Part of: Paying in Argentina
Ezeiza is not where you want to improvise. It sits a long way south of the city, the cambio desks at arrivals set their rates for people who just stepped off a plane, and the man calling “taxi, my friend” has a price that rises as your Spanish falls. Aeroparque, the little domestic airport, sits ten minutes from Palermo — but a long-haul arrival means Ezeiza, so plan for the long version. Twenty minutes of prep on the plane and none of it touches you.
Porteños don’t do any of this, obviously. They just walk out. Give it a month and so will you.
The first hour
Book the car from baggage claim
Open Cabify or Uber while you wait for your bag and set the pickup to the official rideshare point. A remise booked through the app is the honest price, and the meter cabs are fine if you know the rough fare. Palermo is 45 minutes to an hour away.
Install the eSIM at home
Buy a data eSIM before you fly and it activates when the wheels touch. Claro, Movistar and Personal all work. You want maps and the ride app alive at the jet bridge, not after an hour at a kiosk. Keep your home line around for the odd 2FA text.
Walk past the cambio
You don't need pesos for the ride in; the app bills your card, and everything about changing money goes better once you're in town. Your first hour needs data and a booked car, nothing else.
The airport is the most expensive place in Argentina to change money. So don't.
Mistakes to avoid
Booking a bed near the wrong airport
Ezeiza sits a long way south of the city; Aeroparque is right in it. People reserve a place expecting a ten-minute hop and get an hour of motorway instead. Check which field your flight actually uses before you pick where to sleep.
Cutting the first evening close
The ride from Ezeiza swings between forty-five minutes and well over an hour once traffic is involved. A dinner or a call booked too soon after landing turns arrival into a sprint. Leave night one loose and let the city wait.
Taking the tout at his word
The man calling 'taxi, my friend' at arrivals is quoting whatever he thinks you'll pay. Book a Cabify or Uber to the official rideshare point, or take an official remise from the counter, where the price is set before you get in.
Loading up on pesos at arrivals
You'll get a better rate for pesos almost anywhere in town than at the arrivals cambio, and your first day runs fine on a card and the app. Get to Palermo, rest, and sort money in the city on your own terms once you're not carrying luggage.
Common questions
Which airport will I land at?
International flights land at Ezeiza (EZE), about 35 km south of the center; budget 45 minutes to an hour to Palermo. Domestic and some regional flights use Aeroparque (AEP), which sits right in the city, ten minutes from the northern neighborhoods. Check your ticket, because the two are an hour apart.
Do I need cash the moment I land?
No. The ride into town bills your card through the app, and your first day runs fine on a card and a tap. The airport cambio is the worst rate you'll see all trip, so walk past it, get to Palermo, and sort pesos in the city once you're rested. A small ATM pull later covers the SUBE and the cash-only corners.
Is the airport taxi a scam?
Not quite a scam, but the men calling 'taxi' at arrivals name a price that climbs with your jet lag. Skip them. Book a Cabify or Uber from baggage claim to the official rideshare point, or take an official remise from the counter. Either way the price is set before you get in, which is the whole point.
eSIM or a local SIM?
An eSIM is the easier move. Buy a data eSIM before you fly and it activates when you land, so the map and the ride app are alive at the jet bridge instead of after a wait at a kiosk. Claro, Movistar and Personal all work. Keep your home line switched on for the odd 2FA text.
