Jujuy Salta Misiones Cordoba Buenos Aires La Pampa Mendoza Neuquen Chubut Rio Negro Santa Cruz Tierra del Fuego
Unit conversion Weather center ATM Locator Currency converter Calendar of events National weather Travel directory
Tango Patagonia Gauchos Yerba Mate Spanish Lessons Local Ranches Trout Fishing Ski Centers South America Fly Fishing Patagonia
Vacation Packages Iguazu Falls Whale Watching Ushuaia Bariloche Lake District Northwest Mendoza Perito Moreno glacier
Bariloche Buenos Aires to do list San Rafael - Mendoza Fly fishing vacation Salta adventures Cordoba Sierras Cuyo and wine tours Delta Tigre - Bs As El Chalten - Trekking Victoria Island HOME tours

Some tips when traveling to Argentina

Destinations Travel Tools Cybercafe finder Ask the Experts Book it yourself Special Interest Forums
A - F G - M N - S T - Z
Do's and Don'ts in Argentina

Do have a coffee at the famous Cafe Tortoni in Buenos Aires. Cafes are a way of life in B.A., but Tortoni is perhaps the most famous cafe in all of Argentina, patronized by celebrities since 1858.

Don't expect to be completely understood if you have studied other forms of Spanish. Argentines would refer at their language as "castellano" not "espanol" (Castilian), in which case you might say "No hablo castellano" as opposed to "no hablo espanol".

Do learn to dance the tango, or at least watch others dance it. One of the best spots for admiring tango couples, or for receiving an impromptu lesson, is at the San Telmo flea market on Sundays in Buenos Aires.

Do spend a night on an estancia and mingle with some of the last real cowboys.

Don't ask about your change if it's less than 20 centavos (50 centavos in a taxi). One- and five-cent pieces are not in circulation and change is not considered important. Do carry plenty of one- and five-peso notes as few stores have change for bills over 20 and taxis never have change for anything over a 10.

Do pick up a copy of The Buenos Aires Herald, an English-language newspaper that has excellent coverage of local and international news.

Do change Canadian dollars at the Royal Bank of Canada in Buenos Aires—many other banks won't accept the currency. Also, don't expect all banks to cash traveler's checks. We had to cash ours at our hotel and the American Express office.

Don't be surprised if you have to go to the post office to mail letters or postcards. You can't just stamp your missives and drop them in the box. And don't mail things that really matter—the Argentine postal service is reliably unreliable.

Do try yerba mate, an herbal drink similar to tea. It's not just the national drink—it's a cultural ritual as well. The mate is passed clockwise and shared as a sign of friendship and acceptance.

Do try to see a polo match. Argentina is known for having polo players who are among the best (and best-looking) in the world.