Travel Tips Argentina for planning and on the go

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updated 27.02.2025

Argentina is a land of contrasts, from the glaciers of Patagonia to the tango-filled streets of Buenos Aires. But before you go, it’s worth knowing the essentials. From entry requirements to safety tips, costs, and accessibility, this guide covers what you need to plan a smooth trip.

Accessible travel

Argentina does not have a particularly sophisticated infrastructure for accessible travel, but most Argentines are extremely willing to help anyone experiencing problems and this helpful attitude goes some way to making up for deficiencies in facilities.

Things are beginning to improve, and it is in Buenos Aires that you will find the most notable changes: there are now pavement-to-road ramps in many parts of the city, though unfortunately the pavements themselves don’t tend to be in great condition. Public transport is less problematic, with many buses that now circulate in the city offering low-floor access, though you won’t find lifts in all subte stations. Laws demand that all new hotels provide at least one wheelchair-accessible room, and that all accommodations provide full wheelchair access, including lifts, wide doorways and roll-in showers.

Outside Buenos Aires, finding facilities for travelers with disabilities is pretty much a hit-and-miss affair, although there have been some notable improvements at major tourist attractions such as the Iguazú Falls, where new ramps and walkways have been constructed, making the vast majority of the Falls area accessible by wheelchair.

Contacts for accessible travel

Children

Argentines love children and you will generally find them helpful and understanding if you’re traveling as a family. Most hotels have triple rooms or suites with connecting rooms to accommodate families and will be able to provide a cot if you have a small child (ask when you reserve).

When it comes to eating out, only the very snootiest restaurants will turn children away or look pained when you walk in; the vast majority will do their best to make sure you and your offspring are comfortable and entertained. Highchairs are sometimes, but not always, provided. It is quite normal to see children out with their parents until late – you may well see families strolling home at 1 or 2am, especially in summer. Bring any children’s medicines that you are likely to need with you, and if your child gets sick, go to a private hospital, preferably in one of the larger cities, where you will be attended by a pediatrician rapidly and professionally. Breastfeeding in public is common. Supplies such as nappies/diapers are widely available, but changing facilities are relatively non-existent, so you will have to get used to changing on the move.

Argentina’s natural attractions may be your best bet for entertaining your kids – the country has little in the way of amusement parks or specific family destinations, and the ones that do exist are generally rather poor. Consider the waterfalls and jungle critters at Iguazú, the boat rides and glaciers of Parque Nacional Los Glaciares or the whales and penguins near Península Valdés. Areas that provide sports such as skiing and rafting may also be worth considering. Buenos Aires’ somewhat sophisticated attractions will mostly appeal more to adults, but there is enough to keep younger ones amused for a couple of days, including a planetarium and a natural history museum. Rosario is unusual among Argentine cities for the amount of child-centred attractions it has – and it’s fun for their parents too. Wherever you go, remember the distances in Argentina are vast and travel times can be lengthy – do not be too ambitious in planning your itinerary. Avoid the summer heat unless you will be spending most of your time in Patagonia.

Costs

Given Argentina’s turbulent economy over the past 20 years, costs fluctuate frequently , and for several years it was a cheap destination. Inflation in 2023 was 211.4 percent, the highest since the 1990s, though it slowed in 2024. Regardless of the exchange rate, the quality of what is on offer is mostly pretty good, and outside Buenos Aires and the main tourist destinations you can find real bargains in shops and hotels.

Adhering to a reasonable daily budget is not impossible, but there are considerable regional variations. As a rule of thumb, the further south you travel the more you will need to stretch your budget. Roughly speaking, on average you’ll need to plan on spending at least US$300/£250 a week on a tight budget (sharing a dorm, eating snacks, limiting other spending), or double that if staying in budget accommodation with private rooms. To live in the lap of luxury, though, you could easily burn through US$2800/£2200 in a week, especially in Patagonia.

Camping and self-catering are good ways of saving money, though the now-extensive network of youth hostels enables you to pay little without sleeping rough. Out of season, on weekends and during slow periods you may be able to bargain hotel prices down. You can save money on food by having your main meal at lunchtime – especially by opting for the set menu (usually called menú ejecutivo). Picnicking is another option; local produce is often world-class and an alfresco meal of bread, cheese, ham or salami with fresh fruit and a bottle of table wine in a great location is a match for any restaurant feast.

Long-distance transport will eat up a considerable chunk of your expenses, particularly if you use internal flights; buses are usually (but not always) cheaper but take far longer. They vary in condition and price from one category to another, though you may find the cheaper fares are a false economy – better companies usually give you free food and drink (of varying quality) on lengthy journeys, while spacious coche cama comfort overnight enables you to save the price of a room and is worthwhile for covering the longest distances over less interesting terrain. City transport – including taxis and remises (radio taxis) – is inexpensive, but then most cities are compact enough to walk around anyway.

Hotels, restaurants and big stores may ask for a hefty handling fee for credit-card payments (as high as twenty percent), while many businesses – and hotels in particular – will give you a fair-sized discount for cash payments (en efectivo or contado) on the quoted price, though they may need prompting. Be aware that some costs, such as air travel and entrance fees, might operate on a dual pricing structure – one price for non-residents, with significant discounts for Argentine residents (including foreigners).

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Electricity

220V/50Hz is standard throughout the country. Two different types of sockets are found: most common are three-pronged, with flat pins, two of which are slanted (Australian adaptors usually work alright with these) and increasingly rare two-pronged with round pins, which are different to the two-pin European plugs. Electrical shops along calles Talcahuano and Florida, in Buenos Aires, sell adaptors, useful if you haven’t brought one with you.

Entry requirements

Citizens of the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, Ireland, New Zealand and most European countries do not currently need a visa for tourist trips to Argentina of up to ninety days. All visitors need a valid passport and, at international airports, have their thumbprint and photo digitally recorded on arrival; passports are no longer stamped on arrival. Be sure to ask how many days you have. In theory, this could be for thirty or sixty days, but in practice it’s almost always ninety. If you are traveling alone with a child, you must obtain a notarized document before travel certifying both parents’ permission for the child to travel (check with the embassy).

Citizens of Australia, Canada and the US used to have to pay a reciprocity fee (because Argentines are charged a fee or must obtain a visa to visit their countries) but as of January 2018 these had all been revoked.

On entering the country, you will be given a customs declaration form to fill in, and all luggage is scanned on arrival at international airports. Duty is not charged on used personal effects, books and other articles for noncommercial purposes, up to the value of US$300. You might be asked to declare any valuable electronic items such as laptops and mobile phones, but Customs are really looking for large quantities of goods or illicit items.

You can extend your stay for a further ninety days by presenting your passport at the main immigration department, Dirección de Migraciones in Buenos Aires, at Av Antártida Argentina 1350, Retiro (011 4317 0200). This must be done on weekdays between 8am and 1pm; be prepared for a possibly lengthy wait. You can do this extension, called a prórroga, only once. Alternatively, you could try leaving the country (the short hop to Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay is a good option) and returning to get a new ninety days. This usually works, but may be frowned upon if done repeatedly, and the provision of entry is totally at the discretion of the border guards. If you do overshoot your stay, you pay a fine at Migraciones, who will give you a form that allows you to leave the country within ten days. Do bear in mind that if you do this your stay in the country will be illegal and could potentially cause you problems. If you are crossing into Chile, make sure your papers are in order, as Chilean officials are considerably more scrupulous.

When leaving the country by land, you must obtain an exit stamp. At certain border controls, particularly in the north of the country, it is often up to you to ensure that the bus driver stops and waits while you get this – otherwise drivers may not stop, assuming that all passengers are Argentine nationals and don’t need stamps. In some places (for example, Clorinda) your Argentine exit stamp is actually given on the far side of the border, but check this with the driver beforehand.

Visas for work or study must be obtained in advance from your consulate. Extensive paperwork, much of which must be legalized by the Home Office then translated into Spanish by a certified translator, is required – allow plenty of time before departure to start the process. The websites listed below have details of what documentation is needed; you could also contact the consulate directly.

Although checks are extremely rare, visitors are legally obliged to carry their passport as ID. You might get away with carrying a photocopy, if you prefer to leave you passport in a hotel safe during the day.

Argentine embassies and consulates abroad

  • Australia Embassy: John McEwan House, Floor 2, 7 National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600 02 6273 9111, http://www.eaust.mrecic.gov.ar ; Consulate: 44 Market St, Floor 20, Sydney, NSW 02 9262 2933, http://www.csidn.cancilleria.gov.ar .
  • Canada Embassy: 90 Sparks St, Suite 910, Ottawa, ON K1P 5B4 613 236 2351, http://www.ecana.cancilleria.gov.ar ; Consulates: 2000 Peel St, 7th floor, Suite 600, Montréal, PQ H3A 2W5 514 842 6582, http://www.cmrea.mrecic.gov.ar ; 5001 Yonge St, Suite 201, Toronto, ON M2N 6P6 416 955 9075, http://www.ctoro.mrecic.gov.ar .
  • New Zealand Embassy: Sovereign Assurance Building, Level 14, 142 Lambton Quay, PO Box 5430, Wellington 04 472 8330, http://www.enzel.cancilleria.gov.ar .
  • UK Embassy: 65 Brook St, London W1K 4AH 020 7318 1300, http://www.eruni.cancilleria.gob.ar ; Consulate: 27 Three Kings’ Yard, London W1K 4DF 020 7318 1340, http://www.clond.cancilleria.gov.ar .
  • US Embassy: 1600 New Hampshire Ave NW, Washington DC 20009 202 238 6400, http://www.eeeuu.cancilleria.gov.ar ; Consulates: 245 Peachtree Center Ave, Suite 2101, Atlanta, GA 30303 404 880 0805, http://www.catla.cancilleria.gov.ar ; 205 N Michigan Ave, Suite 4209, Chicago, IL 60601 312 819 2610, http://www.cchic.cancilleria.gov.ar ; 2200 West Loop South, Suite 1025, Houston, TX 77027 713 871 8935, http://www.chous.cancilleria.gov.ar ; 5055 Wilshire Blvd Suite 210, Los Angeles, CA 90036 323 954 9155, http://www.clang.cancilleria.gov.ar ; 1101 Brickell Ave, Suite 900 North Tower, Miami, FL 33132 305 373 1598, http://www.cmiam.cancilleria.gov.ar ; 12 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019 212 603 0400, http://www.cnyor.cancilleria.gov.ar .

Embassies in Argentina