Once upon a time, we used to travel without smart phones.
I remember carrying a lot of printouts.
Itineraries, maps, directions… all organized in a big folder, stored in my backpack next to a huge CD binder.
Packing light was hard in the stone age.
Now everything fits into the palm of our hand and packing for a trip means downloading necessary apps before boarding your flight.
Getting organized for your upcoming holiday in Argentina?
This post includes all the apps to use in Argentina from communication, ride-sharing, and the ever-important food delivery.
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In this post:
Helpful Apps for Argentina
Get your phone ready for your trip to Argentina with these helpful apps.
It’s not by accident that I’m listing WhatsApp at the top of this list: it is fundamental to life in Argentina.
Every single person and business uses it here.
It may not be new to many of you, but if you’re from the US you may be more used to relying on iMessage than WhatsApp.
WhatsApp is a free and encrypted messaging app used widely around the world and Argentina is no exception.
You’ll likely use WhatsApp throughout your entire trip to coordinate with Airbnb hosts, tour guides, restaurants, and more.
If you’re not used to using it, don’t worry. The interface is like any other chat app/iMessage. Add numbers to your phone’s contacts in order to chat with them in WhatsApp.
Note: Your WhatsApp account is associated with your phone number. If you get a local sim card here in Argentina, you’ll be given the choice via pop up to retain your original number on WhatsApp. I always keep my WhatsApp account tied to my main phone number to keep everything neat and tidy.
Google Maps & Maps.me
Telling you to download Google Maps is hardly the secret local tip you were expecting, but one cannot downplay the importance of Google Maps in Argentina.
Aside from the obvious uses, restaurants and shops here rely on Google Business reviews.
If you’re looking for a great spot for lunch or the best cafe nearby, scanning Google Maps and reading the reviews is the best way to go about it.
Planning on a road trip and driving in Argentina? Download your map in advance, either on Google Maps or maps.me. Once you leave the cities in Argentina you’ll likely lose all cell signal and GPS.
Google Translate
English isn’t widely spoken across Argentina, especially as you get further and further from Buenos Aires.
If you can’t speak Spanish, definitely download Google Translate to your phone in advance to ease communications with your taxis and waiters as you go.
You can even use the camera function to translate signs and menus in the moment. It’s pretty impressive and a huge help!
Airalo Esim
The most important thing to do to set up your phone is a local phone plan.
You can wait til you’re in Argentina and purchase a physical sim card, read more about sim cards in Argentina.
If you’d prefer to have everything set up in advance, you can’t go wrong with an eSIM like Airalo. I use them whenever I travel home to the US and it always works without a hitch.
You can pick your plan, like a regional plan if you’ll also travel to Chile or Uruguay (avoiding a SIM in each country) and set your phone up before your flight. With everything ready to go you can simply activate it when you land.
Hoy Milonga
Here to dance tango?
Download Milonga Hoy to find out which milongas are open tonight.
It will break it down by night and geographic location, helping you know where to go.
It also includes useful information about reservations and classes offered.
If you’d rather watch and not dance, read my guide to the best tango shows in Buenos Aires.
Argentina Ride Sharing Apps
Perhaps the most important thing you’ll need in this new, large city: how to not get lost!
Here are the best ride sharing apps to use if you’re afraid to conquer public transportation in Buenos Aires.
- Uber – Uber exists in Buenos Aires and in a select number of cities across Argentina. You can use credit cards as normal or select cash payment as an option once you’re on the ground in Argentina.
- Cabify – An alternative to Uber, it is legal and above board and my ride sharing app of choice here. Download it here and use my code, ERINM7, for credit towards your first ride.
Bus & Directions: Moovit
First, you can use Google Maps these days to plan your public transportation route. It’s fairly accurate with bus routes kept up to date.
But Moovit is the best option, despite not being a local app.
They even send alerts for local transportation strikes (a very Argentina problem to have).
Previously I touted Como Llego, a map and app that was run by the city government. Unfortunately, they stopped updated the app in 2022 and it’s no longer reliable.
Trenes Argentinos
I’m a big fan of taking the trains in Buenos Aires, but if you’re on vacation in Buenos Aires, you may not have much contact with the train unless you use it for a day trip to Tigre’s river delta.
However, if you’re living here, I recommend familiarizing yourself with the train system to make getting around that much easier.
Download Trenes Argentinos here to always have quick access to the train schedule whether you’re heading to Tigre or using it on the daily.
Buenos Aires Food Delivery Apps
Like New York, you can get anything and everything delivered in Buenos Aires.
You can order from participating restaurants that have menus already loaded into the apps. Many offer discounts, making it even more tempting.
These apps also work as courier services, running to the supermarket or pharmacy for you. Use their moto service to delivery anything door to door.
Whatever you need, Rappi and PedidosYa can help with.
- Rappi – You can get anything from anywhere on Rappi. Pet food? Check. Beer? Check. Restaurant delivery? Obviously.
- PedidosYa – PedidosYa has been in the game for years. I’ve been using them since before I even had a smartphone from my desktop like some sort of caveman or something.
ExpressVPN
If you want access to Hulu, Amazon Prime, or the much wider US catalog on Netflix, you’re going to need a VPN.
VPNs also protect you from hackers when working on a public internet connection. If you’ll be working or banking from one of Buenos Aires’ many cafes, you’ll want ExpressVPN switched on.
I use and swear by ExpressVPN, download it here.
I’ve been using it for over a year without any problems. When I had a problem setting it up the first time, their customer service was excellent and resolved my (stupid) mistake within minutes.
Apps for Expats in Argentina
When living in Argentina, having a DNI is a gateway to convenience.
With this local ID number you can access a lot, like the apps below! The few apps listed below aren’t for tourists, so if that’s you, feel free to skip.
Read more: A Practical Packing List for Moving to Argentina
MercadoPago & MercadoLibre
Where can I buy ____?
The answer to that question is always MercadoLibre, the Amazon of Argentina (or as close as we’re going to ever get, anyway).
Buy and sell on the massive eBay/Amazon mash up, but you’ll need a local DNI to set up an account. If you don’t have an account, you can always hit up a friend to do your shopping for you.
MercadoPago, by the same wealthy man as MercadoLibre, is the local version of PayPal.
This is the holy grail, if you have a DNI get ready for convenience (as convenient as you can get in Argentina, anyway).
This payment app can operate as a bank account, load cash in to make transferencias.
Use it to pay in shops via QR code, whathaveyou. This app is very useful to have!
Health Insurance Apps
Sorry travelers, this one is for the expat. If you’ve got a local health insurance plan, your provider has an app for that.
I have Swiss Medical and use their app all the time. You can use it to make appointments at their centers, and I will do anything to avoid a phone call.
You can even put yourself in the Guardia within the app (urgent care) line and wait at home until the last possible second.
It keeps track of your appointments, will tell you what your plan includes, organizes your lab results, etc. If you have a prepaga here, downloading your app is a game changer.
Here are the links to download the apps for the biggest insurance providers:
Argentina Apps to Download
Well, I hope you still have some room left on your phone for all the photos you’re going to take!
These are all Argentina apps that I use on a regular basis (except Milonga Hoy, I do not dance).
They make my daily life so much easier and I hope they will help you too!
Argentina Travel Resources
- TRAVEL INSURANCE | It is always a good idea to travel insured. It protects you in so many cases, like lost luggage and trip cancellations, medical emergencies and evacuations. It’s very affordable with the potential to save you thousands in the case of an emergency. I recommend SafetyWing.
- PHONE PLAN | These days, traveling with data is essential. Especially in Argentina where everything is managed on Instagram and WhatsApp. I recommend this E-SIM card. It’s hassle-free and affordable, for more read how to get an Argentina sim card.
- ACCOMMODATION IN ARGENTINA | booking.com is the most common hotel site used in Argentina and it’s where you’ll find the most options.
- RENTAL CARS | I love to travel Argentina via road trip, I’ve always used rentalcars.com, now they are operating under the umbrella of Booking.com’s car rental system.
- BUS TICKETS | Check Busbud for long distance bus routes and tickets.
- VPN | If you’ll be using a public WiFi connection and want to secure your data, I highly recommend using a VPN, I personally use and have had a good experience with ExpressVPN. I also use it to access Hulu and American Netflix from Argentina.
- FLIGHTS | Always check Google Flights and Skyscanner for flights to and within Argentina. Aerolineas Argentina is the local airline with the most routes. FlyBondi and Jetsmart are two budget airlines with dirt-cheap prices (but expect to pay for every add-on like luggage).
- BOOK A CONSULTATION | I offer one-on-one travel consultations to help you plan your trip to Argentina. Pick my brain to get a local’s insight. Click here for more information.
