Buenos Aires: Saving $ on the red Hop on/hop off bus

[fstuff1]

Feb 2023:

 

It's $25 on their website.

When it's time to pay, you can change your currency.

 

I changed it to Argentinan pesos and got ARS 5095.68.

 

then paid with a no international conversion fee Mastercard.

The official conversion rate is about $1 for 170 peso.

but the credit card conversion rate is $1 for 333 peso (as of 2/2023).

so should be $15 usd when I get the credit for the difference in conversion rate in 3 days.

(Visa is 1 day and sometimes near instantaneous.)

Edited February 26, 2023 by fstuff1

[fstuff1]

website:

https://graylineargentina.com/

 

note: red and yellow hop on buses are competitors

[fstuff1]

hm.. 6 days and no rebate on my credit card.

 

so i'm wrong.

it's not cheaper since i didnt get the credit card blue exchange rate even though i selected pesos.

probably because the site was '.com' instead of '.ag' or whatever Argentina ends with.

 

[edinburgher]

Saving $ on the red Hop on/hop off bus

 

We saved even more than that by using public transport (buses and the Underground/.subway),our feet, and a couple of taxis.

 

It is quite an easy city to move around.

Edited March 11, 2023 by edinburgher

[tony s]

40 minutes ago, edinburgher said:

Saving $ on the red Hop on/hop off bus

 

We saved even more than that by using public transport (buses and the Underground/.subway),our feet, and a couple of taxis.

 

It is quite an easy city to move around.

We walked every where in our 3 days.

[edinburgher]

We walked every where in our 3 days.

 

We had only 2 days so needed to speed up a little. 😀 And the subway was a sort of sightseeing trip.

Part of my  reply to a different thread in case anyone reading it might decide to do the same:And something a bit different. and a  little more off the usual cruise passenger sightseeing list, (or perhaps not?) we also rode part of the Underground/Subway to see some of the extravagantly tiled stations. They are quite a feature of the system and there will be much info and many  images to be found with an online search from which you can decide which lines and stations would be of most interest to you. We got off at the stations we most wanted to see, then jumped onto the next one which came along to continue our journey. It was very easy to do, despite us not speaking any Spanish.and cost hardly anything at all.  You should be able to find online info on using all types of public transport  in Buenos Aires

Edited March 11, 2023 by edinburgher

[tony s]

To clarify something , we both speak Spanish. The subway idea sounds great! Just be careful as BA has great pickpockets. Leave most credit cards and passports in room safe 

[edinburgher]

Most larger towns and cities have pickpocketing issues.  Just take the usual precautions you would take anywhere, and as suggested above, leave unnecessary ccs and cash in the safe, also passports (take a copy out with you) and jewellery doesn't need to be worn either.

 

That advice is also good for all your other S. American ports.

Edited March 12, 2023 by edinburgher