Time Difference: when it is midday in Great Britain, it is 9 a.m. in Argentina in winter (-3 hs) and 8 a.m. in summer (-4 hs)

Weights & Measures: metric system (in rural areas, sometimes distances are measured in leagues: 1 league/5 km approx.)

Electricity: 220V, 50Hz

Telephone: Quality telephone network. Public phones operate with coins or cards available at kiosks or telephone companies’ offices. Calling Europe is cheaper from telephone booth shops, which also offer Internet access (only in cash).

To call England from Argentina, dial: 00 + 44 + phone number

To call Argentina from England, dial: 00+ 54 + city code (no 0) + phone number.

To call the USA from Argentina, dial: 00 + 1 + phone number

To call Argentina from the USA, dial: 00+ 54 + city code (no 0) + phone number.
(country calling codes)

Currency: the official currency is the Argentine peso. The current exchange rate is EUR 1 = ARS 3.5 and USD 1 = ARS 2.88. (http://fr.finance.yahoo.com/m5)

Tax Refund: you can request an IVA rebate (Argentine VAT) at the airport for any Argentine-made products purchased for a price over ARS 70 at the shops belonging to the "Global Refund" network.


Payment Methods: Euros and US Dollars are generally accepted and foreign currency can be exchanged at banks or exchange offices. American Express, Visa, Diners and MasterCard are the credit cards most widely accepted. Traveler’s checks are also used, especially in Buenos Aires.

Getting around

Airplanes:

Argentina is nearly six times bigger than France. Therefore, we suggest taking an airplane if you wish to visit other provinces. Jorge Newbery is the second airport of Buenos Aires and offers domestic connections to some of the main Argentine cities.

Puerto Iguazu : 1h45
Mendoza : 1h50
San Carlos de Bariloche: 2h20
Salta : 2h00
Ushuaia : 3h20
El Calafate : 3h15
Trelew (Peninsula Valdes) : 2h00
San Salvador de Jujuy : 2h10

Car Rental

Most top car rental companies are present in Argentina, for instance: Avis, Budget and Hertz.


• Arts & Culture

Argentina is a land of arts, culture, and fine taste... and Buenos Aires is beyond doubt the culturally richest city of South America. Though not born long ago, Argentina managed to build its own cultural identity. European influences considerably permeated Argentina’s culture and are present in today’s literature, music, architecture, and the Argentine art and lifestyle in general.

Moreover, various Argentine artists visited Europe on many occasions and then emulated western cultural movements in Buenos Aires.

• Literature

Argentina has writers of international stature such as Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986), considered one of the best writers of the XX century, Julio Cortázar (1914-1984), Ernesto Sabato, Manuel Puig and Osvaldo Soriano...

A lire…
El Aleph by Borges
Fictions by Borges
Blow up : and others stories by Julio Cortazar
Che : Self portrait by Ernesto Che Guevara
Evita, the real life of Eva Peron, by Nicholas Fraser
El Diego by Diego Maradona
Kiss and Tango : looking for love in Buenos Aires by Marina Palmer
Mafalda by Quino

• Movies

For some years now, the Argentine film industry has experienced a wonderful renaissance not only duo to its growing production efforts but also due to the dawn of a new generation of film-makers that includes Daniel Burman, Lucrecia Martel, Celina Murga, Lisandro Alonso, Adrian Caetano, and Pablo Trapero, among others.
This new local generation embraces young professionals filming for the very first time and other artists with rich and diverse professional track records, who often devote themselves to analyzing the political environment, such as Carlos Sorín, Marco Bechis, or Marcelo Piñeyro.
Probably the Argentine film that gained the largest international recognition is La historia oficial, directed by Luis Puenzo, which was awarded the Oscar to the best foreign film in 1986

Recommended films…

Nordeste, directed by Juan Solanas (2005)
Diarios de motocicleta, directed by Walter Salles (2004)
Buena Vida Delivery, directed by Leonardo di Cesare (2004)
Disparitions (Imagining Argentina), directed by Christopher Hampton (2003)
The Mission, directed by Roland Joffé (1986)
Tango, directed by Carlos Saura

• Music and Danses

Music pervades Argentina. Indeed, the Argentine generally enjoy international artists, tango, rock, jazz, techno, classical, and salsa rhythms.

Tango is to Argentina what fado is to Portugal, rebetiko to Greece, or flamenco to Spain: a musical concept that reflects the identity of the peoples and their true nature. It is impossible to refer to Argentina without mentioning tango. Tango is a nostalgic thought set in motion...

The origins of tango can be traced back to the XIX century. The city of Buenos Aires underwent a significant demographic growth as a result of immigration: mostly from Spain and Italy, but German, Hungarian, Arabian and Jewish influences were also present. The newcomers became a poor, uprooted, and mostly male working class with communication limitations that needed to overcome language barriers. In those times, bars, nightclubs, and private entertainment houses proliferated in Buenos Aires to provide amusement to the new Argentine generation born to immigrants.

Tango first appeared in all these places from 1860 to 1880. The first tango music included trios with flute, violin, and guitar. Over time, the guitar was replaced by a piano, and the concertina (accordion) became the distinctive instrument of tango music. Later on, tango became music to be sung, but lyrics usually contained obscene language and song names tended to be ambiguous.

The musical development of tango was followed by dancing. In the very beginning, men danced in pairs in the street until the music was banned to be later re-authorized and danced at high-society ballrooms in Buenos Aires, after the being surprisingly exported to Paris.

Tango continued growing and became popular worldwide through the captivating voice of one man: Carlos Gardel.

Astor Piazzolla is the father of the New Tango that was born in 1960 upon a combination of jazz and Brazilian sounds.
Nowadays, tango shows are performed in the streets and milongas (tango parties) re-gained popularity.


Cumbia: a style of music with sounds from South America associated with the Argentine popular class. Cheerful in nature, this type of music is danced in popular nightclubs and its main representative is Rodrigo, a singer that recently found a tragic death.


Argentine folk music: it is strongly influenced by the indigenous culture. This musical style boasts various singers such as Mercedes Sosa (la “negra”), Atahualpa Yupanqui, Leon Gieco, and Eduardo Falu, among others.

The chacarera is, of course, the most popular rhythm in these lands.

The zamba (not to be confused with the Brazilian samba) was born in Salta and Tucumán, to the Andean northwest.

The chamamé, a cheerful style to be danced enthusiastically, is the typical folkloric sound of the littoral; its lyrics are generally written in Guaraní, the language spoken by the native inhabitants of the region.

The recitado is one of the hallmarks of the Patagonian plains. It is played by a single guitarist.

Local rock is quite popular. Indeed, for some years now, some groups and artists have achieved great success and gained significant reputation among national audiences.
The old rock generation has been finely represented by Charly Garcia, Luis Spinetta, and Sumo.
Present-day artists include: Bersuit Vergarabat, Divididos, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Fito Paez, Babasonicos, Kevin Johansen, among others.

Links to Argentine artists sites:

Bersuit
SalinasLuis
Laspinetta
babasonicos
Kevin Johansen

• Gastronomie

Meat dominates Argentina’s menus. The quality of its meat is the result of long pasturing in the Pampas and the young age of the animals (18 to 36 months) from which tender meat is obtained.


Steak houses are already a hallmark of Argentina. The largest ones have a grill, or firewood oven, where beef, lamb, and chivito (a juicy slide of steak) are cooked for two hours. Asado (mixed grill) is normally eaten with salads and “chimichurri”; a spicy sauce containing onion, garlic, pepper, vinegar, parsley, and oil.

The variety of empanadas (various ingredients covered with puff pastry) is as wide as the number of Argentine provinces. They are stuffed with meat, chicken, cheese, corn, and other ingredients and seasoned with olive oil, tomatoes, and red pepper. They are excellent to be served as snack or appetizer.

Typical meal: locro is a typical food that is cooked slowly –half casserole, half soup– combining corn, beans, and different flavor meats: cow, pork, innards, and sausage slices... It can be served with a spicy sauce mixing onions and red pepper.

Argentine people love sweets and deserts, especially dulce de leche: a milk caramel cream. Alfajores, small cookies filled with dulce de leche and covered with sugar cream or chocolate, are also an Argentine classic.


Argentinian Wine

Argentina is the fourth world wine producer and offers first-rate wines. Varieties include: Cabernet, Merlot, Malbec, Chablis, Sauvignon, Chardonnay, etc., and also sparkling wine!

Quilmes is the most popular local beer brand.

Argentina is the largest wine producer in South America. From its very beginning in the XVI century, the development of the wine industry led Argentina to become a large exporter until the 1939-45’s war. The loss of the European market and the decrease in consumption of Argentine wines ended up in a period of crisis for the industry which managed to upsurge in 1980 and 1990.

Mendoza is a province located at the foot of the Andes, the homeland of Argentina’s finest wines. During the last few years, common table wines were replaced by quality wines and the region started playing the role as largest wine producer of South America. The collection in tanks of water running down from the plateau of the Andes and grape growing at elevated lands allow vineyards to offer amazing Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec, wine-stock widely enjoyed in Argentina. The influence of the Italian culture is evidenced by the widespread growing of Sangiovese.
The interest of foreign investors is an indisputable evidence of Argentina’s wine production potential and its capacity to produce world-class spirituous drinks.

Mate

Mate is a healthy and invigorating beverage with digestive properties original from South America. This beverage was named after a bush-like plant generally growing in Paraguay, southern Brazil, and northeastern Argentina: Ilex Paraguariensis. Its leaves and stems are dried, slightly toasted and then grounded to obtain yerba mate (shrub used as herbal tea) ready to be sipped from a shared gourd.
The drinking of mate is widely spread in Argentina as it is an authentic national beverage, invigorating and natural energizer that forms part of locals’ daily life, irrespective of their social class.


Mate is prepared by filling up a gourd with yerba mate, hot water and, in some cases, sugar. Once settled, the yerba mate tea is sipped through a metal straw with a strainer at the bottom (bombilla) that filters leaf particles.

• Handicrafts

Handicraft styles change from one Argentine region to the other.

Buenos Aires:

You will find typical handicrafts from most regions of the country, especially from the Pampas: mate gourds, silver mate straws, leather articles, and a variety of jewelry and objects made of silver and rhodochrosite (the national stone).

The Pampas:

- Gauchos knifes made of bone, wood or silver
- Mate gourds with silver or leather engravings and silver straws
- Leather clothes and objects
- Horse ornaments made of leather-netting twines


Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego:

- Jewelry and other objects made of silver and sea mammal bones
- Musical instruments
- Guanaco wool sweaters and textile articles
- Pottery and clayware
- Lenga-wood sculptures from Ushuaia

Cuyo:

- Indigenous-style woven fabric articles
- Ponchos (sleeveless blankets with a slit in the middle to be slipped over the head and worn as a garment), guanaco and sheep wool sweaters

Mesopotamia:

- Pottery and clayware
- Indigenous masks
- Leather objects
- Indigenous objects (bows, wooden animal sculptures, etc.)
- Semi-precious stones such as agate, amethyst, etc.


Northwestern Argentina:

- Netted carpets from Catamarca
- Guanaco-wool ponchos
- Alpaca fabrics
- Cactus-wood objects (Humahuaca)
- Black pottery from Cafayate
- Silver jewelry
- Rhodochrosite, the national stone also called Inca Stone or Inca Rose
- Silver, leather or wood mates gourds
- Vegetable-fiber and cow-horn baskets
- Indigenous musical instruments

• Sports & Leisure

The evident interest in football, both as sport and show, is nothing but a proof of the influence of the Italian culture in the Argentine society. Argentina’s landscapes are excellent for practicing different activities, such as skiing and water sports. Rugby and polo are considered elite sports and, though expensive, skiing is also becoming increasingly popular. Trekking and mountaineering lovers can indulge their passion at the stunning Andes mountain range. Rafting is also a sport that gained numerous supporters during the last few years.

Polo

Polo is an equestrian sport that has became a symbol of Buenos Aires upper classes. Indeed, various local families dominate this stylish and complex sport professionally. There are more than 250 polo clubs in Argentina, and Buenos Aires is the city with the finest polo field in the world, which has capacity for 30,000 people.

Some links to Argentine polo websites:

AssociacionArgentinadePolo
PoloJucan
ElrincondelPolo

Argentine Celebrities

Jorge Luis Borges: a man of fictional literary culture, passionate for Maths, Philosophy, and Mythology. Borges displayed his mastery of the Spanish language, his expertise and profound knowledge, his revolutionary ideas and original writing style, and the charm of his poems creating priceless treasures that represented an outstanding contribution to the Spanish language and its international reputation.

Evita: her maiden name was María Eva Duarte and she was partially responsible for the new Argentine political model. Though briefly, her involvement in public issues side by side with her husband, President Perón, gave her enormous power. Suddenly she took a prominent political role in the Peronist movement thanks to her rhetoric and moral ideals.
Worshipped and bitterly hated by millions of Argentines, she was one of the most influential figures in Argentina.

Carlos Gardel: his name is a synonym of tango. He participated as author, composer and performer of numerous songs and ballads. He made enormous contributions to Buenos Aires typical ‘two-four time’ spreading that romantic music style all over the world. Gardel was an emblematic character while alive and long after his death, awakening passions until the present day.

Quino: important Argentine cartoonist, father of Mafalda and of various cartoon characters that for many years now have aroused fascination in the entire world due to their cynical, wise and topical humor.

Diego Maradona: Argentine football player who led the national team to win the World Cup in 1986. He is unanimously considered one of the greatest players in the history of the game. The magic touch of El Diez, his nickname, deeply marked the soul of his local fans who idolize him still today.

Che Guevara: South American revolutionary and political leader is a world emblem of the socialist movement. Thanks to his nostalgic and revolutionary personality, Guevara became a legend and an inspiring figure to young people all over the world. A true icon of loyalty and absolute devotion toward his ideal: the union of the peoples of the world.

Juan Manuel Fangio: nicknamed Maestro, Fangio was the first one to win the Formula One championship five times, neck to neck with present-day racing driver Michael Schumacher. According to most, he was the greatest racing car driver of all time.

Astor Piazzolla: his music is definitely one of the finest artistic expressions that Argentina shared with the world. He revolutionized the traditional tango with a modern style incorporating elements from jazz and classical music. Piazzolla was largely acclaimed as the father of a new style termed “new tango” and the introducer of an original approach to Buenos Aires music.

Did you know?

- Is it “pingüino” or “pájaro bobo”?

The confusion originates in the English language; the Spanish "pájaro bobo" is translated into English as “penguin" and “pingüino” is the equivalent of the English “razorbill”.
Razorbills live in the northern hemisphere and the North Pole region, and penguins are original from the southern hemisphere, mostly the Antarctica.
Razorbills are from the family of swallows and seagulls; they fly!

Penguins do not fly! Then, what you will see in Argentina is “pájaros bobos”, i.e. penguins!

- The highest peak of the Andes and of South America is the Aconcagua, a volcano located in the province of Mendoza that reaches a height of 6,900 mts.

- Ushuaia is the southernmost city of the planet, capital of Tierra del Fuego.

- When Magellan reached the shores of Tierra del Fuego he saw the bonfires lighted by the native inhabitants blazing in the dark. That is why he decided to name the area “Tierra del Fuego”… the Land of Fire.

- The consumption of beef in Argentina is nearly as high as in the United States. However, Argentina has a population of 38 million while the population of the United States is 230 million...

- Juan Díaz de Solis was the first European man to step foot on the actual territory of Argentina.

- Avenida 9 de Julio, deep in the heart of Buenos Aires, is the widest avenue of the world and Avenida Rivadavia, also in the capital city, is the longest.

- The estuary of Río de la Plata is the widest river water passage in the world.