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Fast Facts

American Express -- The enormous American Express building is located next to Plaza San Martín, at Arenales 707 (tel. 11/4312-1661). The travel agency is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 6pm; the bank is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. In addition to card-member services, the bank offers currency exchange, money orders, check cashing, and refunds.

Area Code -- The city area code for Buenos Aires, known locally as a característica, is 011. Drop the 0 when calling from overseas with Argentina's country code, 54. A 15 in front of a local number indicates a cellular phone. This will need the addition of the 011 when calling from outside of Buenos Aires but within Argentina. Also see "Telephone."

Business Hours -- Banks are open weekdays from 10am to 3pm. Shopping hours are weekdays from 9am to 8pm and Saturday from 9am to 1pm. Shopping centers are open daily from 10am to 10pm. Some small family-owned stores close for lunch, though this is becoming rarer, especially in the Microcentro.

Currency -- Although U.S. dollars are often accepted in major hotels and businesses catering to tourists, you will need Argentine pesos for ordinary transactions. Credit cards are widely used, although some businesses charge a small additional fee for the convenience. It's easiest to change money at the airport, your hotel, or an independent exchange house rather than at an Argentine bank. Traveler's checks can be difficult to cash: American Express offers the best rates on its traveler's checks and charges no commission. ATMs are plentiful in Buenos Aires, but you should only use those in secure, well-lit locations. At some ATMs you can withdraw pesos or dollars. Even if your bank has a high withdrawal limit, many Argentine ATMs do not dispense more than 500 pesos at a time, about US$160 (£84). You can also have money wired to Western Union, Av. Córdoba 917 (tel. 0800/800-3030).

Driving Rules -- In cities, Argentines drive exceedingly fast and do not always obey traffic lights or lanes. Seat belts are mandatory, although few Argentines actually wear them. When driving outside the city, remember that autopista means motorway or highway, and paso means mountain pass. Don't drive in rural areas at night, as cattle sometimes overtake the road to keep warm and are nearly impossible to see.