 Visa Regulations
No tourist visa required for stays of up to 90 days.
Andorra, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Israel, Liechtenstein, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela and Serbia & Montenegro;
Nationals of countries not appearing above may require a visa to enter Argentina for any length of time. Transit passengers holding confirmed onward or return tickets for travel provided continuing their journey within 6 hours and not leaving the airport. Note: Visa exemptions mentioned above are for tourist and business purposes only . However, business travellers are advised to contact the Argentinean Consulate before departure.
Hotels, Apartments, Cruises, Vacations in Argentina
Useful information
Currency
The official Argentine currency is the Peso. There are bills of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 pesos, and coins of 1 peso and 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 cents.
Payment methods
Although US Dollars and Euros are generally taken everywhere, foreign currencies can be exchanged in banks and authorized bureaus. American Express, VISA, Diners and Master Card are widely accepted. There may be difficulties in changing traveler's check outside Buenos Aires.
Business Hours Banks and Exchange Bureaus: Mondays to Fridays from 10.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.
Business Offices: generally from 9.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m. and from 2.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m.
Stores: in the big cities from 9.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m., although in the outskirts and the provinces they generally close at midday. Saturdays, from 9.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.
Cafés, cake shops and pizzerias: open most of the time except between 2.00 and 6.00 a.m.
Restaurants: lunch is served as from 12.30 p.m. and dinner as from 8.30 hours. Fast-food menus are served in many restaurants at all times. .
 Telephone
Pay phones work with cards that may be purchased in kiosks and telephone companies' offices, or with legal tender coins. There are also stores with pay phones (open 24 hours a day) where you can pay in cash.
Calling to Argentina from abroad, dial the country code (54) and then the area code of the place you want to call. For domestic calls, dial 0 before the area code. For international calls, dial 00, the country code and city code.
Note that tariffs are reduced from 10.00 p.m. to 8.00 a.m.
Electricity:
Argentine electricity is officially 220V 50Hz, with slanted plugs similar to those used in Australia. Adapters and transformers for European and North American equipment are readily available.The best way to use imported electrical equipment in Argentina is to purchase an adapter once there. These are available in the Florida shopping area in Buenos Aires for around US$2, or less in hardware stores outside the city center. Buildings use a mix of European and Australian plug fittings. However, the live and neutral pins in the Australian fittings are reversed so as to prevent cheap imports into Australia . Therefore an Australian adapter may be incompatible.
Many sockets have no earth pin. Laptop adapters should have little problem with this for short term use.
Argentina's outlets are their own standard, the IRAM-2073, which are physically identical to the Australian AS-3112 standard (two blades in a V-shape, with or without a third blade for ground).
Some Argentine sockets accept North American plugs, particularly ones on power strips. Beware - this does not mean that these sockets deliver 110 volts. Make sure that your equipment can handle 220 volts! Simply changing the shape of the plug with a US$2 adapter will not allow 110 volt equipment to operate on 220 volt Argentinian current; unless the device is specifically designed to work on both 110 and 220 volts, irreperable damage and even fire can result. Most laptop power adapters and many portable electronics chargers are designed to work on dual voltage; check the specifications for your equipment to be sure. If your equipment cannot accept 220 volt current, you can purchase a 220->110 volt transformer for approximately US$6 in most Argentinian electronics shops. This is much heavier and bulkier than a small adapter.
European standard CEE-7/7 "Schukostecker" or "Schuko" outlets and the non-grounded, but compatible, European CEE-7/16 "Europlug" outlets may still be found in some older buildings. U.S. and Canadian travelers may want to pack adapters for these outlets as well. Time zone
GMT
-3
 Safety
There is plenty of activity and foot traffic throughout the night. Nice areas have a very thorough police presence, perhaps one officer per 3 blocks, plus store security and auxiliary patrols. Public security in all major cities like Buenos Aires , Córdoba and Rosario is handled by the Federal Police, the Urban Guard, and the National Gendarmerie or the Naval Prefecture, especially in the Puerto Madero area of Buenos Aires.
As in any large city, certain particular neighborhoods in Buenos Aires and other cities are very dangerous. Ask trusted locals, such as hotel desk staff or police officers, for advice. Pay attention to your environment and trust your instincts. If an area seems questionable, leave.
Many people in the street hand out small cards with horoscopes, lottery numbers, or cute drawings on them. If you take the card, the person will ask for payment. You can simply return the card along with a no, gracias. Persistent panhandlers are usually not dangerous; a polite but firm no tengo nada ("I don't have anything") is usually enough.
Most robberies are not violent; in most cases, if your wallet is stolen, you won't even notice until hours later. In the unlikely event that you are confronted by a mugger, simply hand over your valuables - they are replaceable. Watch out for pickpockets in the subway and on crowded city streets. Never hang your purse or bag from the back of your chair in a cafe or restaurant - stealthy theft from such bags is common. Keep your purse or backpack on the floor between your legs while you eat.
Popular demonstrations ( piqueteros ) are very common in Buenos Aires, and are best avoided by tourists as these demonstrations usually grow into violent confrontations with the police or National Gendarmerie, particularly as they approach the government buildings in the city center.
There are rogue taxis operating in Buenos Aires whose drivers kidnap and rob tourists and locals alike. If you take a taxi, it's best to have your hotel or business phone for a radio taxi. If you must hail one on the street, look for one with the lighted gear on the roof and the designation "Radio Taxi" next to a phone number. Try to have small bills ready, as you may receive counterfeits if you pay in large denominations.
It is recommended that you carry some ID with you, but not your original passport. A copy of it (easily provided by your own hotel) should be enough.
Health
Visiting Argentina doesn't raise any major health worries. Certain vaccinations may be necessary for visitors, depending on where in Argentina you plan to visit. Yellow Fever vaccinations are recommended for those visiting the Northern forests. Different climate conditions might take your body by surprise, so be aware of the weather before you arrive. A bout of travellers' diarrhoea is the most you're likely to have to worry about as your body adjusts to local micro-organisms in the food. It's also best to ease yourself gently into the local diet - sudden quantities of red meat, red wine, strong coffee and sweet pastries can be very unsettling for a stomach used to gentler repasts - and though tap water in Argentina is safe to drink, if sometimes heavily chlorinated, you may prefer to err on the side of caution in rural areas in the north of the country
 Transport
By train
During the last years the Argentinian goverment promoted the re-establishment of long distance passenger trains. Most lines still operate on a low frequency (one or two departures weekly). The rail network is very limited, intercity busses offer better service and faster rides. Trains fare are very chaep - often only a fourth of the bus fare.
One of the major operators is Ferrobaires . See also Satélite Ferroviario for up-to-date information on trains and services ( in Spanish ). ferrocentral departes from buenos aire weekly to tucuman and twice per week to cordoba.
An amazing train ride is the Tren a las Nubes (Train to the Clouds) in the northwestern province of Salta , but some people get altitude-sick. In addition, this train has currently not running. It should start running sometime in 2007 after proper repairs.
 By plane
Domestic flights are available within Argentina, but tickets are pricey, and most domestic flights pass through Buenos Aires' domestic airport Aeroparque Jorge Newbery. The main carriers are Aerolíneas Argentinas LAN Argentina . Aerolíneas Argentinas' subsidiary Austral, which shares its parents fleet, and tickets of the two can be booked at the same office.
If you fly on your international trip to Argentina with Aerolíneas you always get discounts on domestic flights. Sometimes you even get free flights with your international ticket but keep in mind that you pay it with your international ticket...
By bus
Argentina boasts an outstanding short and long-distance bus network. Since regional train service is limited and plane tickets are expensive, bus travel is the most common way to travel from city to city within Argentina. In Buenos Aires, a city bus is called a colectivo while a long distance, city-to-city bus is called a micro ; usage varies somewhat in provincial areas. The hub of this network is definitely Buenos Aires' Terminal de Omnibus Retiro ; it has 2,000 bus arrivals and departures every day, and multiple companies serve most destinations.
The buses generally offer high-quality service, and for distances longer than 200km, it is common to have food served on board. There is generally a good amount of legroom, and many buses have seats that recline horizontally into beds ( camas ) making them a lot like traveling business class on a plane. Somewhat cheaper seats only recline partially ( semi-camas ), or not at all ( servicio comun ).
By car
Car rental is readily available throughout Argentina, though it is a bit expensive compared to other forms of transportation. Argentina generally recognizes valid drivers' licenses from foreign jurisdictions. Be aware that the driving style in Argentina is much more aggressive and chaotic than in North America and non-Latin European countries. Speed limits and lane markings, for example, are universally ignored, and running red lights is common. Most drivers treat stop signs, octagonal red signs reading PARE , as though they were "yield" signs, though some drivers ignore them completely. Make sure you are thoroughly confident in your driving skills before attempting to drive in Argentina.
Highways are limited to the areas around large cities. Most of the country is connected by unlit two-lane roads ( rutas ) shared by buses, cars, and large trucks. Some places are accesible only by gravel or dirt roads.
On the rutas , in the provinces bordering other countries, the police frequently stop cars at controles policiales ("police checkpoints") to check insurance and registration papers and drivers' licenses. They do not stop all cars, though; when you come to a control policial , drive slowly and you will usually be waved through without stopping. Near provincial borders, these controles may also involve inspection of the trunk for contraband and a mandatory two peso fee for "disinfection" or "de-insectifying" the car's underside by driving it over a a mechanical sprayer that either sprays water or does nothing. The police have been known to set up roadblocks and demand bribes for passage, particularly around the city of Buenos Aires. Minor traffic infractions (though rarely enforced) can usually be handled by paying the fine on the spot to the police officer in cash.
By thumb
The hitchhiking club Autostop Argentina began in Argentina in 2002, inspired by clubs in France, Italy and the United States. As a result, hitchhiking has become more acceptable among the younger generation, and raising a thumb at a highway is a symbol most people understand. |
