Is Argentina a safe country for tourists?

[va2ba]

I have found Argentina to be a safe place to be. Of course there are places that you shouldn't go, but it is that way everywhere.

 

[TarHeelBluze]

I've found it very safe, so long as you keep an eye out for sketchiness (i.e. if someone strikes you as a sketchball, cross the street) and don't go where the locals tell you not to go. The only things that have happened to me have been having my pocket picked twice, and frankly in hindsight I deserved it (in mobs of people at electronica shows with my camera).

 

[chris]

In quite a few years I have been robbed twice. A couple of other times people have tried, unsuccessfully, to rob me (throwing mustard trick etc). Of course I am very careful and wary. Many tourists are NOT. I think a lot of American tourists, like quite a few expats, come from suburban middle class USA and have little experience living in cities. The huge BA metropolis is something new to them and they are not always careful. Many backpackers (the backpack alone is an ad that you are a tourist) put their wallets and passports in the back pocket of the backpack and get robbed. Not a very sensible way to travel!

There is no doubt that BA is full of thieves. My impression is that most of it is non-violent stealing but with all the drugs going around there is risk that it could turn violent. Some places (La Boca, San Telmo - especially Plaza Dorrego) are high risk pickpocketing areas. I know lots of people who've had problems there.

I feel safer in New York than I do in BA -- sorry I know some expats will attack me for this. I am speaking of Manhattan, not the Bronx, Brooklyn or marginal areas. Comparing the better parts of BA with the equivalent in New York I feel safer in NY where I have never been robbed either when I lived there or on countless trips over the years. I don't feel nearly as safe in many parts of Europe. It's easy to get robbed in Rome, Paris, etc. There are even thieves prowling European trains at night.

What really disturbs me in BA are all the shops with locked doors. This accelerated during the "crisis". Now it's widespread and it is disturbing to have to ring a bell to be admitted to a shop in Recoleta or other upscale parts of the city. I've never seen this anywhere in the US and can't recall it in Europe. It certainly has to be unsettling to tourists.

 

[CarverFan]

I know several people who have been robbed at gunpoint and one of them has recently installed CCTV in their home.

 

[deeve007]

I wouldn't take the subte (subway)...

Travel this way all the time, along with the bus. Never had any problems, all really depends on how obvious you look as a tourist I guess. I must blend in, I keep getting asked directions in Spanish all the time.

 

[sesamosinsal]

Travel this way all the time, along with the bus. Never had any problems, all really depends on how obvious you look as a tourist I guess. I must blend in, I keep getting asked directions in Spanish all the time.

I think it's how you carry yourself. When I'm on a bus or a subway, I immediately put everything in my pockets into my backpack -- even the iPod. Then, the backpack becomes a frontpack.

And it doesn't really matter if you're on the subway/bus during non-peak hours. Many pickpockets work in large groups. (I saw a group of 6 people one time that managed to swipe a UK tourist's wallet.) They simulate chaos, and at the same time one of them manages to slip her/his hands in your pocket.

My advice is to always make sure that you maintain visual control of your stuff. The only way to do that in the subway or bus is to place everything in your backpack where you can keep an eye on the zipper constantly. Pickpockets prey on those who are not vigilant, or those who can easily be distracted.

 

[deeve007]

What really disturbs me in BA are all the shops with locked doors. This accelerated during the "crisis". Now it's widespread and it is disturbing to have to ring a bell to be admitted to a shop in Recoleta or other upscale parts of the city. I've never seen this anywhere in the US and can't recall it in Europe. It certainly has to be unsettling to tourists.

Then there's lots of places in the US you haven't been obviously.

Even with my few trips to the US (admittedly one of those 3 months travelling across the US) I found myself stopping at more than a few "sketchy" areas, usually for gas or similar, where the service stations served you behind bullet proof glass and/or metal cages with no option to "ring a bell" and be admitted to the store. And I knew that being a white boy in the area was not a good idea. I have yet to feel that in BA, though I haven't yet been to the most "sketchy" areas admittedly.

 

[deeve007]

It can happen, does happen, and will continue to happen...some will be lucky and never experience it others...well, not so much.

Anywhere, any country...</mypoint>

 

[YOenBA]

Buenos Aires is like any other big city. There are shady parts to avoid and pickpockets/muggers to be aware of. However, overall I think it is fairly safe as long as you are smart about what you carry and keeping your eyes open.