellent opportunities in restaurants, cafes, and bakeries. 

[BSR]

On 1/5/2025 at 4:42 PM, José Soplanucas said:

If you happen to arrive to Buenos Aires via Aeroparque Jorge Newbery, avoid the line to take a taxi cab, as you may stay there longer than you did in your flight. Just go straight to the right end of the taxi cabs deck and you will arrive to the Uber pick up spot. Currently, Uber is fully legalized and the best option. In my previous visit, in June/July 2023, I spent about 40' in the taxis line. Yesterday, it took 3 minutes to be picked up by my Uber driver.

Besides saving time, you’ll also save a sh!tload of money.  I took a cab, despite having read your advice, because I couldn’t find the Uber pickup spot.  No wait, nice ride, but the driver charged me $100!  When I checked Uber prices, the estimate was $25.  Because I hadn’t slept the entire 13-hour overnight flight, I didn’t have the wherewithal to argue about it, nor did I think to get the taxi number to file a report.  Alas, lesson learned the hard way.

But I refuse to let that bad start dampen my spirits.  Now I need to find a cueva to change money but am hesitating because I’ve read that there are some shady cuevas.  I would go to Banco de La Nación because there’s no longer much of a difference between blue and the official exchange rate, but I’d have to wait until Monday.  I guess I could get by with credit cards until then.  Getting ripped off a second time would indeed dampen my spirits.

[+ José Soplanucas]

4 minutes ago, BSR said:

Besides saving time, you’ll also save a sh!tload of money.  I took a cab, despite having read your advice, because I couldn’t find the Uber pickup spot.  No wait, nice ride, but the driver charged me $100!  When I checked Uber prices, the estimate was $25.  Because I hadn’t slept the entire 13-hour overnight flight, I didn’t have the wherewithal to argue about it, nor did I think to get the taxi number to file a report.  Alas, lesson learned the hard way.

But I refuse to let that bad start dampen my spirits.  Now I need to find a cueva to change money but am hesitating because I’ve read that there are some shady cuevas.  I would go to Banco de La Nación because there’s no longer much of a difference between blue and the official exchange rate, but I’d have to wait until Monday.  I guess I could get by with credit cards until then.  Getting ripped off a second time would indeed dampen my spirits.

I am unsure about the situation right now, after the last policy changes. If I were you, I would go to any regular exchange service. Not a cueva but instead a legit and open exchange office with signs and prices on the screen. Try a walk through calle San Martín in the City (start from Plaza de Mayo and explore the first 5 to 6 blocks).

[BSR]

Gracias, @José Soplanucas, this time I will definitely take your advice.  I found a legit exchange place just a 10-minute walk from my AirBnB.  After my bad taxi experience, I’d much rather avoid getting ripped off again.

[+ José Soplanucas]

14 hours ago, BSR said:

Gracias, @José Soplanucas, this time I will definitely take your advice.  I found a legit exchange place just a 10-minute walk from my AirBnB.  After my bad taxi experience, I’d much rather avoid getting ripped off again.

Most Casas de Cambio will buy your dollars at blue price behind the desk. And if they don't, as you said, the gap between the official and the blue price is insignificant for small amounts. The chances to get scammed in a Casa de Cambio are near zero. 

PS> there is something that does not sound right in your taxi story. If you took the taxi in Aeroparque, you should have received an estimate. You probably hope into a taxi without making the line and following the process. Right?

Edited June 1 by José Soplanucas

[BSR]

6 hours ago, José Soplanucas said:

there is something that does not sound right in your taxi story. If you took the taxi in Aeroparque, you should have received an estimate. You probably hope into a taxi without making the line and following the process. Right?

When I walked out (the sign before the doors said “salida” and “taxi”), I didn’t see a line or a taxi stand or anything.  I was trying to find an Uber sign but couldn’t find anything.  Note that this was 5am.  A guy approached me and asked if I needed a taxi.  When I said yes, he said to follow him.  We walked across a couple of lanes and went to where a bunch of cabs were standing.  Obviously, I did not receive  or ask for an estimate.

Like I said, because I hadn’t been able to sleep on the 13-hour overnight flight from Madrid, I was pretty out of it.  Living in Las Vegas, I normally have my guard up about taxi scams because cabdrivers there are notorious for long-hauling passengers, but I had a false sense of security because I had taken a cab so many times in Spain, in multiple cities, and was never ripped off once.  I even had a few taxi rides when the fare quoted seemed way too low.

In response to your question, no, I wasn’t trying to skip the line or go around the standard procedure, because there was no line or taxi stand, at least I didn’t see one.  Note that at 5am, Ezeiza arrivals was empty except for airport employees and the passengers from my flight, and from what I could tell, all my fellow passengers were getting picked up by private cars.

I’ll avoid cabs and will use Uber instead while in BA.  But if I do need a taxi, I’ll make sure to ask for an estimate before hopping in.

Edited June 1 by BSR
Clarity

[BSR]

20 hours ago, José Soplanucas said:

I am unsure about the situation right now, after the last policy changes. If I were you, I would go to any regular exchange service. Not a cueva but instead a legit and open exchange office with signs and prices on the screen. Try a walk through calle San Martín in the City (start from Plaza de Mayo and explore the first 5 to 6 blocks).

According to this website, the difference between a legit exchange place and a cueva is only 2.6%, definitely to small a difference to risk dealing with a potentially shady cueva.  When I start classes tomorrow, I will ask my fellow students if they’ve had success finding an honest cueva.

[+ José Soplanucas]

4 hours ago, BSR said:

When I walked out (the sign before the doors said “salida” and “taxi”), I didn’t see a line or a taxi stand or anything.  I was trying to find an Uber sign but couldn’t find anything.  Note that this was 5am.  A guy approached me and asked if I needed a taxi.  When I said yes, he said to follow him.  We walked across a couple of lanes and went to where a bunch of cabs were standing.  Obviously, I did not receive  or ask for an estimate.

Like I said, because I hadn’t been able to sleep on the 13-hour overnight flight from Madrid, I was pretty out of it.  Living in Las Vegas, I normally have my guard up about taxi scams because cabdrivers there are notorious for long-hauling passengers, but I had a false sense of security because I had taken a cab so many times in Spain, in multiple cities, and was never ripped off once.  I even had a few taxi rides when the fare quoted seemed way too low.

In response to your question, no, I wasn’t trying to skip the line or go around the standard procedure, because there was no line or taxi stand, at least I didn’t see one.  Note that at 5am, Ezeiza arrivals was empty except for airport employees and the passengers from my flight, and from what I could tell, all my fellow passengers were getting picked up by private cars.

I’ll avoid cabs and will use Uber instead while in BA.  But if I do need a taxi, I’ll make sure to ask for an estimate before hopping in.

Ok, that's the point. You were talking about Ezeiza. The recommendations in my original post refer to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery, not to Ezeiza.

From Ezeiza, in your situation, I would have hired a car from one of the kiosks at arrivals, or the Tienda de Leon bus that drops you in Plaza San Martin, from where it is easy to call an Uber.

[+ José Soplanucas]

3 hours ago, BSR said:

According to this website, the difference between a legit exchange place and a cueva is only 2.6%, definitely to small a difference to risk dealing with a potentially shady cueva.  When I start classes tomorrow, I will ask my fellow students if they’ve had success finding an honest cueva.

All you have to do is to walk in a legit Casa de Cambios, and tell them that you want to sell your dollars at Blue price.  You may fail once or twice, but I bet you will get it at first try.

[BSR]

For anyone thinking of traveling to Argentina, the buying power of the US$ has dropped significantly in recent months, by about 70%.  I was expecting Buenos Aires to be a bargain, uy, not so much.  While it’s certainly not as expensive as NYC, for example, the valuation of the Argentine peso relative to the US$ has taken a sharp turn for the worse for American visitors.

If you’re interested in the nerdy details, here is a video explaining exactly what happened …