| Getting
to Argentina
All airlines flying to Argentina arrive mainly at Ezeiza
(“Ministro Pistarini”) International Airport,
which is 37 Km away from the City of Buenos Aires. You
can reach the city by Teniente General Ricchieri freeway
(Information: phone 5480-6111).
Company Manuel Tienda León (Av. Madero and San
Martín, phone 4315-5115) offers a bus service
from 5.00 AM to 8.30 PM This service costs around $
45 (Argentine pesos), and the trip takes approximately
40 minutes. There are also taxis and chauffeur-driven
rented cars (from $ 98 to $ 145).
When to Travel
Remember that in the southern hemisphere seasons are
the opposite of those in the northern hemisphere. In
general, the summer is the best time to visit Patagonia
and the Southern Andes because of the mild temperatures
and long days. Wintertime is recommended for travelling
to the North and Northwest as rains are less frequent
and tropical temperatures drop a few degrees. Autumn
and spring are marvelous in Buenos Aires, Cuyo and the
pre-mountain range areas of La Rioja and Catamarca.
Getting Around
By Plane
Due to the country’s large size, planes are best
to travel long distances, and you can then take overland
transportation to get to your final destination. Buying
“Airpass Visit Argentina” in your own country,
you’ll obtain more economical prices for flights
within Argentina.
Domestic flights and flights to Uruguay depart from
Jorge Newbery Airport, located to the north of the city
beside the “Río de la Plata” river.
Buenos Aires bus station is located at Av. Ramos Mejia
1680 close to “Retiro” Station (phone 4310-0700).
Long-distance buses are equipped with toilets, air conditioning
and bar.
Ferrobaires (Constitución Station, phone 4304-0028/31/38);
TBA (Retiro Station, phone 4317-4407/45); Ferrocentral
(Retiro Station, phone 4312-2989); Trenes del Litoral
(Federico Lacroze Station, phone 4554-8018).
By Car (Car rental)
All international car rental companies operate in Argentina.
The following companies have offices In Buenos Aires:
Ai Rent a Car International (Maipú 965, phone
4311-1000), ), Alamo Rent a Car - National (Carlos Pellegrini
1175, 1st Floor “C”, phone 4322-3320), Avis
Rent a Car (Cerrito 1527, phone 4326-5542), Budget Rent
a Car ((Marcelo T. de Alvear 590, 10th Floor, phone
4311-4555), Dollar Rent a Car (M.T. de Alvear 449, phone
4315-8800), Hertz - Annie Millet Rent a Car (Paraguay
1138, phone 4816-8001), Localiza Rent a Car (Av. Alicia
Moreau de Justo 1180, 2nd Floor, Off. 205 “C”,
phone 4121-5600), Thrifty Car Rental (Carlos Pellegrini
1576, Loc.24, phone 4326-0418).
Shopping
VAT (Value Added Tax)
return
You may obtain a VAT reimbursement to any purchases
of local products made for an amount over $70 (per invoice)
in shops operating with the “Global Refund”
system, as follows:
- Jorge Newbery Airport (in Buenos Aires), at Telecom
phone booths.
- Ministro Pistarini International Airport - Ezeiza,
Terminal A, 1st Floor.
- Ministro Pistarini International Airport - Ezeiza,
Terminal B, Ground Floor.
- Jorge Newbery Airport (in Buenos Aires), at Telecom
phone booths.
- Ing. Ambrosio Taravella International Airport (in
Córdoba), at Telecom phone booths.
- Ing. Francisco J. Gabrielli International Airport
(in Mendoza), at Telecom phone booths.
- Bariloche International Airport, at Telecom phone
booths.
- Tancredo Neves International Bridge (in Puerto Iguazú),
at Telecom phone booths.
- Buenos Aires Port, Northern Dock, Buquebús
Terminal, information desk.
- Buenos Aires Port, New Port, Quinquela Martín
Cruising Terminal, from October to April.
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.
Opening hours
Banks and Exchange Bureaus: Mondays to Fridays from
10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Business Offices: generally from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
and from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
Stores: in the big cities from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm, although
in the outskirts and the provinces they generally close
at midday. Saturdays, from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Cafés, cake shops and pizzerias: open most of
the time except between 2:00 and 6:00 am.
Restaurants: lunch is served as from 12:30 pm and dinner
as from 8:30 pm. Fast-food menus are served in many
restaurants at all times.
Tips
10% of the amount of the check is usually left in cafeterias
and restaurants. Doormen, porters, and ushers in cinemas
and theatres are also generally tipped.
General Information
Documents and formalities
Valid passport with or without visa depending on your
nationality. Inquire at the closest Embassy or Consulate.
Visitors coming from countries not bordering Argentina
are exempt from all taxes on travelling articles and
new articles up to US$ 300 and an additional US$ 300,
if purchased at duty free shops within the national
territory. No vaccination certificate is required to
enter the country.
Entry Reciprocity Fee
for American Nationals
When entering Argentine Territory, the American nationals
must pay a "reciprocity fee" of U$D 140.-
or its equivalent in Argentine pesos.
The payment of this reciprocity fee is NOT a visa,
since Argentina does not require visa to American nationals
when travelling for tourism or business purposes. The
Argentine Government set this entry free on equal amounts
Argentine citizenz must pay when requesting a Visa to
travel to the U.S.
Forms of payment: Argentine Pesos, United States Dollars,
credit cards, Traveller's Checks. Information Desk:
+54 (11) 4317-0234/5/6/7/8. Av. Antártida Argentina
1355, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires.
phone
Pay phones work with cards that may be purchased in
kiosks and phone 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 pm to 8:00
am.
Maps
Maps may be purchased at the offices of the Automóvil
Club Argentino (similar to AAA) (Av. del Libertador
1850, phone 4808-4000, Buenos Aires, cartogra@aca.org.ar).
Tourist information
National Secretariat of Tourism, Tourist Information
Centers
Av. Santa Fe 883
(C1059ABC) Buenos Aires
phone 4312-2232 or 0800-555-0016
Ezeiza International Airport and Jorge Newbery Airport;
info@turismo.gov.ar.
Buenos Aires Information Centres
- Av. Pte. Quintana 596 (Recoleta)
- Retiro Bus Station (Local 83)
- Florida 100
- Av. Alicia Moreau de Justo 200 (Dock 4, Puerto
Madero)
- Defensa 1250 (San Telmo)
infobue@buenosaires.gov.ar
Security Prevention and
Tourist Assistance
Comisaría del Turista
Av. Corrientes 436
(C1043AAR) Buenos Aires
phone 4346-5748, 4328-2135 or 0800-999-5000
turista@policiafederal.gov.ar
Defensoría del Turista
Av. Pedro de Mendoza 1835
(Museo de Bellas Artes de La Boca "Don Benito Quinquela
Martín")
(C1169AAC) Buenos Aires
phone 4302-7816
fax 4302-7816
turista@defensoria.org.ar
Interesting Facts
The name Argentina
It comes from the Latin term “argentum”,
which means silver. The origin of this name goes back
to the first voyages made by the Spanish conquerors
to the Río de la Plata. The survivors of the
shipwrecked expedition mounted by Juan Díaz de
Solís found indigenous people in the region who
gave them silver objects as presents. The news about
the legendary Sierra del Plata - a mountain rich in
silver - reached Spain around 1524. As from this date,
the Portuguese named the river of Solís, Río
de la Plata (River of Silver). Two years later the Spanish
used the same name. The National Constitution adopted
in 1853 included the name “República Argentina”
(Argentine Republic) among the official names to designate
the government and the country’s territory.
Location, area and frontiers
Located in South America, and thus, in the southern
hemisphere, Argentina has an area of almost 3.8 million
square kilometers, 2.8 on the continent – approximately
54% are plains (grasslands and savannahs), 23%, plateaus,
and the other 23%, mountains - and the remainder in
the Antarctic. It is 3,800 Km. long and is located between
latitude 22º and 55º. Its border with Uruguay,
Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia and Chile has a perimeter
of 9,376 Km, while the territory bordered by the Atlantic
Ocean is 4,725 Km long.
Geography
Argentina’s main characteristic is the enormous
contrast between the immense eastern plains and the
impressive Andes mountain range to the west. This is
the frontier with Chile and boasts the highest peak
in the Western hemisphere: the 6,959 m high Aconcagua.
From Jujuy to Tierra del Fuego, the Andes present marvelous
contrasts: the Northwest plateaus, the lake region,
the forests and glaciers in the Patagonia.
To the north, Chaco is a forested area linked to rivers
Bermejo, Salado and Pilcomayo.
Between the Paraná and Uruguay rivers, the Argentine
Mesopotamia (provinces of Entre Ríos, Corrientes
and Misiones) is formed by low hills, where pools and
marshlands evidence the ancient courses of these great
rivers. In some places within the subtropical rain forest,
there are fissures which provide such spectacular phenomena
as the Iguazú Falls.
The Pampas, in the center of Argentina, is the largest
and best-known area of plains. Agricultural and livestock
activities are performed in this area, which includes
the province of Buenos Aires, the northeast of La Pampa,
the south of Córdoba and south of Santa Fe. To
the south, the plains give way to small hills in Tandil
and de la Ventana, and to the west, to the Córdoba
hills.
Towards the south, from the Andes to the sea, there
appear the sterile and stony plateaus of Patagonia,
swept by the wind during most of the year. The Atlantic
coast, lined with high cliffs, forms massive indentations
like the Peninsula Valdés, with its spectacular
and unique colonies of sea animals.
Climate
The country’s territory offers a wide variety
of climates: subtropical in the North, sub-Antarctic
in the southern Patagonia, and mild and humid in the
Pampas plains. Media temperature from November to March
is 23° C, and 12° C from June to September.
Servicio Meteorológico Nacional 
smn.gov.ar
Population
Argentina’s current population is more than 38
million inhabitants, almost half of which live in the
city and the province of Buenos Aires. Population density
calculated on a national basis is 14 inhabitants per
square kilometer
Language
Spanish is the official language of the Argentine Republic.
In Buenos Aires, some “lunfardo” expressions
-city slang - are used.
Religion
There is complete religious freedom in Argentina, although
Roman Catholicism prevails. Other religions practiced
in the country are Protestant, Jewish, Moslem, Greek
Orthodox, Russian Orthodox and others.
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.
Constitution and Government
Argentina consists of 23 provinces plus a federal district,
the City Buenos Aires. The Argentine Constitution establishes
a Republic under a representative and federal system,
and three separate branches of government: executive,
legislative and judicial.
The executive branch is exercised by the President
and Vice-president of the Nation, elected for a 4-year
term, and who may be reelected for a single additional
term. The legislative branch is bicameral: the Senate
(composed of three senators from each province and from
the City of Buenos Aires) and the House of Representatives
(composed of representatives elected directly and in
proportion to each district’s population). The
judicial branch “is vested in the Supreme Court
and lower courts of justice”. Each province has
adopted its own Constitution in accordance with the
National Constitution, to rule its administration.
The current National Constitution dates from 1853.
Nevertheless, it was amended in 1860, 1898, 1957 and
1994. The last amendment made in August 1994, allows
the President’s reelection for an additional term.
Two historic dates
May 25, 1810. The first "Gobierno
Patrio" or National Government Assembly was constituted.
July 9, 1816. Proclamation of Independence
by the “Provincias Unidas del Río de la
Plata”.
National emblems
The Argentine flag has three horizontal stripes: the
one in the middle is white and bears the golden sun,
and the two outside stripes are light blue. The national
flower is the ceibo, and the national stone is the manganese
spar (rodocrosita) or "Inca Rose".
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