Taxi to Recoleta from Port

[PatriciaF]

I am confused! I have read that due to the "taxi mafia" it could cost me $100 US to get from the port to our hotel in Recoleta. Others have posted $20 US. The cost from the port exit is said to be $7 to $10 US.

 

I am willing to pay more to have the convenience to not lug out luggage out the port exit -- but not 10X the fair amount.

 

My husband speaks Spanish.

 

What should we expect to pay? Should he ask for the meter to be turned on? Or is it a fixed fare? Should we set up a pick up with a car service?

 

We are arriving on January 31--a Saturday.

 

Patricia F

[Orlando Vic]

Should we set up a pick up with a car service?

 

You have done your research well. I, personally, would ask my hotel to send a car (i.e. a remise) to meet me at the airport. As an alternative, Manuel Tienda Leon, is a reputable transportation company. http://*******.com/qfau53d

[PatriciaF]

We are arriving via cruise ship. I did not see that as an option on the Tienda Leon website.

[4774Papa]

Recoleta is close to the cruise port. If you didn"t have luggage, you could walk.

 

We had our B and B send us a driver to pick us up at the airport.

 

Perhaps the cruise line has a shuttle?

 

We also took a taxi to the port and it was not expensive.

 

Taxis are generally cheap in BA, but we didn't arrive in BA at the port, we left from BA and left the ship in Valpo.

[Orlando Vic]

We are arriving via cruise ship. I did not see that as an option on the Tienda Leon website.

 

You are correct and I did not read carefully. In that case, contact your hotel for a remise to meet you at the cruise port.

 

More on this scam here http://www.fodors.com/community/south-america/taxi-scam-leaving-buenos-aires-port.cfm

[pmacher61]

I have taken 5 cruises this year that have disembarked in Buenos Aries and I live there part of the year.

 

It really isn't necessary to have your hotel send a car. In fact, it might be counter-productive ,i.e., terribly expensive, as you can not predict with any certainty when you will actually disembark. A waiting car would have to charge you for waiting time.

As mentioned above, without luggage you could walk from the port exit doors to anywhere in Recoleta in less than 1/2 hour. The Sheraton in the Retiro (adjacent to the Recoleta) is a 10 minute walk. From the port to most Recoleta hotels (Four Seasons, Hilton, Alvear Palace, Marriott, etc) a metered cab would cost about 60 pesos, less than US $5 at the black market rate (see http://www.ambito.com for rates) - were it not for the mafiosa that seems to run the port cabs lined up at the exit doors. These guys tend to quote fixed prices in dollars and at rates that far exceed metered fares.

 

However, as I can speak some Spanish I can defy any attempts to overcharge and will not tolerate their nonsense. I haven't had problems recently. I simply insist upon using the meter as they are legally required to do. If I were not able to get my assigned cab to drop its insistence on charging an inflated fixed dollar price, I would ask for a different cab. If I were to encounter stiff resistance and delay, I would simply walk across the street (10 meters) to hail a street cab.

Be aware they cabs are entitled to charge a modest amount for each large suitcase, somewhere about 5 pesos. Also there are 2 discrete fares, one for day time (drop is 14.30 pesos) and another for Sundays and nights (higher drop and rates). Tipping is neither expected or required.

Edited January 2, 2015 by pmacher61

[jccruiser]

when we were there 2 years ago there was a HUGE line after baggage pick up, waiting for the "official" taxis - and when we got to the front they wanted about $50 US to take us to our hotel. We refused, having paid less than $10 a couple weeks previously from hotel-port, so we walked across the road to the non-port authorized cabs, and had a taxi take us to our hotel, waited while we dropped most of our luggage there, then drove us to AEP airport to catch plane to Iguazu, all for under $20 total.

If we had known about the crazy rates we could have saved about an hour by bypassing the line completely - we had wondered where all the people walking out of the port were going (assumed they were being met) but now realize they were all going across the street to the other taxis.

 

Good luck!

[LindaAndBillTravel]

Last Sunday, the taxi mafia wanted $30 US or 400 pesos to take us from the port to the very close-by Sheraton hotel. If we hadn't had 5 suitcases and 2 tote bags stuffed full of crap we really didn't need to bring with us, we probably wouldn't have caved, but we did. My husband had asked them to run the meter for the trip and they refused.

[pmacher61]

Last Sunday, the taxi mafia wanted $30 US or 400 pesos to take us from the port to the very close-by Sheraton hotel. If we hadn't had 5 suitcases and 2 tote bags stuffed full of crap we really didn't need to bring with us, we probably wouldn't have caved, but we did. My husband had asked them to run the meter for the trip and they refused.

By caving in when you knew better, you have made things worse for fellow travelers. Thanks a lot. Not.

[Merlinite]

By caving in when you knew better, you have made things worse for fellow travelers. Thanks a lot. Not.

 

$30- for 5 suitcases and 2 totes full of crap... i wouldn't call it caving :p

 

cheap at half the price! might even throw in a tip :D

[pmacher61]

$30- for 5 suitcases and 2 totes full of crap... i wouldn't call it caving :p

 

cheap at half the price! might even throw in a tip :D

Not when the legally mandated price is $6. That is about the fare with 7 suitcases for a taxi from pier to Sheraton.