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I have found out that most of our clients (Americans and Canadians visiting Buenos Aires) usually think they will have a hard time finding a good internet connection in Buenos Aires. Some of them even decide not to bring their laptops at all,  assuming that it will be pointless. Truth is that connecting to the Internet in Buenos Aires is easy and cheap, whether you have your own device (laptop, pda, etc) or not.

Depending on the place you are staying, you will very likely have wifi access in your room. Most 4 or 5 star hotels of Buenos Aires  have a good wifi connection that can be used from the rooms or the lobby. Lower quality hotels will usually have wifi available in the lobby and the breakfast area, but not in the rooms. 95 percent of the times this access is free of charge, and many times is not even password protected.  In some hotels (hotels we don´t like) they charge guests for using it. Instead of paying, try finding a hotel that treats you like a guest. There are plenty.

Almost all bars, restaurants and coffee shops of Buenos Aires offer wifi free of charge for their clients, and all you have to do to use it for hours is have a coffee. Fast food chains like McDonald’s or Burger King also offer a good connection, and most of them have an upper floor that is usually very quiet. It is actually very common to see people having business meetings, students doing homework (or are they just chatting?) and people working on those tables. I have updated this blog from the McDonald’s in Plaza San Martin more than once.

But what if you do not want to have a coffee? Assuming that you are cheap enough not to pay a dollar (that´s what a coffee costs in Buenos Aires) you may still find a free wifi connection. Most private networks will be password protected, but some public areas are connected and not protected. You will have to find them yourself… or pay a dollar for a coffee.

A small “Locutorio”

If you need to connect to the Internet in Buenos Aires and do not have a laptop, no problem at all. Internet cafes are everywhere. Look for places called “Locutorio”, they are like small communication centers where you can use a pay phone, connect to the internet, send a fax and some other services. They have good DSL connections and they are so cheap that you will probably wonder how do those people make business. Expect to pay around half a dollar for an hour. Yes, it includes the computer. No, it is not a joke.