Layover at Ezeiza International Airport (EZE)

Buenos Aires Airport (EZE) › Guide › Layover at the Airport

Get the Best out of your EZE Airport Layover Experience

For short layovers, spending time at the airport is a one-way street. Still, even if Ezeiza Airport isn’t a wonderland for travelers, it offers all the amenities anticipated from a busy international airport, while the provided services are of high quality indeed. On the other hand, for longer stopovers, leaving the airport and heading to the striking city of Buenos Aires -a blending of the Latin character and the European style- is definitely recommended.

5 Ways to Spend a Short Layover at Ezeiza Airport

1. Indulge yourself in Shopping Therapy

Truth to be told, EZE Airport doesn’t have the widest variety of shops ever encountered in an airport. Nevertheless, you will enjoy your shopping spree there, finding out from local products to clothing and jewelry and from souvenirs to books and cosmetics. Are you on a budget? Head to the airport’s duty-free areas or limit yourself to just watching. Window shopping counts as a shopping experience as well!

2. Are you Feeling Ravenous? Check out Ezeiza Airport’s Dining Options!

Once again, Buenos Aires Airport proves that it is quality and not quantity that matters. The airport doesn’t house countless dining and drinking options. Still, it provides its passengers with everything they may wish for: from fast-food chains to regional restaurants and from coffee shops to bars (and even sports bars!), you can supremely satisfy your hunger and thirst, spending your spare time at the same time.

3. You Have Wi-Fi. What Else do you Need?

Buenos Aires Airport offers you free Wi-Fi throughout all its premises (although the signal is claimed to be stronger at the waiting areas of the terminals). You can connect to the airport’s network for a limited period of time and reconnect again if you wish so. Thus, with free Wi-Fi “in your hands”, you can settle on several ways to spend your EZE layover: finish your business tasks, watch your fav TV series or movies, chat with your friends, check your social media, and so on!

4. Simmer Down at One of EZE Airport’s Lounges

Although, in general terms, lounges are available only to business travelers or VIP members, some of them are accessible to everyone for a certain fee. Hence, if you want to unwind, there’s no better way to achieve your goal than relaxing in one of the airport’s lounges. Benefit from the provided amenities (Wi-Fi, free drinks, snacks, and even shower facilities on certain occasions), and you’ll find out that time passes by more rapidly when enjoying the luxury services of an airport lounge!

5. Are you Tired?

Unfortunately, Buenos Aires Airport doesn’t have dedicated resting zones and doesn’t house an airport hotel. There are carpeted areas in all the terminals, allowing floor sleep but other than that, the chairs are considered rather uncomfortable, being in their entirety, equipped with armrests. Hence, unless you opt for an airport lounge, the only way to enjoy a good rest is to check in to a nearby hotel.

Our Tip: They are certainly not compared to a nice nap. Still, the airport’s massage chairs lying in all three terminals will help you decompress.

Note: Smoking is prohibited inside the airport while Buenos Aires Airport doesn’t have designated smoking areas.

Long Layovers at Ezeiza Airport Enable Visiting Buenos Aires!

Buenos Aires is 31km/19.2 miles away from Ezeiza International Airport. That means that you’ll have to be absolutely sure that your layover time is adequate for your day trip to the Argentina capital. Apart from the transfer duration from and to the airport, you should also take into account the check-in time for your onward flight, as EZE is a busy airport and long waiting lines are a common phenomenon. In any case, if you have a 10-12-hour layover, don’t overthink it. Head to Buenos Aires! For 7-10-hour stopovers, three options are available: stay at the airport, visit one city’s district, and quickly get back to EZE, or book a short city tour.

Our Tip: If you decide to leave the airport, you should first check if you need to issue a visa or pay a reciprocity fee!

1. Buenos Aires Downtown is always a good idea

Even though Buenos Aires is much more than its central districts, visiting downtown is a sure bet. You will get a first taste of the city’s ambiance and have access to many sights as well. Depending on the available time, you can opt for one or more attractions in the area:

• Casa Rosada: the “pink house” located on one side of the square is the presidential palace. If you have in mind the distinctive scene when Evita Perón stands on the balcony, you’ll be thrilled to know not only that this same balcony lies in that building but that you are also able to visit it if you follow a tour of the building!
• Metropolitan Cathedral: the main cathedral of Buenos Aires is also to be found at Plaza de Mayo.
• Museo Histórico Nacional del Cabildo y la Revolución de Mayo: The old government palace is situated on the opposite side of Plaza de Mayo and can also be accessed. The historical character of the building and its exhibits make it worth visiting.
• Palacio Barolo: wandering around from Plaza de Mayo, you’ll come across the impressive Palacio Barolo, a city attraction for its architectural design -referring obviously to Dante’s Divine Comedy- and for the amazing views from its last floor. 
• Teatro Colón: 1.5km from the main Buenos Aires square lies Teatro Colón -the capital’s opera house- listed among the top theaters of the world concerning its acoustics. Even if watching a performance in such a short time is out of the question, enjoying a tour of the theater is always a good idea.
• Plaza de Mayo: the center of Argentina’s capital and perhaps the most well-known square among tourists, houses the Pirámide de Mayo, dating back to 1811 and denoting the country’s independence from Spanish dominance.

    Tip: Argentina is known for its frequent strikes. Plaza de Mayo is usually the demonstration hotspot!

2. Forget the City Center and Head to the Colorful La Boca!

Few things are as refreshing as the Buenos Aires neighborhood of La Boca. With its colorful buildings, the tango dancers performing on the street, and the various artists presenting their works all over the place, La Boca radiates an Italian style along with the Argentinian flame. Here you can wander around the pedestrian streets, enjoy a street tango show, visit a tango club, or even relish a delicious meal in one of the local taverns.

Our Tip: “La Bombonera”. If you are a soccer fan, you’ll know what this is all about. Hence, after savoring your La Boca tour, you can head to La Bombonera, the stadium home of Boca Juniors.

3. If you Opt for Luxury, Barrio Recoleta is your Destination

Recoleta is considered the most lavish district of Buenos Aires, sheltering the top high-class hotels and the most luxurious properties. In fact, it is part of the city’s zone claimed to resemble a “mini Paris”. Apart from its impressive scenery though, Recoleta also houses the Recoleta Cemetery, an 1800s cemetery whose graves are real works of art. Here you will also find the tomb of Evita Perón. A 10-minute walking distance from the cemetery lies the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, a must-see attraction for art lovers. With a significant collection of artworks made by both European and Argentinian artists, the museum also hosts interesting temporary exhibitions from time to time.

4. Tierra Santa: the Religious Buenos Aires Experience

How would you feel about a theme park which is religious-based? Well, Buenos Aires can offer you that experience too. Tierra Santa (Holy Land) is dedicated to Jesus’ life, recreating his Resurrection at regular intervals! Whatever you may think about it, it surely sounds original!

5. Enjoy River Views at Puerto Madero

Puerto Madero, the old city’s port, has turned its once industrial character into a vivid neighborhood, being a business hub and a tourist attraction at the same time. Here you will enjoy the river vistas and feel part of the actual city’s everyday rhythm. Cross over the Puente de la Mujer (Bridge of the Woman) -the imposing bridge designed by Santiago Calatrava- visit the Buque Museo Fragata Sarmiento nautical museum or just relish some of the best street food of the city.

6. Visit the Boho San Telmo

The most bohemian district of Buenos Aires goes by the name San Telmo. Additionally, it is the oldest part of the city, revealing many secrets of Buenos Aires’ history. Housing many jazz and tango clubs, interesting museums, some of the oldest churches in the area, and stimulating buildings, San Telmo is the ideal place for a walk or a coffee. Are you in Buenos Aires on a Sunday? The square Plaza Dorrego hosts an amazing antique market every Sunday. Don’t miss it!

7. Evita Museum is another Must-Stop for your Layover

If Buenos Aires were a person, many would claim that it would be Evita Perón. The life of the woman whose name goes hand in hand with Argentina’s history is unfolded in a museum dedicated to her. If you are interested in Evita Perón, Evita Museum couldn’t be more revealing. 

8. Make the Most of your Free Time: Book a Tour

Booking a tour is the best way to explore Buenos Aires without any hassle and without getting out of schedule. If you are not sure about how to plan your trip to be back to the airport on time, a guided tour will solve all your problems: depending on which are your places of interest and what is your actual free time, you can reserve the tour that ideally suits your requirements. Alternatively, you can opt for hop-on-hop-off buses. In that way, you can get a good taste of the city, taking the bus from whichever bus stop you want and disembarking at whichever stop you feel like it. If you find difficulty in deciding which of Buenos Aires attractions you should check out, the bus tours directly answer your dilemma: you can get a glimpse of pretty much all!

9. Forget all About Buenos Aires and Head to Tigre!

50km away from Ezeiza International Airport -or an approximately 45-minute ride- lies Tigre, a scenic city standing by the riverside, known for its open market, its picturesque streets as well as some museums worth adding to your list. Nevertheless, Tigre is actually famous for the Paraná Delta, one of the biggest deltas in the world. Join a catamaran tour and get lost in a natural labyrinth of canals and islands, spotting breathtaking vistas and discovering rural Argentina’s way of life. 

Important Note: Even though Buenos Aires is considered one of the safest cities in South America, you should always stick to the tourist areas of the city and not head to sketchy neighborhoods.