Good to know before you go to Argentina

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. You should be aware of counterfeit money.

ATM (Automatic Teller Machines) availability is generally good but you should not rely solely on using international debit cards bearing the Cirrus or Visa logos to access funds (in Argentine Pesos). IMPORTANT: In many cases your card is returned at the end of the transaction. DO NOT FORGET IT.

CREDIT CARDS : VISA, AMEX, and MASTERCARD are accepted in most hotels major shops, and restaurants. Shops normally charge extra for the usage of the card or give important discounts for paying in cash.

Lost/stolen credit cards: American Express (011 4310 3165 or 0800 777 3165) – MasterCard (0800 555 0507), Visa (+1 410 581 0120)

TRAVELLERS CHEQUES : These are accepted at most hotels, Banks, and exchange houses (Casas de Cambio).

CASH : US dollars /EUROS are not widely accepted outside the major tourist areas for cash transactions but it is worth bringing a small supply of dollars (small denominations) to exchange for pesos. Other currencies are not acceptable except at some banks and exchange houses.

BANKS : These are normally open in the major cities from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm. In smaller towns, banks open at 7.00/8.00 am and close at 1.00 pm. Banks are closed on weekends and holidays.

BUREAUX DE CHANGE (Casas de Cambio)

When exchanging money, you are advised to use only authorized bureaux de change, rather than informal traders.

EMERGENCIES

Available 24 hours : Police 911 – Fire 100 – Ambulance 107.
Tourist Police Station : (24 hours with English speaking assistance) Tel: 0800 999 5000 or 4346 5748.
Embassies: (located in Buenos Aires)
Canada: Tagle 2828 – Tel.: 011 4808 1000
United Kingdom: Dr. Luis Agote 2312 – Tel.: 011 4808 2200
United States of America: Avenida Colombia 4300 – Tel.: 011 5777 4533

ETIQUETTE

Argentines are sociable, friendly, and always interested in meeting foreigners. They are tactile and physically demonstrative. Most exchange kisses (usually a single cheek-to-cheek kiss) on first meeting both men and women. Argentines are well presented. The dress code is casual and smart.

HOSPITALS

State hospitals will attend to foreigners for a fee and a wait. You are strongly advised to take out travel insurance to include any medical expenses and give you access to private clinics or hospitals, which tend to have more personalized service and more modern facilities.

ID

By law, everyone must carry a photo ID. Checks are rare in the cities but more common on the road. A photocopy of a passport or driving license (with a photo) is sufficient.

PHARMACIES / CHEMIST (Farmacias)

Most ‘farmacias’ open 9.00 am to 8.00 pm. Though there are also 24-hour outlets (FARMACITY)

POSTAL SERVICES

Most of the Argentine post is handled by ‘Correo Argentino’ (www.correoargentino.com.ar).

Also available DHL – Tel.: 011 4630 1100 (www.dhl.com.ar) FEDEX – Tel.: 011 4630 0300 (www.fedex.com.ar)

RESTAURANTS

Buenos Aires easily holds its own with the top gourmet capitals of the world, catering to all tastes and cultures, although without a doubt its forte is traditional Argentine fare: exquisitely tasty tender beef, lamb, or pork and delicious pasta dishes inspired in the country’s genealogical roots. Restaurants have different opening times please however note that most restaurants for dinner do not open before 8.30 pm.

SECURITY

Buenos Aires and other major cities of Argentina are, generally speaking, safe. Use common sense and you will have a safe and enjoyable stay.

A few useful tips:
1. Keep your passport, air tickets, and cash in your hotel safe. (Take a photocopy of your passport and small change)
2. Do not walk on lonely streets or parks at night.
3. Always call ‘radio taxis’.

SHOPPING

Opening hours 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.

However, shops in Buenos Aires may open on Saturday afternoon. In shopping centers, hours usually extend to 10.00 pm and include Saturdays and Sundays.

TELEPHONES

Avoid calling from your hotel. Rates are a lot higher than pay phones. 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. (LOCUTORIOS)- These stores also have internet facilities.

When calling Argentina from abroad, dial the country code (54) and then the area code of the place you want to call. If calling an Argentine mobile phone the country code is (549) For domestic calls, dial 0 before the area code. For international calls, dial 00, the country code, and the city code.

Mobile phones : There are three networks (GSM, AMPS/TDMA800, and CDMA800) in use. Roaming with your mobile is not always possible across the country. It is easy to rent locally. A local supplier is www.altel.com.ar which does not charge for rental.

TRANSPORT

Subway : (Subterraneos) This is the fastest and a safe way to travel around the city. There are 5 subway lines. Open Mon to Sat – 06.00 am to 11.00 pm – Sundays and holidays – 08.00 am to 10.00 pm. Approx. cost A$0.70

Cabs/Taxis : These are plentiful and inexpensive. It is advisable to always take a ‘radio taxi’. Fares are metered and you pay what is shown on the meter (a small tip is custom).

Passports, Visas, and Vaccinations

Good to know before you go to Argentina to check your passport and visas. Most countries want you to have your passport valid for at least six months covering your holiday. Also, don’t forget the name on your ticket must match the name on your passport. Sort out your visas if you need one for the country you are visiting. It can take several days and weeks – for the embassy to issue one, so don’t leave it to the last minute and sort it out in time. Also, be sure to check if you need vaccinations and arrange them with your doctor a few weeks before your departure date as they can take a while to take effect.

What to Pack

Lightweight clothing is recommended for time spent in the northern part of Argentina whereas warmer clothing is required down in the south.  Warmer clothing is required for the mountains and sometimes during the winter months in the central part of the country. A raincoat or rain gear and sunscreen are highly recommended. In Buenos Aires, people are very fashion-conscious. Visitors should dress up nicely if planning to explore the nightlife. Many clubs will not accept tennis shoes as appropriate footwear.

Check you have the essential documents for your holiday.

No matter whether this is entry visas or your driving license, your boarding pass, or hotel confirmation, get organized and put them all together in a plastic folder so that you can find them easily when you need them. Also, it’s helpful to make a list of useful telephone numbers, for example, emergency contact details if your mobile phone or debit or credit card is lost or stolen. Making a note of your passport number is also important in case you suddenly find yourself without it (let’s hope not). For a seamless holiday please read the information in this section of good to know before you go to Argentina.

Travel Health

As per the World Health Organization, more than 900 million international journeys are undertaken every year, exposing a range of health risks. International travelers should always be vigilant and concerned about their health and safety, as every region and country around the world has its risks, customs, and level of health care. However, whatever your age or destination, properly preparing before you leave, and staying in good health while traveling, can help you have a happy and enjoyable trip.

Ensure you know your luggage allowances :  Make sure to know your luggage allowance as over-packing and being stuck at the check-in desk at the airport i.e. something you cannot afford to start your holiday.

Make your home secure : Nothing will snap you out of finding someone who has broken into your home. So please double and triple-check doors and windows and make sure you cancel any milk or grocery deliveries. In addition, ask a family member or a trusted neighbor to regularly check on the home and remove any posts from behind your front door. You may also consider investing in light timers or CCTV cameras. Remember that if you were to have a home break-in while you were on holiday and you had not secured your house properly, your home insurance could be deemed invalid – thus taking the good time to do this is of utmost importance.

Ensure you have valid travel insurance to cover your holiday : Making sure you have in-date travel insurance is equally important. To get the best possible deal on travel insurance, compare policies on a comparison site to find the best one to suit your needs.

Lumle Holidays has partnered with some of the travel insurance service providers. If you check our “Holiday Essentials” section to get a quote. However, any further dealings with travel insurance are between customers and the insurance company.

Adequate and valid travel insurance that covers cancellation and curtailment due to various reasons including but not limited to government travel warnings and incidents related to force majeure (such as a war, strike, terrorism, riot, crime, hurricane, flood, earthquake, volcanic eruption and others) is compulsory for all Lumle Holidays Ltd travelers and it is a condition of Lumle Holidays Ltd accepting your booking that you have obtained adequate and valid travel insurance for your booking at the time of booking. It is your (customer’s) liability to make sure the adequate insurance above is in place as a lot of the holidays can be non-refundable once booked. Your travel insurance must also cover accidents, loss of luggage, personal effects, injury, illness, and death medical expenses, including any related to pre-existing medical conditions, emergency repatriation (including helicopter rescue and air ambulance where applicable), and personal liability. Lumle Holidays Ltd. will not refund or will not compensate you if your booking/holiday is affected by this. Liabilities of Lumle in these cases are outlined in our Terms & Conditions). Appropriate insurance is very important please read the information in this section of good to know before you go to Brazil.

Do not forget to sort out your travel money : Not organizing your travel money until the last minute is another mistake that could cost you a lot when you end up buying currency at an expensive conversion rate. If you are planning on taking currency, the cheapest rates will be found online, and you can either arrange for a delivery or pick up. You may check with your bank also. If you are planning to use your credit card while on holiday, be sure to double-check with the credit card Company about overseas usage charges. Some banks do not charge for their debit/credit used abroad. To get the best value for money please read the information in this section of good to know before you go to Brazil.

Tell your bank before you go abroad on holiday : It’s important that you notify your bank that you are going abroad and that you may want to use your debit or credit card while you are away. This is because any sudden overseas transaction activity can cause banks to become suspicious and without warning your card could just be declined or stopped leaving you out of pocket whilst on holiday. Also be sure to take an emergency telephone phone number to contact them, just in case.

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