Airport arrival instructions SAFE CAB & CASH (Buenos Aires)

Instructions to get a SAFE CAB & CASH.

1) As you exit the customs check, you will see lots of booths offering taxi service. Do not go outside this area before you arrange for a taxi service. You should go to the the booth marked "REMISES", and pay by credit card. It is a flat fee around $180 Pesos, NOT dollars. So comes out to about $45 USD. The driver will meet you and take you to a nice private car service. It is safe and I have used it several times and is the most cost effectively. Also you do NOT need to tip taxis in Argentina. Only restaurants where the maximum is 10%.

2) DO NOT exchange money at the money exchange (you will get ripped off there). When you exit the booth area, you will see a Citibank ATM. You can withdraw money there.

3) TRUE STORY - our friend came out of the airport and didn't want to wait in line for the REMISES car service - so he went outside to the booth for Radio Taxi. (Now, once you are inside the city, this is the safest cabs to get into.) The guy called on his phone & a car pulled up (what he didn't realize was that it was NOT a radio taxi cab).

The cab driver was very nice to him asking him lots of questions. When he arrived at the toll he asked our friend for $98 pesos for the toll. He gave him $100 and received 2 pesos back. He then got ONE block from the hotel and said that the street was one way in the wrong direction and pointed that his hotel was just up the street a bit. He said the bill was $398 pesos. When he handed him $400 he quickly handed it back showing 2 of the hundreds were now $10's... he changed them so quickly our friend didn't know. So he gave him $200 for the two $20's. And not knowing the custom he also tipped the man a standard 15%.

$398(ride) + $98(toll) + $180(switching bills) + $75 (tip) = $751 cab ride = THIS IS BEING SCAMMED AT IT'S WORST!

The cab ride should be between ($190-$165)

4) Once you are inside BSAS - ONLY use RADIO TAXI or RADIO TAXI PREMIUM. All others could potentially scam or rob you. We also had a friend get into one of the black & yellow taxi's w/ no radio taxi on it. He got picked up at the bus station & his destination was the Four Seasons. The cab driver made a phone call while he took him to the hotel. One block from the hotel the driver stopped. Our friend pulled out his wallet to pay & 2 men entered the car to try to hijack him & his wallet. He fought them off and got out. Luckily he wasn't hurt. They took his cash & threw the wallet out the window and drove off.

The police said you can go downtown and spend all day filling out a report OR you can chalk this up to a learning lesson. She said to NEVER get in a cab without the full eight digit phone number printed on the car. Our advice is to just stick with Radio Taxi's only.