Am wondering is VISA/MC credit/debit cards are commonly accepted in BA local eateries. Presumably at better restaurants they are, but is cash payment most common at local merchants and eateries? Do taxis accept debit cards? I learned of lower cost remis taxi services; are these safe and with English speaking drivers? Finally, I was told of a restaurant on the outskirts of BA with great steaks, La Casa de Coco Grillade, a local favorite. Does anyone know of this? When we travel, we like to get the flavor of a country through how the people live not just the "must see" tourist sites.

Also, we will ferry to Colonia. Am wondering if U.S. dollar is welcome or if we should get separate local currencies for BA and Uruguay. Thank you.

is cash payment most common at local merchants and eateries? YES

Do taxis accept debit cards? NO

I learned of lower cost remis taxi services. ALL CABS CHARGE THE SAME.

safe and with English speaking drivers. SAFE IF YOU CALL THEM, NOT HAIL THEM. I WOULDN'T EXPECT ENGLISH TO BE SPOKEN.

La Casa de Coco Grillade. NEVER HEARD OF IT, BUT I'LL RESEARCH IT.

THE DOLLAR IS QUITE WELCOME IN URUGUAY, EVEN BY CABS. YOU WILL OBVIOUSLY NEED TO HAVE SMALL CHANGE IN DOLLARS.

Have a great time in Argentina and with our Uruguayan brothers.

When are you coming, jordangreen?

I was in Buenos Aires December 2009 and used more U.S. dollars to pay for things than pesos, even at the stores in the shopping malls.

Before leaving home, I went to the bank and took out $1200.00 for a week. When I take out cash like that for where ever I'm going, I always break it down into 100s.50s,20s, 10s, 5s, and a lot of 1s. I don't expect people to be able to give change from a large U.S. bill or give change at all.

Before going to my bank, I've written out how I want my money broken down and then tell the teller. I also stress that the bills must be in excellent condition as in no tears, worn bills, etc. Foreign countries will not take them most of the time. So, they usually go to the vault and take out quite new bills for me.

As for my tours, I even paid all of them with U.S. dollars. I had 4 tours which I arranged, by e-mail, before I left home. I then knew the prices of each.

Before leaving home, I got out 4 envelopes and in each one put the amount of each tour and then when I got to Buenos Aires and had to pay my private guide, the money was all counted out and I didn't have to worry about change. The tour company that I used for all of my tours was www.eternautas.com. I was totally satisfied with the guides. The owners are historians, sociologists, architects, etc... I had two private tours and two group tours. On one group tour, we were only 3 people and on the other, we were around 10-12 in a mini van.

As for cabs, I paid in pesos. I also hailed Radio cabs, during the day, off of the street and had no problems. I'm female and travel alone. Or I would walk over to a nice hotel and stand outside and have the hotel there get me a cab.

I had cabs called from the front desk at my apartment building when I'd leave the apartment though. I always wrote down on a piece a paper where I wanted to go and hand it to the driver, even if I had told him in broken Spanish. Don't expect drivers to speak English. I took a lot of cabs and none did.

As for credit cards, debit cards, ATMs, I didn't use any the whole trip. I used cash which was great! Old School style. I even got discounts at shops when I pulled out the cash. The only time I used a credit card was before I left home and that was to hold my tours with Eternautas. And they would only take American Express cards which was fine as that's what I have. Then when I got there, I paid the tour guide direct and in U.S. dollars.

As for the remis, I just went to the Manuel Leon Tiendo stand at the airport and reserved one to take me to my rental apartment in Palermo Hollywood. It was a decent price.Happy Travels!

Thanks! I'll be bookmarking this!

About:

La Casa De Coco Restaurante Parrilla
Restaurantes - Parrillas - Restaurantes - Teléfono: (011) 4621-7651 - M Gómez Carrillo 3876 (colectora Au Del Oeste), Ituzaingo, Buenos Aires

I feel this restaurant would have to be quite extraordinary (not likely) to justify going out there.

It's most certainly not touristy, but I'd pass, unless you are in the area, which is the Western part of Greater BA.

Guenmai,

thank you for your tips since we are headed to BA in June. What tours did you take with the company and which were your favorite?

I did a very extensive trip report on my trip. Just type in my screen name and then scroll two threads down to the one entitled, "OK.Don't Bite My Head Off! Guenmai's Trip Report". There's a lot reported there. Happy Travels!

Correction: I was in Buenos Aires in December 2008, not 2009 as I just noticed that I had mistyped. Sorry. Happy Travels!

Thanks for the info, Guenmai. Isn't it great when you're organized? I like to use my visa when I can though so I can get my points. Do you know if Visa is accepted generally in restaurants and stores? Av rooster, do you know?

I'd say in most, not in all, MsLizzy. You can often get discounts if you pay with cash in places that take credit cards.

It is late now, but I have a message for jordangreen.

I'll post it tomorrow.

Mslizzy: You're welcome. Happy Travels!

Guenmai, I now think to regard vacation rental apartments. We have reservations on hotel points but wonder about canceling to redeem for stays elsewhere. We are very budget conscious in our 60s, needing safe, clean, secure, quiet settings w/ease of transport. Your positive experiences in BA trigger me to reconsider the hotel. W/any rentals, we'd want references. My wife and I travel this March; the reciprocity entry fee is now an added unanticipated bummer. BTW, can one get good fresh seafood in BA? Thx

As for the apartment that I had, I went on www.expedia.com and got it. I had originally planned to go to Buenos Aires in August 2009 and had already cashed in my frequent flyer miles and been issued a frequent flyer ticket long before planning the very last minute December 2008 trip to Buenos Aires.

I had planned to be, at my serviced apartment building, in my usual Bangkok for Dec2008/Jan2009 , but when there was a political situation and protestors shut down the international airport less than 4 weeks, I think it was, before I was to leave, I then decided to cancel Bangkok and move on to Plan B. I didn't know at that point when the airport would be reopened and if it reopened if it would stay open. Plus, there were over 200,000 stranded people that needed to be taken care of.

So, I had only about 3 weeks to plan a whole new vacation and decided on Buenos Aires as it would be summer down there. I'm from L.A. area and detest cold weather.

As I had done a lot of research, as far as apartments went, for what I thought would be the Aug 2009 trip, it made it a bit easier. One thing that I noticed was that the apartment that I got through www.expedia.com was cheaper than if I had gotten the apartment through one of the apartment agencies that I had decided that I would work with for the Aug 2009 trip. After reading, on the forum and other places, about a lot of apartment agencies used, I decided that I would personally go with www.buenosaireshabitat.com.

So, I went through their list of apartments and checked off the ones that I was interested in. When I got home, from Buenos Aires, I noticed that one of the apartments that I had checked off for the possible Aug 2009 trip was in the exact same building that I had just stayed in through www.expedia.com. I hadn't realized it prior to leaving for Buenos Aires as I was just too busy getting everything ready.

The BIG difference was that had I gone through the agency, then I would have had to have paid the equivalent of one week's rent in form of a deposit. By going through www.expedia.com, there was no deposit. My apartment was priced per day and came out less per day than if I had gone through the agency.

The other thing is that since I went through www.expedia.com, breakfast was included daily in my rate. Every morning someone knocked on the door and delivered a huge tray of food to me and I had maid service too. I would not have had either had I just rented the apartment through the agency. Happy Travels!

I just noticed your seafood comment. I had no problem getting fish. I was also able to eat vegan. I stopped eating meat/poultry back in 1976. One of the most popular vegan/vegetarian restaurants in Buenos Aires was about two short blocks away.

As for getting fish, I ate regularly at the Morelia restaurant which was directly across the street from my apartment building. I would go over there and order fish and then select a vegetable and either mashed potatoes,pasta,or rice, and they would wrap it up in an aluminum container for me. I'd then cross the street back to the apartment building and eat on my terrace which overlooked the restaurant. The food would still be piping hot.

Food's not that expensive in Buenos Aires. It's the first city that I've ever been to where I never even saw the inside of a supermarket, as I could just easily and economically get my meals at restaurants, wrapped to go, and eat back at the apartment. Happy Travels!

This is the first time I have heard of renting apartments through Expedia.

Or was it some kind of hotel? Can you confirm, Guenmai?

Avrooster- I had a beautiful, split level, loft apartment in the same apartment building that www.buenosaireshabitat.com had apartments available for short time rentals.

In my building there were some folks who owned their units and other units were being rented out and set up similar to how serviced apartment buildings are set up. And then others were being rented out as regular apartments with no service.

I got a very good price through Expedia. Plus, a few "clicks" and it was done with. No deposits, no e-mails back and forth, no meeting an agent to pay and get back a deposit, and no hassles! I've wrote about it on my trip report, "Don't Bite My Head Off-Guenmai's Trip Report." Happy Travels!

Correction: "I wrote" or "I've written". Sorry. Happy Travels!

Great! Should I read again the local version or the Asian version of your report?

Jordangreen:

You and your wife could be comfortable in a hotel or an apartment. You can find safe (with the usual big-city, foreign territority precautions) clean and lovely accommodations near transport (taxis are plentiful and inexpensive, and the subte and collectivos are often interesting and good transportation choices in many areas of BsAs. Follow some of the hotel/apartment-hunting threads of this and other fora.

Economically you cannot do better than with using points.

The CHALLENGE is going to be finding QUIET accommodations. Buenos Aires is not a quiet city - not even close - but certain hotel rooms and apartments may be quiet. It is essential to determine this before renting or paying a down payment. Ask about the neighborhood and specific cross streets, and then post the location question here. Ask about the floor the room is on and if it faces the street (which street) or the usually quieter, back of the building.

I wish you both a fine stay in Buenos Aires.

~MarnieWDC