International Airport - EZE, Buenos Aires

1 more image

There are two main airports in Buenos Aires, the international Ezeiza and the one for the local flights Newberry, which is very close to the centre of the city, Ezeiza is about one hour drive with normal traffic. I was amazed, when I arrived of how fast the passport check was, I thought, they were really efficient, but as soon as I went to the baggage claim, I had to change my mind. There was a huge que with people clapping hands in order to make police check be faster, but it did not work. After you get your luggage you have to wait until it get checked at x-ray control and the queue is really long, so expect at least one hour from the landing before you get out of the airport. The Newberry one is faster, no x-ray check.

4 more images

GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes, Brazil's low-cost airline, began operating direct flights between Southern Brazil and Buenos Aires about three years ago. It was GOL's first international destination and has been since then very successful. Today the company offer flights to Buenos Aires from most of Brazilian states.

I made it to Buenos Aires from Curitiba (South of Brazil) and later came back to continue my trip to the North of Brazil. After browsing various airline sites (TAM, Varig and Aerolineas Argentinas also have flights between Brazilian cities and Buenos Aires) I found it the best option. And as soon as you book, the cheaper it usually gets. I booked my flight some three months in advance and payed about 250 euros (return). All the flights are to Buenos Aires' International Airport Ezeiza and they usually have connection in Assuncion (Paraguay) or Sao Paulo.

Buenos Aires has two airports. One is the large international airport, known in airline terminology as EZE or Ezeiza. It's also called Pistarini. If you are arriving in Argentina from most stops abroad (other than a few South American destinations), your flight will certainly land at EZE.

If you are going into BA, you'll need a taxi or private remise - or maybe a shuttle bus, all are available.

But more importantly, if you have a connecting domestic flight to another destination within Argentina, you're probably going to have to go over to the Newbery Aeroparque within the city. This transfer can take easily 1-2 hours (maybe more) depending on traffic. I would personally NEVER book an continuing flight with less than about five hours between it and my EZE arrival, too many things can go wrong.

Always be sure to confirm exactly where you are flying out of or into Buenos Aires on domestic flights, a FEW of them actually leave or arrive at EZE. Be sure or be in a mess. :)

To get to my hostel safely, I booked a prepaid remise from the international airport to the city centre. I used Transfer Express and you can book your journey at one of the booths in the arrivals hall. It cost me 148 ARP (January 2011). You generally pay more a remise but you guaranteed getting to your accommodation safely and without the extra charges incurred from waiting in traffic and tolls on the highway between the airport and the city centre.

What about if you enter through the land border and exit through EZE? Would they hit you on the way OUT of the country, or is it only when you come in at EZE?

Thanks for your reply, it has cleared up a lot of confusion already.

I don't have the best spanish, so when I arrived to Buenos Aires I was sort of hesitant to take a taxi - I found this guy, Fred who is from New York. Friendly guy, he had lots of information about Buenos Aires in general. I guess he is a little more expensive than other forms of transportation but for me it was worth it.

We arrived at EZE and went to Manuel Tienda Leon after picking up our luggage and going through the official entry. The cost was 144 pesos (about39 dollars which we put on our credit card) to go directly to our hotel in the Recoleta district. We were beat after our 10 hour flight from Houston and just wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of this busy airport. On our return to EZE the hotel ordered a remise (car service) for us and the cost was 98 pesos (about 27 dollars) door to door.

Ezezia is the international airport in Buenos Aires and if you are arriving/departing on an international flight you will be transiting through here.

The airport is quite small for an international airport and there seems to be some on going construction, but I found it to be quite efficient as we actually breezed through customs on our arrival.

They have a pretty small duty free area where you can make last minute purchases, especially for their delicious wine as well as a VAT booth and the Departure tax booth.

My choice of airlines is American Airlines which has 2 daily non-stop service from JFK to EZE (incidently, only an hour apart from each other). The flight is a grueling 12 hour flight especially if you are flying in coach, but the flights are both evening flights, which makes it a bit easier on the body.

4 more images

This fairly small airport is almost always your gateway into Buenos Aires. It is located a bit out of town and will take around 30 minutes to get into town. Best option if you are alone is to take the bus into town however with as little as two people you will find a taxi to be the best choice both money wise and also time.

The international airport in Buenos Aires is definitely tiny in comparison with other cities such as London or Barcelona, but it's still nice and it's getting more modern every day. The duty free shops have been enlarged lately and you can get some nice local stuff to get home.
There's a stall where you can wrap your bag for about 4 dollars, and that includes an insurance. There are lockers too, to keep your bags for some hours or days.
Check the website below to check flight arrivals and departures and info about domestic airports. It has an English version.