Argentina travel guide

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ARGENTINA, SOUTH AMERICA  - TRAVEL GUIDE

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If your destination is Argentina, you are going to need this information   by Roxana Bettinotti

All the airline companies that fly to Argentina arrive at the international airport Minister Pistarini (Ezeiza), located to 35 km of the city of Buenos Aires (Argentina), Federal Capital. Remember that when leaving the country it will have to pay a rate of U$S 30,50

Buenos AiresWHEN TO TRAVEL?

Consider that in the austral hemisphere the stations are opposed to those of the boreal one. In general, the summer, with smooth temperatures and long days, is the most favorable station in the southern Patagonia and the andes.

In winter he is recommendable to travel by the north and the northwest, because rains are less frequent and the tropical temperatures descend some degrees. Autumn and spring are magnificent in Buenos Aires, Whose and precordilleranas areas of the Rioja and Catamarca.

LIKE TRAVELING WITHIN THE COUNTRY?

Given the enormous dimensions of the country, the airplane is the means of more apt transport in long distances, being able to combine soon with terrestrial services. Acquire in his country of origin "Visits Argentina", that allows to travel of economic form by Argentina. The cabotage flights are covered by Argentine Airlines, American Falcon and LADE.

The flights of cabotage (domestic) and towards Uruguay leave from the Airfield for light aircrafts Jorge Newbery, located to the north of the city next to the River of the Silver. The rate of boarding in the cabotage flights is of $ 7,05. - and towards Uruguay it is from U$S 16.50 to U$S 20,50.

PURCHASES
The Argentine currency is the weight ($), divided in 100 cents. The tickets in circulation are of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 pesos and the currencies are of 1 peso, 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 cents.

From the devaluation produced in January of 2002, the type of adopted change is the floating one. After a strong one it raises of the currency in the first months, the rate remains more or less stable around $ 3.00 by dollar (March 2006). Average of payment

Although the dollar generally is accepted, the currency change in national currency is made in banks and houses authorized.

The credit cards of more frequent acceptance are American Express, VISA, Diners and Master Card. It can have difficulties for the travelers check exchange outside Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Commercial schedules

- Banks and houses of change: of Monday through Friday, between 10,00 and 15,00 hours.

- Commercial Offices: generally, from 09,00 to 12,00 and of 14,00 to 19,00 hours.

- Stores and businesses: in the great cities, of 09,00 to 20,00 hours, although in the interior usually they close at noon. Saturdays, the schedule is from 09,00 to 13.00. Shoppings has a more extensive schedule, from 10,00 to 22,00 hs

- Coffees, confectioneries and pizzerías: they are open almost always, with a parenthesis between two and six of the dawn.

- Restaurants: the lunch be served from the 12,00 and the supper from the 20.00. Many establishments offer fast meals to all hour. Gratuities

It is custom to leave to a 10% of the amount of the service in cafeterias and restaurants and to give a gratuity to doormen, maleteros and ushers of spectacles.

Tango, ArgentinaReturn of the I.V.A.

In the airport it will be able to recover the amount paid for the Tax to the Added Value, if it has acquired national products by amounts superior to $ 70. - (by invoice) in the commerce adhered to the system "Global Refund".

GENERAL PERFORMANCES

Formalities of entrance

Citizens of countries like the United States, Canada, Spain and the United Kingdom do not need visa to enter the Argentine Republic by a maximum of 90 days, nevertheless yes demands passport to the day.

The citizens of countries that limit with Argentina, such as Chile, Uruguay, Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil only need the identity card of each country to enter Argentina.

For the remaining countries he recommends himself to consult by the visa in an embassy or Argentine consulate.

Cordoba, ArgentinaExtensions for the visa

Visas and Consulates When entering the country a valid tourist card by 90 days will be given to him to the visitor, which can be renewed after I finish more of this term by 90 days through the National Direction of Migrations or in the direction Av. Antártida Argentina 1355, Capital Federal. Tel: 43170200.

Traveling with minors

In Argentina one considers all the greater people of 21 years, therefore all that minor to this age of legal age that wishes to only enter the country or next to another person who is not their legal tutor, it must present/display a written authorization signed by the father, mother or tutor sighted by the Argentine consul of the origin place. This can go including in he himself passport.

The visitors coming from nonbordering countries exentos of all burden on trip effects and new articles of a value nonsuperior to the additional U$S 300 and U$S 300 have left if they were acquired in "free shops" qualified in national territory.

Telephones

The telephones public work with cards that acquire in kioscos and offices of the telephone companies or with currencies of effective legal course. 

Also they exist locutorios of payment in cash (opened the 24 hours), that in their majority offers service of Internet.

In order to call from the foreigner the code of area from the locality is due to mark to the national area code soon, that is the 54, to which it is desired to call. In national calls it is necessary to put in front the 0 to the respective code. And to call to the outside, from the country, one will be due to mark the 00, the symbol of the country and the code of city.

Remember the existence of tariffs reduced of 22,00 to 08,00 hours.

INTEREST INFORMATION

Located in South America and therefore in the South hemisphere of the planet, Argentina has an extension of almost 3.8 million of km2., of which 2.8 belong approximately to the continent - with a 54% of plains (prairies and savannahs), a 23% of plateaus and another 23% of mountain ranges and mountains and the rest to the Antarctic sector. Their 3,800 km in length extend from 22º to 55º of South latitude. It limits with Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia and Chile with a perimeter of borders of 9,376 km. The marine facade, on the Atlantic Ocean, reaches 4,725 km.

Geography

The fundamental characteristic of the Argentine relief is the enormous resistance which they offer the immense Eastern plains and the impressive mountain range from the $andes to the west, the one that has the highest summit of the Western Hemisphere: the Aconcagua, of 6,959 ms.

In its route from Jujuy to Land of the Fire, the mountain range exhibits the wonderful variety of its landscape: from the plateaus of the northwest - desert, valleys, broken and colorful hills to the region of the lakes, forests and glaciers of the Patagonia.

To the north, the Chaco is a forest area related to the rivers Bermejo, Salado and Pilcomayo.

Between the rivers Parana and Uruguay, the Argentine Coast (provinces of Between Rivers, Currents and Missions) is formed by lomadas low, lagoons and matting that indicate the old layouts of these great rivers. In some sectors, in the middle of the subtropical forest, ruptures take place that favor as spectacular phenomena as the Cataracts of the Iguazú.

In center of Argentina, the Pampan region is the most extensive and well-known plain. Of intense agricultural and cattle operation, it includes the province of Buenos Aires, the northeast of the province of Pampas and the south of Cordova and Santa Fe. Its landscape is interrupted to the south by the small mountainous areas of Tandil and the Window and to the west by the mountain ranges of Cordova.

Towards the south, from the $andes to the sea, the sterile and pedregosas patagónicas plateaus extend, whipped great part of the year by the wind. The Atlantic coast, bordered by high cliffs, draws winding forms, like the Peninsula Valdés, with its spectacular marine animal posts station.

Climate

Argentina has a great climatic variety: humid tempering and, in the Pampan plain; humid cold and, in the extreme west of the Patagonia; subtropical, in the North part of the warm Mesopotamia and, in the Northwest.

From November to March, the average temperature is of 23° C and June to September of 12° C.

Population

The present population of Argentina is of more than 36 million inhabitants, of who almost half resides in the Federal Capital and the province of Buenos Aires. These numbers indicate a density of 13 inhabitants by km2.

95% of the Argentineans are of white race, descendants, mainly, of Italian and Spanish. With the arrival of massive European immigration, the mestizo - he crosses between target and Indian went away diluting little by little, today only supposes 4.5% of the Argentine racial population. Pure the indigenous population - mapuches, collas, tufas, matacos and chiriguanos- represent 0.5% of the inhabitants.

Language

The official language of the Argentine Republic is the Castilian (or Spanish). In Buenos Aires it adopts forms of lunfardo, slang of the Buenosairean scope.

Religion

The official religion is the Roman Apostolic Catholic, although total freedom of cult exists. They practice, in addition, the Protestantism, the Judaism, the islamismo, orthodox the Greek, the orthodox Russian and others.

Currency

The Argentine official currency is the weight. There are bills of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 pesos and currencies of 1 peso and 5, 10, 25 and 50 cents.

Constitution and government

23 provinces integrate the national territory and the Federal Capital, call Independent City of Buenos Aires. His government, according to the National Constitution, adopts the representative, republican and federal form, dividing itself in three powers: executive, legislative and judicial.

A President and a Vice-president carry out the Executive authority, by the term of four years, being able to be reelectos by a single consecutive period. Two cameras conform the Legislative Power: the one of Senators, composed by three by each province and three by the City of Buenos Aires and the one of Deputies, integrated by representatives chosen of direct and proportional way to the number of inhabitants of each district.

The President and Vice-president of the Nation, as well as the Head of Government of the City of Buenos Aires (Argentina), the governors of the provinces and the members of the legislative bodies are chosen by secret and obligatory universal suffrage, by the citizens of both sexes, greater of 18 years.

The Judicial Power is exerted by the Supreme Court of Justice and other inferior courts.

Each province, in agreement with the principles, declarations and guarantees of the National and low Constitution the federal representative system, dictates its own constitution that governs the government acts.

Two historical dates 25 of May of 1810. The First Governing body Patrio was constituted. 9 of Julio of 1816. The Independence of the United Provinces of the River of the Silver was proclaimed.

Symbols

The flag is made up of three horizontal strips: a white with a sun and two external, blue power station celestial. The national flower is the one of ceibo and the national stone, the rodocrosita or "rose of the Inca".

Holidays

The national holidays are the following ones: - January 1° - New Year - March/April - Easter - Good Friday - April 2 - Day of the Veteran and the Fallen ones in the War of the Falklands - Mayo 1° - Day of the Work - Mayo 25 - Anniversary of the First Patrio Government - June 20 - Day of the Nacional Flag - Julio 9 - Day of Nacional Independence - Agosto 17 - Anniversary of the death of general Jose of San Martin - October 12 - Day of the Race - December 8 - Day of the Immaculate Conception - December 25 - Christmas

HEALTH

Water

In Argentina the water is potable, therefore to consume water would not have to mean no problem. Have well-taken care of that S.A. to leave the big cities and to enter depopulated areas more, for its security is better than it carries packaged water.

Foods

Like in other countries, the health or cleaning of foods in Argentina will depend on the place in where it consumes them. In general do not exist serious problems of hygiene, despite the North zone of Argentina, in the limit with Bolivia, usually present/display successive buds of rage, avoid to consume seafood and crude vegetables in this area.

SECURITY

The Federal Police handles itself on foot, to horse, in motorcycle or patrol crafts. It is located them with uniforms blue dark, occasionally, when they direct the transit take a distinguishing refractante orange. One is due to go to them before any disadvantage.

In the zone of the port, the Naval Prefecture is in charge of the security, is located them with brown uniforms. They do not speak generally English but they will find the way to help it.

In the areas of continental border is the force of National Gendarmerie, with uniform green color olive.

Buenos Aires, is great metropolis where it must pay certain attention to everything what it surrounds it, as happens in the great cities of the world.

INFORMATION TO THE TOURIST

- Secretariat of Tourism of the Nation, Tourist Information centers: Av. Santa Fe 883, (C1059ABC) Buenos Aires, Tel. 4312-2232 or 0800-555-0016

- Airport the International of Ezeiza and Airfield for light aircrafts Jorge Newbery. Power station gives Information: Av. Santa Fe 883, between streets Suipacha and Esmeralda, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Tel: 4312-2232.

- Tourist Information centers of the City of Buenos Aires, Argentina: Av. Pte. Quintana and J.M. Ortiz; North Florida and Diagonal; Carlos Pellegrini 217; Dock 4 of Port Log; Theater of the Shore (the Mouth); Terminal of Omnibus of Retiro and Shopping of the Supply.

- Prevention in security and attendance to the tourist: Police station of the Tourist: Av. Current 436, (C1043AAR) Buenos Aires. Tel. 4346-5748, 4328-2135 or 0800-999-5000, email: to turista@policiafederal.gov.ar

- Airport of Ezeiza (Argentina): Peak International, Tel: 4480-0224/0227/0092. Of 8 to 20 hours.

- Airfield for light aircrafts: Central sector, Tel: 4771-0104. Of 8 to 20 hours.

In each city of our country it will find information centers tourist. Located generally in airports, bus-stations or trains and in the Municipalities.

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About the Author: Roxana Bettinotti info@24x7argentina.com 24x7 Argentina Turismo Alicia Moreau de Justo 1780- 2 A Tel: (54 11) 4894-1511 www.24x7argentina.com