Argentina Travel Advice

Getting to Argentina

Argentina (official name, The Argentine Republic) is the eighth-largest country in the world, located in the southern part of South America. Argentina borders Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay, with the Atlantic Ocean bordering the east.

• London to Buenos Aires is about a 14-hour flight
• Los Angeles to Buenos Aires takes around 12 hours
• Cape Town to Buenos Aires takes one day and 18 hours
• Sydney to Buenos Aires is about a 16-hour flight
• New York to Buenos Aires takes approximately 11 hours

Main airport
in Argentina

Argentina has over 100 airports, however most tourists fly into the main airport in Buenos Aires - Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE), often referred to as Ezeiza International Airport. It is located around 22 km from the centre of Buenos Aires.

Culture, religion
and etiquette

Compared to other South American countries, Argentina’s culture is more European than Latin American as the majority of Argentines are of European descent.

Family is one of the most important values in Argentina. Families are large, with extended members often living under the same roof. Other fundamental values include respect and honour, which can clearly be seen to influence everyday decisions at work and at home.

The state religion of Argentina is Roman Catholicism. Around 77% of the population in Argentina are Christian, with 65% of those belonging to the Roman Catholic church. 11% of the population are Evangelical, and 20% are unaffiliated.

Argentines are welcoming, warm and friendly, however, you may find them to be very direct, even a bit blunt. Don’t be offended, they just prefer straightforwardness. They are passionate, sentimental and unreserved when it comes to talking to new people and tourists. You’ll often find Argentines to communicate physically, embellishing their conversation with hand gestures and touching the person they are talking to. Personal space doesn’t mean much in Argentina!

Argentines usually greet each other with a handshake, eye contact and a smile, however it is customary to be introduced by a third party rather than step forward to introduce yourself. If you are invited to a dinner party, it is not acceptable to arrive on time, but rather around 30 - 45 minutes late.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Buenos Aires is 3 hours behind London (GMT), 5 hours ahead of Los Angeles (PDT), and 2 hours ahead of New York (EST). Argentina runs on Argentina Time all year and does not switch to Daylight Savings Time. Visit timeanddate.com to calculate the time difference from your current location.

Aeroplane

Due to being such a large country, if you are on a bit of a time limit, flying is the best way to travel. A journey that takes over 20 hours by bus can be done with a short two-hour flight. Argentina’s main domestic airport in Buenos Aires caters for flights all over the country to all major tourist destinations.

Bus

Travelling by bus is the most popular mode of transport. Many of the long-distance buses are fully equipped with televisions and reclining seats, and often serve snacks and hot meals. Tickets are usually purchased on-the-spot or can be booked online during high season.

History of Argentina

The Spanish arrived in the country in 1500 with the first navigator arriving in 1516. Over the next few years, the Spanish claimed the land, leaving most of South America under Spanish rule. Spanish settlers arrived by the hundreds, building towns, ports, houses and building a life in Argentina. Buenos Aires was formed as the capital, which remains today.

In 1806, Britain attempted to invade but were brutally defeated. This win gave the settlers in Argentina the idea to seek independence from Spain. Buenos Aires was declared independent in 1816.

Initially, the United Provinces consisted of Argentina, Bolivia and Uruguay, but in 1820, they broke apart, forming their own separate countries. Bolivia became independent in 1825. A war broke out in 1828 between Argentina and Brazil, who used Uruguay as a buffer state.

In 1835 Juan Manuel de Rosas became the dictator of Argentina but a rebellion caused him to be removed in 1852. In 1880 General Julio Rica led The Conquest of the Desert and won. Meanwhile, roads and railways began being built as an easier way for Argentina to export meat, wool and grain, which by 1900 made Argentina the wealthiest country in South America.

In 1930 General Jose F Uriburu became president and held elections over the next few years where presidency passed over to Roberto Ortiz, then later Castillo. Then in 1945, Argentina declared war on Germany. After which, Juan Peron became president until 1955 when a revolution forced him to relocate abroad.

Many short-lived governments followed with the military removing each one. Argentina then fell under a brutal military dictatorship. During this time Argentina suffered greatly from inflation, and many protests broke out all over the country. This continued for several decades until Carlos Saul Menem took power and privatised industries, reducing the inflation issues. Argentina suffered a huge recession in 2001 but has since recovered with a strong economy, growing steadily. In 2007, Cristina Kirchner became the first woman president of Argentina.

 

  

Cost of travel in Argentina

Best time to visit Argentina

Food & drink in Argentina

National Parks in Argentina

Argentina Country Page

 

 

 

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