Buenos Aires - Get Around

Despite its large size, most of Buenos Aires's attractions are contained within six or seven central neighbourhoods. Each is very walkable and each has its own flavour.

When your energy starts to lag, flag down a taxi – they're cheap and ubiquitous.

The centre is home to the city's political institutions, clustered around the Plaza de Mayo (May Square), and the narrow shopping streets of the Microcentro. You can head south along the cobbled streets of atmospheric Montserrat and San Telmo, to the colourful port neighbourhood of La Boca. Venture north to the affluent districts of Recoleta and buzzing Palermo, while to the east, Puerto Madero skirts the docks.

Buenos Aires's underground system, the 'subte', is a cheap, clean and convenient way to get around. Its only drawback is that it doesn't cover the entire city and has only one north-south route (linea C). Linea D, which heads from the centre to Palermo, is the most useful for visitors.

Yellow-and-black taxis are easy to find, at any time of day or night, and if you're fearless they can be quite an introduction to the city traffic. Calling a radio taxi or hailing a passing cab is safer than taking a stationary one. For safety reasons, make sure you take one with the company’s logo on the passenger door.

Buses cover the city much more comprehensively than the underground. However, understanding their routes requires a fairly intense study of the street maps and bus guides sold at pavement kiosks, and possibly a PhD in town planning. Stick to cheap taxis for short trips.

Buenos Aires is a good city for walking and wandering, with plenty of parks and cafés in which to rest tired feet and watch porteños (the 'port people') in full swing. Stroll down Defensa street from the Plaza de Mayo (May Square) to Plaza Dorrego, past 19th-century buildings and antique stores in the city's oldest quarter.

You'll have to head to the north of the city to take to the water – you can hire a yacht in Olivos, or explore the jungle-like Paraná delta by river taxi.

Taxis are such good value for money that many visitors – and indeed locals – take them everywhere. Fussier folk may want to call a premium service radio taxi, where a small extra charge will get you air conditioning, seatbelts that function, and a polite driver. Always have change or small notes as drivers never seem to carry any.

Wander crumbling San Telmo – the only neighbourhood that escaped the massive reconstruction of the city at the end of the 19th century. Glimpse colonial South America over the water in Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay, and see docks being redeveloped into the 'des res' neighbourhood of the future in Puerto Madero.

Buenos Aires Underground (Subte) website