My wife and I will be visiting our daughter in Santiago, Chile, this November and just got word that our return reservations have been changed so that our layover in Buenos Aires (Ezeiza Int'l) while returning will now be almost 7 hours (up from around 3 hours). The good news, I guess, is that we are landing around 7:30 on a Saturday night and taking off at 2:15 AM early Sunday, so I am hoping this change at least gives us time to get into the city for a good meal and perhaps a chance to look around, albeit briefly. I understand EZE is not close in, but if anyone can help with info as to the best (and most economical) way to get into the city under these circumstances, with a recommendation of a good restaurant and anything else we might be able to do/see in such a short visit, we'd appreciate it. I am told cabs are ubiquitous and inexpensive. That true? With a departure that early in on a Sunday morning, how long in advance should be plan on getting back to the airport? We'll be carrying on, so is there a checked baggage site in the airport or should we just plan on schlepping our bags along with us? I realize this is the polar opposite of Slow Travel, but sometimes you've just got deal. Thanks for the help.
I do not see how this is possible. I flown into EZE twice from JFK and my flight was arriving late.
But lets say you do arrive on time and get out of the airport by 8:00 PM. Your flight leaves at 2:15 AM and you have to be back by the airport by 11:00 PM to check-in. The check-in at EZE is not a fast process and my flight was around 10:00 PM and it took an hour and half to check in.
If you leave the airport this really gives you only three hours. A taxi ride from or to the airport is around 45 minutes from the center of the Buenos Aires. You only have time to eat fast and run back to the airport.
With that amount of time you have, you not going to see anything of BA and a rush meal is not going to be enjoyable.
Enjoy your trip to Chile and seeing your daughter.
I have to agree with Bill on this one. There's just not enough time. Besides the fact that dining in BA is usually a leisurely affair (once we arrived at a restaurant in Puerto Madero at 10 pm to be told there was no way we'd be seated - never mind served - before 11:30), you're arriving on a Saturday evening when everything with a pulse is out on the town.
Buenos Aires is one of my favorite cities in the world and it deserves at least a few days to be enjoyed.
I hear what you guys are saying and agree that this is no way to do justice to Buenos Aires, but this is a trip to Chile and we are just hoping to avoid spending close to 7 hours in the BA airport as we return. Is there nothing you can recommend, perhaps even closer to the airport than downtown, that would afford a decent meal and an opportunity to break up the layover in a reasonably fun way?
There's nothing near the airport. The closest part of Buenos Aires from the airport is San Telmo, which with normal traffic can be reached in 30 min. If your plane arrives on time, maybe you will have time to do it.
You can hire a taxi from the Ezeiza Taxi stand (never take a taxi from the curb at the airport)and go straight to San Telmo. Since it's a Saturday, you'd better make a reservation in advance for dinner. I can recommend La Brigada for example:
As you arrive, ask the people at the restaurant to call a radio taxi to pick you up at around 11 pm to go back to the airport. Don't wait until the last minute since there's a possibility that there are no taxis available in the area. You should be back at the airport before 12 am, if everything goes well.
For many people (including me) this could be too risky, but it's possible if you are the kind of people who aren't afraid of taking risks.
