Businesses in Buenos Aires keep hours similar to other Latin American countries, which means they all typically shut down for a couple of hours during lunchtime. Official business hours on weekdays are 09:00 until noon and 14:00 to 19:00 for offices, although many larger offices remain open all day. Museums and attractions typically close on Tuesdays and many will shut down for a month during the summer. Most street shops in the city are open weekdays from 10:00 until 20:00 and on Saturdays until 13:00; they are closed on Sundays. Shops in the big malls stay open until 22:00.

Post Offices: 09:00 to 20:00, Monday to Friday; and Saturday 09:00 to 13:00
Department Stores and Shops: 10:00 to 20:00, daily; Saturdays until 13:00; closed on Sundays
Museums: opening times vary, but they are usually closed on Tuesdays
Business Offices: 09:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 19:00, Monday to Friday
Banks: 09:00 to 15:00, weekdays; some currency exchange office stay open until 19:00

Argentina uses the peso and one peso equals 100 centavos. Peso banknotes come in denominations of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100. Coins come in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 centavos.

You can exchange money at Ezeiza Airport at Casa Piano and Banco Nacion banks, but rates at tend to be rather poor. Most hotels and banks in the city can also change your money, but always offer their own rates. You may discover that extracting money from an ATM will give you the best rate.

ATMs are easy to find in Buenos Aires, as they are in every bank, service station and shopping mall. The Banelco ATM system is the most widely used in the country and can handle Cirrus and Visa Plus cards. Although you may pay a small transaction fee for using the ATM, the rates are usually excellent.

If you arrive at Buenos Aires by plane or ship, you will discover that the customs officials usually wave you through without much of an inspection. The airport has a ‘nothing to declare’ system which streamlines visitors.

Up to two litres of alcohol, 400 cigarettes and 50 cigars can be imported duty free. Personal items such as clothing and jewellery are not checked. To find out what you can bring back to your country, check with your local customs office.

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Argentines are extremely warm and affectionate people, as you will soon notice from their welcoming behaviour. The customary greeting between friends and strangers alike is a quick kiss on the right cheek. This is done by both men and women, so if you don’t feel comfortable with a kiss then a simple handshake will do.

Smoking is a very common habit in Argentina, so be prepared to deal with the smoke almost everywhere you go. Most restaurants offer a non-smoking section, but be sure to request it if you don’t want smoke in your steak. Locals often light up right after their meal, so if this offends you it is better that you excuse yourself rather than ask the offender to smoke outside.

If you are invited to someone’s home, it is common to bring a small gift for the hosts. Although there are no particular rules about what to give, a bottle of wine, dessert or flowers works well. When you leave a party, it is equally important to say goodbye to everyone in the room, which usually entails another kiss on the cheek. Argentines are never in a hurry to be somewhere, so get used to their slow pace of social life.

Due to the extensive nature of café life and the frequency of dining out, Porteños usually pay their own way when the bill comes around. A tip of 10 to 15 per cent is standard in bars and restaurants, and some places will also charge a cubierto, which is a table service charge and not the waiter’s tip. Check your bill before paying to make sure you’ve covered all the bases.

No specific vaccinations are required to enter Argentina; however, there is a limited risk of cholera, hepatitis B and dengue fever. It’s best to make sure you are up-to-date with your basic inoculations. The biggest health risk you’ll likely face is traveller’s diarrhea, caused by the unfamiliar microorganisms in the local food and water.

Although the tap water is safe to drink, it’s always better to drink bottled water since your body won’t be used to the changes. If you feel ill, there’s a pharmacy on every block in the city, indicated by a green cross. Many are open 24 hours and some even deliver to hotels.

Police: 111
Ambulance: 107
Fire: 100

British Hospital
Pedriel 74, Barracas
Tel: +11 4304 2052

Argentines speak Castilian Spanish, which differs only slightly from regular Spanish. English is widely used in any shop or service geared towards tourism as well as most entertainment and commercial centres.

Buenos Aires is a relatively safe Latin American city, but recent economic difficulties have produced an increase in crime. Most of the crimes in the city are theft, so take extra precautions to safeguard your valuables. Jewellery and the like are sometimes yanked off people’s necks, so it’s best to simply not wear any conspicuous, expensive baubles. The police are vigilant in patrolling popular tourist areas and violent crime is rare, so you probably won’t encounter any troubles during your visit.

If you hail a taxi, make sure it says ‘radio taxi’ and look for the driver’s photo ID and license. Thieves occasionally pose as taxi drivers, take you a deserted part of town, rob you and leave you high and dry. Calling for a taxi ensures this won’t happen.

Although, these days, the political atmosphere in Argentina is calm and stable, there is always the chance of a protest in Buenos Aires. These raucous demonstrations rarely turn violent, so just keep to the sidelines and enjoy a working democracy in action.

Women can expect an overly warm reception from men in Buenos Aires. Long stares, the occasional catcall and even an approach are not uncommon. Just act confident, ignore them and remember it’s all a part of the culture. Still, it’s best not to underdress in Latin countries if you want to minimise the attention you get.

Citizens of the UK, Canada and the United States do not need a visa to enter Argentina for visits of up to 90 days, though they must carry a passport. If you need to stay longer than 90 days, it is easiest to just exit the country for a day and return, getting another 90-day tourist stamp. The fine for overstaying your visa is $50, which you must pay at the airport before they will let you leave.

Visitors from other countries will need to arrange a visa before arriving in Argentina. Check with the Argentine embassy in your city for more information about the procedure and costs.

Buenos Aires has a good tourist information network. Tourist information centres are located at the airports and at six locations around the city. They provide maps and have English-speaking staff who can help with any questions.

The centres are located on the Caminito, Calle Florida, Centro Cultural General San Martin, the Obelisk, Puerto Madero and at the Retiro Bus Terminal. There is also a useful and friendly tourist office on the second floor of the Galerias Pacifico shopping centre. You can also get good information over the phone from the central tourism bureau (tel: +11 4313 0187).