10 Tips on Renting a Buenos Aires Vacation Apartment
By Augusto Peñalva, Buenos Aires property manager for Argentina Consultant.com, specializing in Buenos Aires vacation rentals in Recoleta, Palermo and Puerto Madero. Please see complete details at Argentina Consultant.com
Buenos Aires is a hot tourist destination with a great assortment of affordable, quality vacation apartment rentals which are a perfect alternative to traditional accommodations. Don't make assumptions when renting a Buenos Aires vacation apartment. No matter how, or with whom, you book your Buenos Aires vacation rental please consider these 10 tips.
1. Overnight flight
Most flights from North America and Europe are overnight flights, arriving in Buenos Aires the next day. Be sure you know exactly when you will be checking in and checking out of your Buenos Aires apartment rental. Exact arrival and departure dates are important because you will be signing a rental contract and breaking the contract may cost you.
2. Win win discounts
Requesting deep discounts when booking a Buenos Aires apartment is not a good strategy. Most apartment owners and professional agencies will ignore aggressive offers because they have already competitively priced their property. The best approach is to establish a relationship with the rental agency or owner. Let them know what you want, and don’t want, in a vacation rental. After you have built some trust, then approach the subject of discount, keeping in mind a “win win” strategy for both renter and owner.
3. Enjoy your last day
Make the most of your last day in Buenos Aires by booking a late check out. Standard check out time for Buenos Aires apartment rentals is 10am to noon. Most North American and European flights depart Buenos Aires late at night, which means you don’t need to be at the airport until 6pm or later. Book a late check out and enjoy your apartment your entire last day. Keep in mind that Buenos Aires evening rush hour starts at 5:30pm and it will take about one hour to travel from your apartment to Ezeiza International Airport.
4. Don’t try this failed strategy
“I’ll find the perfect apartment the morning I arrive in Buenos Aires!” It’s not likely to happen. This last minute strategy sends a message of disorganization and lack of seriousness to most Buenos Aires apartment rental agencies and property owners. And, why waste your first days in Buenos Aires searching for an apartment when you should be enjoying your vacation.
It is difficult for rental agencies or apartment owners to show vacation rentals because the apartments are either occupied or have confirmed future reservations. Also, most owners and agencies don’t like to take the time and expense of showing vacation rentals because of no-shows. Keep in mind too that Buenos Aires apartment rental agencies take Saturday and Sunday off.
5. Widen you search
Are you going to spend every day of your vacation in just one neighborhood? Hopefully not! Don’t rule out the other fine neighborhoods if you can’t find the Buenos Aires apartment you are looking for. Recoleta, Puerto Madero and all of Palermo are safe, wonderful neighborhoods for tourists and businessmen. Palermo Soho deserves the favorable press it receives, but other areas of Palermo, and all of Recoleta, offer a better selection of high quality vacation apartment rentals. So, widen your search to find the Buenos Aires apartment that is right for you.
6. The whole story
Vacation apartment photographs tell the story, but not the whole story. Be careful with photographs that have been over edited. Ask the Buenos Aires vacation apartment rental agency or apartment owner this simple question, “Is what I see on the web site exactly what I will see when I walk in the door?” The answer may surprise you.
7. Do you PayPal?
Many Buenos Aires rental agencies and apartment owners do not accept credit cards, and insist on wire transfers or cash payments. When it comes to personal identity, safety and ease of use PayPal is one of the best methods to pay the reservation deposit and rent. Ask your Buenos Aires apartment rental agency if they accept PayPal. This will protect both you and the apartment owner, and eliminate the need to travel with cash.
8. Stingy ATM’s
“I’ll withdraw my rent from the ATM the morning I arrive in Buenos Aires”. No you won’t. Buenos Aires ATM’s are not generous in dispensing pesos, and even stingier with US dollars. The most you can withdraw from a Buenos Aires ATM is 300 to 500 pesos. Also, it is very difficult to find a Buenos Aires ATM that will dispense U.S. dollars.
9. Can I pay in pesos?
All Buenos Aires vacation apartment rentals are priced in United States dollars. That’s the way Argentines do business. Your vacation apartment rental contract will be written in U.S. dollars, not pesos. Traveler’s checks and personal checks are not accepted. So, when you check in, be prepared with the exact amount you owe in U.S. dollars. Or better yet pay in advance by credit card.
10. Go remis
There is no train or subway service at Ezeiza International Airport (EZE). All authorized ground transportation companies at Ezeiza basically charge the same rate. Save yourself valuable time by reserving in advance a remis, which is a chauffeured car, to take you directly from the airport to your apartment. The cost is reasonable and generally runs US$32 for 2 adults. Ask your rental agency or apartment owner to book a remis for you. It will take about 2 hours from the time your plane lands to clear Immigration, claim your luggage, go through Customs and drive by remis to your Buenos Aires vacation rental.