Buenos Aires Subte Guide: Lines, Fares & Tips

The first time I dropped underground at Plaza de Mayo and rattled north under the city in a rush-hour carriage, I understood Buenos Aires far better than I had from any taxi window. The Subte is fast, dirt-cheap and gloriously direct — once you crack a few local quirks.

This buenos aires subte guide is the fast, practical answer: the Subte is the city’s underground metro, with six lettered lines (A, B, C, D, E and H) plus the Premetro tram. You pay with a contactless SUBE card or bank card — never cash — trains run roughly 5am to 11pm, and a single ride costs only a little over a US dollar.

Last updated: June 2026 · Written by the Buenos Aires Tourism editorial team

Your Buenos Aires Subte guide at a glance

The Subte (short for subterráneo) opened in 1913, making Line A the oldest underground railway in Latin America, the Spanish-speaking world and the entire Southern Hemisphere. More than a century later it carries over half a million riders a day across six lines and roughly 90 stations, run since 2021 by the operator Emova. For a visitor it is hands-down the quickest way to cover long downtown distances — no traffic, no haggling, and fares that shame almost any metro in the world.

It is not a sprawling system by London or Paris standards: most lines fan out from the centre rather than circling it, so for some cross-town hops you will still reach for a bus or your own two feet. But for the classic tourist axis — Plaza de Mayo, the Obelisco, Congreso, Recoleta and Palermo — the Subte is your best friend. For the bigger picture of how all the pieces fit together, start with our complete guide to getting around Buenos Aires.

Subte vs the alternatives

How does it stack up against the other ways to move around town? Here is the quick comparison I give friends.

Prices move fast in Argentina — the country’s stubborn inflation means peso fares are nudged up almost monthly — so treat every figure here as a ballpark and check the current amount before you travel.