So you've made it to Buenos Aires... Welcome!
Your first few hours in the city might be daunting and overwhelming so we have made a list of some key things you might need to know in order to find your feet in those important first few hours!
- The Voluntario Global House is located on the famous Avenida de Mayo in the neighbourhood of Monserrat, which forms part of Buenos Aires’ business district. It is a neighbourhood steeped in local history and home to some of Argentina’s most significant public buildings and landmarks. Check out this website for details of the different neighbourhoods and also some good 'new to Buenos Aires' tips and articles: http://www.gringoinbuenosaires.com/neighborhood-guides/
- If you get a taxi (they are good value for money here) you need to tell them the cross roads nearest to where you are going, they don't tend to know street numbers so if you are heading to the Volunteer's House, you would need to say to the taxi driver 'Avenida de Mayo y San Jose' and they will know exactly where to go.
- There is a really good website which will help you navigate the public transport and help you plan your journeys: http://mapa.buenosaires.gob.ar/
- The nearest large supermarket which stocks everything you might need including fresh fruit, vegetables and meat is: Coto (Bartolomé Mitre 1558) but there are plenty of other smaller convenience stores even closer, like Carrefour Express (Av de Mayo 1452). There are lots of pharmacies around too, the closest being Farmacity (Av de Mayo 1470).
- If the thought of hitting a supermarket is the last thing you want to do after a day travelling then I can recommend a lovely, traditional cafe just up the road where you can settle down for a coffee and some pastries – I recommend the medialunas, which are fresh tasty croissants which you will see everywhere here! Los 36 Billares (Av de Mayo1271).
- If you have signed up to do Spanish lessons with Voluntario Global, these will be held at Buenos Aires Spanish School, which is situated very conveniently to the Volunteer's House, just one block away on Hipolito Yrigoyen 1264 (3rd Floor, Apartment D – you need to buzz in and take the back set of steps).
The rest you will learn once you start exploring and meeting new people but hopefully these basics will help you to feel a bit more comfortable in your first few hours!