Travel to Argentina

CUSTOMS

Visas - Citizens of the US, Canada, European Community, UK, Latin American countries do not need a visa to enter Argentina for a maximum of 90 days; nevertheless a valid passport is required.

For other countries it is advisable to check with the local consulate or embassy.

Are there any fees to enter Argentina?
US citizens will be charged a reciprocity fee upon entering Argentina. The US$131 fee will be charged only on entries via Buenos Aires´s International Ezeiza Airport, will be good for multiple entries, and valid for 10 years. (AU$100 for Australians and CAN$70 for Canadians)

Argentina is not technically calling this a "visa fee" as there is no visa paperwork or application process to go through...though this is the same amount that the US charges Argentines for its visa process.
More information:

`USA
`Canada
`Australia
`UK
`New Zealand

What trip arrangements do I need to make myself?
The only travel arrangements that passengers on our tours need to make are the international and domestic flights to their first destination and from their last after the tour ends. We make all other reservations as well as hotel arrangements and airport transfers.

How I get to Argentina?
Most regional and international flights arrive to Argentina via Buenos Aires' Ezeiza Ministro Pistarini (EZE) international airport, located about an hour drive from Buenos Aires' centre.
You can access Argentina by land from Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia and Chile.
Major airlines fly direct from Buenos Aires via large airport hubs, including Atlanta (Delta), New York (American), Miami (American), Houston (Continental), Sao Paulo (LAN, TAM), Madrid (Iberia), Mexico City (Mexicana), Panama City (Copa), Bogotá (Avianca). Purchase your tickets months in advance to obtain the lowest fares.

Health
Travel to Argentina doesn't raise any major health worries and with a small dose of precaution and a handful of standard vaccinations (tetanus, polio, typhoid and hepatitis A) you are unlikely to encounter any serious problems.

For up-to-date information on current health risks in Argentina check

www.medicineplanet.com
wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel

Travel Insurance
The price of all trips does not include insurance for medical coverage, emergency evacuation or trip cancellation/disruption.

While purchase of travel insurance is not mandatory to join a trip a variety of travel insurance plans covering trip cancellation, trip interruption, accident, medical and baggage/personal effects is available for purchase.

We highly encourage all travelers to purchase insurance for trips to Peninsula Valdes

It is also advisable to check your current health insurance policy for its overseas applications.

Currency and Money Management
The Argentinean currency is the ARG Peso. There are notes of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 pesos.

The exchange rate is 1 US Dollar = $ 3,85 pesos Argentinos
1 Euro = $ 4,70 pesos Argentinos.
You can check current exchange rates and convert figures on www.xe.net/currency
Dollars are accepted in most of the shops, but it is convenient to change them in banks or exchange offices authorized to this end.
Credit cards are a very handy source of funds, and can be used either in the abundant ATMs or for purchases. Visa and Mastercard are the most widely used and recognized, with American Express
ATMs are plentiful in Argentina. It's rare that you'll find a town or even a village without one, though you can sometimes be caught out in very remote places.
Most machines take all credit cards or display those that can be used: you can nearly always get money out with Visa or Mastercard, or with any cards linked to the Plus or Cirrus systems.
ATMs are available in Buenos Aires, Trelew and Puerto Piramides.

There may be difficulties when trying to change traveller checks outside Buenos Aires.
Important Note: In Argentina, the $ symbol represents an amount in Argentine Pesos. US Dollars are represented by U$S, US$ or USD.

How much money do I need to bring on this trip?
A great deal of money will not be requisite on our trips, just enough for gifts, souvenirs, drinks and any incidental items. If everything is prepaid we recommend taking about USD 400 - 500 depending on how much shopping one will want to do, plus any amount that one may want to give the staff and trip leaders.


GENERAL INFORMATION

Electricity
In all of Argentina, the electricity is 220 volts and 50 cycles.
To use 110-volt American-made electrical appliances in Argentina (for a hairdryer or to recharge digital camera batteries, etc.), bring plug adapters and a voltage transformer. For video cameras, we suggest packing an extra set of charged batteries

Calling home from abroad
One of the most convenient ways of phoning home from abroad is via a telephone charge card from your phone company back home. Using a PIN, you can make calls from most hotel, public and private phones. Since most major charge cards are free to obtain, it's certainly worth getting one at least for emergencies.

In the US and Canada, companies such as AT&T, Sprint and Canada Direct enable their customers to make credit-card calls while overseas. This includes Argentina; call them to check the toll-free access code.

Mobile phones
If you want to use your mobile phone in Argentina, you'll need to check with your phone provider whether it will work there, and what the call charges are.

E-mail and Internet Access
Internet services are becoming more common and cheaper in Argentina as in all other Latin American countries. It's much easier to access internet in larger cities, but it's possible to find Cyber cafés or internet service even in the call centers. Most of the hotels in big cities provide internet service (sometimes at an extra cost).

Time
Argentina now applies a standard time nationwide throughout the year: four hours behind GMT corresponding to UTC-3:00 (Universal Time Coordinate, before Greenwich Mean Time).

AIRPORTS, BAGGAGES AND CONNECTIONS

The two main airports in Buenos Aires are the Domestic Airport (J. Newbery, also known as Aeroparque) and Ezeiza (Ministro Pistarini International Airport), located 34 km (21.25 mi) from city center.

Check-in Times
Airline companies require passengers to check in three hours prior to departure for international flights, and two hours prior to departure for domestic flights. Pick up times for transfers will be therefore scheduled taking this requirement into account.

Connecting Flight
Between Ezeiza (EZE)International airport and Aeroparque (AEP)Domestic airport) or vice versa.

Due to the distance between the airports, and the sometimes heavy traffic, connecting flights require a MINIMUM of 5 HOURS between flights.

In order to guarantee a smooth change of airports we suggest a minimum 5 hour connection time so in case of delayed flights, strikes, etc., clients will stand more chances of making the connection successfully.

Airport taxes:
Domestic airports taxes are: Aeroparque in Buenos Aires U$S 3 per person and Trelew U$S 5 Trelew per person.

International airport taxes: Passengers departing from Ezeiza International airport on an international flight are to pay U$S 29 for the airport tax payable in pesos, US dollars or a combination of both.

For further information about airport procedures you may check:
www.orsna.gov.ar

Baggage Allowance
Baggage allowance for domestic flights is 15 kg (33 lbs) to check in and 5 kg (11lbs) as carry on per person. Any luggage heavier than these limits is charged an additional U$S 2.- per kilo (2.2 lbs). In our past experience Aerolíneas Argentinas and LAN Argentina have not strictly enforced these limits; however, these are posted limits that passengers are responsible for complying with.

Baggage allowance for international flights is usually 20 kg per person, but for further information we recommend you to check with your carrier locally.

CANCELLED/MISSED FLIGHTS

For security reasons we are not able to access the information of the flights for passengers arriving to Argentina on an international flight. Therefore there is no way that we can get the information in case of a missed flight or connection.
This result in us going to the airport to meet the client and finding out a no-show and the stress of not knowing what has happened to the passenger.

If the flight has been delayed, Airlines will usually bend over backwards to solve any problems knowing that you have further connections. This is a good time to know that you have travel insurance that will cover any additional costs to get to our trip pick up point.

Buenos Aires:
There are many flights each day to Trelew on Aerolineas Argentina airline. Go to the ticket counter to reserve a seat on the soonest departure possible. CALL OUR OFFICE AND LET US KNOW THE NEW ARRIVAL TIME. We can help with any changes to travel plans.

Lost Luggage
If at any point during your travel it is discovered that your luggage has been lost, immediately report the issue to the airline. It is their duty to make sure luggage arrives at your final destination, even if they have to transport it by land. GET A RECIEPT TO SHOW THAT YOU HAVE REPORTED THE LOST Luggage.
However, if you think you will miss your next flight by reporting it, push on. The connecting flight is more important than your luggage, as there are limited daily flights with limited space. Our staff at H&C Patagonia can help in the matter as soon as we are informed. If you are not able to report it immediately, the connecting flight should take priority. It is IMPORTANT to get the luggage tag numbers and the airline flight number before calling us. We will also need to know where it was last seen.
Address to send the bags to for your particular trip. Insist they must get it to you as soon as possible.

WHAT TO DO UPON ARRIVAL ON THE INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT

Buenos Aires, Argentina:
In flight, fill out all necessary customs forms. Upon arrival, go through customs in the airport and fill out the visa form.
Migration Procedures. There is a new service offered by the Migrations Office in Argentina and it is the possibility to prepare and print the migration card from home, so as to make the migration procedure more efficiently.
By entering the website: www.migraciones.gov.ar , you can change language into English, click where it says: Print your migratory card and follow the instructions. It might be a good suggestion to print two copies as a back up.
Please kindly note that at the time of preparing this migration card, you will need your passport number and personal details, the airline and flight number for both (arrival and departure) international flights.

There is a money exchange booth in the baggage terminal called Global Exchange, we do not recommend exchanging money here. For the best possible rate, go to the Banco de la Nacion booth that is located just outside the customs. at this point you are accompanied by our guide who will inform you about this matter.

Trelew Airport: ( Gateway to Peninsula Valdes) The airport is small and beautifull. Once you arrive in Trelew, claim your luggage, walk through the lobby where our guide is waiting for you.

Who do I contact in case something unexpected happens on my trip?
60 days before your departure you will receive a file called IN-ROUTE TO VALDES.
In this file you will find emergency contacts numbers in Buenos Aires, Hotel reservations, meeting points, etc.

SOME TRAVELLING TIPS

We remind you to arrive to Argentina with:

>A valid Passport

>Photocopy of the passport (and the page where the visa is stamped, if applicable)

>Photocopy of the airline ticket (if paper ticket), credit card and any other relevant documents.

>Photocopy of your Travel insurance plan.

These will be extremely useful in case of lost or stolen documents.

When leaving Argentina, remember…

Airline companies require passengers to check-in three hours prior to departure for international flights, and two hours prior to departure for domestic flights. Please note pick-up times for transfers will be therefore scheduled taking this requirement into account.

WELCOME TO ARGENTINA

Introduction

Bordered by Chile on the west, Bolivia and Paraguay on the north, Brazil and Uruguay on the northeast, and the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Argentina is located at the southern tip of South America. It is the eighth largest country in the world, slightly smaller than India. Argentina is a country of contrasts, offering European sophistication, rich indigenous and colonial history and an array of natural sights seen nowhere else on the planet.

To visitors on Argentina tours, it is a place to be awed and challenged by nature, to dance the tango, to ride the pampas with the gauchos, to walk among penguins and to live it up in Buenos Aires, the Paris of South America-in other words, a destination of endless fascination.

Like many South American countries, Argentina's modern political history has been stormy, but today it enjoys a stable democratic form of government. English is not widely spoken here, but Argentines are friendly and helpful, so the language barrier can almost always be surmounted when you travel to Argentina.

The twenty-three provinces of Argentina span desert to tropical jungle and Andes to icebergs. The country contains the Western Hemisphere's highest peak, the continent's most beautiful waterfall, breathtaking turquoise glaciers and colorful cliffs.

Official Name	Argentine Republic
Government Structure	Democracy
Population	39.500.000
Capital	Buenos Aires
Population	14.000.000
Ethnicity	European descent 85%
	Indian, Meztiso and other minorities 15 %
Languages	Spanish and many indigenous languages
Literacy	97.2%
Life Expectancy	Men 71.95
	Women 79.65
Religion	Roman Catholic 93%
	Protestant 2%
	Other 5 %
Area	1,073,519 square miles excluding Falkland Islands and Antarctic claims
Currency	Peso (AR$)
Time Zone	Three hours behind GMT
Electricity	220V, 50Hz

 

General Remarks

Due to the extension of the country and its location, Argentina offers a wide variety of climates. The Argentine mainland is mostly temperate, with seasons reversed from those in the northern hemisphere. The northern areas around Iguazú are tropical, while southern Patagonia weather might be cold and windy, for sure unpredictable and varies a lot from morning to afternoon.

Winter goes from end of June to end of September, while the summer season is from December to March. Winter season may be cold and rainy (depending on the year) in certain areas of Argentina, while in the Northwest the weather is usually perfect to enjoy beautiful sunny days and warm day temperatures.

On the other hand, summer is hot and humid in Buenos Aires. In the Northwest days are warm with sometimes heavy rains. In Patagonia weather may be a little chilly due to the wind but still sunny.

Temperature and Rainfall
BUENOS AIRES	JAN	FEB	MAR	APR	MAY	JUN	JUL	AUG	SEP	OCT	NOV	DEC
max air Temp.	83	81	78	71	65	59	58	61	64	70	76	81
min air Temp.	69	67	64	58	53	47	47	48	51	56	61	66
Temperatures in Fahrenheit degrees
Buenos Aires annual rainfall (average)	900/1100 millimetres
PENINSULA VALDES	JAN	FEB	MAR	APR	MAY	JUN	JUL	AUG	SEP	OCT	NOV	DEC
max air Temp.	83	82	76	69	61	54	54	60	68	72	76	81
min air Temp.	57	56	51	45	40	34	34	36	40	45	50	54
Temperatures in Fahrenheit degrees
Peninsula Valdes annual rainfall (average)	180/210 millimetres

 

Patagonia, the last refuge of Nature
Patagonia is a geographic region containing the southernmost portion of South America. Located in Argentina and Chile, it comprises the southernmost portion of the Andes Mountains to the west and south, and plateaux and low plains to the east.
Enigmatic as few other region in the world, Patagonia presents its first challenge when we try to decipher the origin of its name. There are many different versions that all point to the explorer Magellan as the initial creator of the name. One of the stories refers to the observation of the seafarer of large footsteps [Pata= feet] made by the Tehuelches, an indigenous people of the region, who were characterized by their large build and remarkable height. Another tale says that Magellan used the word "Patagón" making reference to a literary monster, a character from a well-known medieval novel.

The Argentine Patagonia includes the provinces of Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut, Santa Cruz, and Tierra del Fuego, shelters nine National Parks and three National Monuments.
The Chilean Patagonia embraces the southern part of the region of Los Lagos, and the regions of Aisén and Magallanes.
From a tourist point of view, Patagonia is divided into two clearly distinct regions, on the one hand there is Patagonia of the Andes, a region of lakes, forests and glaciers where the necessity of conserving the environment and the existing rich natural resources brought about the creation of the first national parks in South America. On the other hand there is Atlantic Patagonia, which extends along 2,200 km of virgin coast land and whose principal feature is in the Valdes Peninsula. Between the two is the loneliness of the Patagonian lands, a uniquely harsh territory, with fierce winds and an inhospitable climate where Rheas and Guanacos roam free and where huge flocks of sheep are bred at ranches as large as a European province.
One of the principal colonial settlements in the Atlantic Patagonia was made by a group of Welsh men and women who arrived at the coast of Golfo Nuevo in 1865. These pioneers demonstrated that it was possible to adapt to the harsh conditions of the land and the climate of the region, live peacefully with the aborigines and plant ones roots in this land.
The names of the towns that they founded, today important cities in the South of Argentina, bear witness to their origin: Trelew from the Welsh words tre, "farmhouse" and lew, short for Lewis referring to Lewis Jones, the promoter of the emigration to this region; Rawson, the Argentinian minister who patronized the settlement of the Welsh colonialists; Puerto Madryn, a name which recalls a castle in a place in Wales of the same name and Gaiman, behind its native name there still is today the most typical Welsh village in the area.
Probably none of those hard working pioneers would have imagined their influence upon the growth of the region and, less so, that one of these cities with agricultural origins would be the most important of the principal tourist centres of Patagonia because of it being next to the Valdes Peninsula, among the most important marine fauna reserves in the world.

Where it is located Peninsula Valdes ?
The Valdés Península (Spanish Península Valdés) is a peninsula along the Atlantic coast in the north east of Chubut Province, Argentina. Its size is about 3,625 km². The nearest large city is Trelew.

Península Valdés in Patagonia is a site of global significance for the conservation of marine mammals. It is home to an important breeding population of the endangered southern right whale as well as important breeding populations of southern elephant seals and southern sea lion.

Dates and history of establishment:

>1983 Península Valdés designated an Integral Objective Touristic Nature Reservation by Provincial Law

>1985 The southern right whale declared a Natural Monument by the National Congress;

>1999 was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

What sort of wildlife might we see on the tour?
The peninsula is an outstanding faunal sanctuary where numerous species of marine birds and mammals congregate in its island-like isolation to breed, often in large numbers, and to find shelter and abundant food in the warm and productive waters of the peninsula and the surrounding coasts. A population of southern right whale uses the clear and protected waters of Golfo Nuevo and Golfo San José to mate and calve. Individual whales start to arrive by late autumn, and are present from May to December.

The southern elephant seal forms a mating and calving colonies on Punta Norte, Caleta Valdes and Punta Delgada from late August to early November. This is the most northern colony of the species and the only colony on the Argentine mainland, all other colonies being on Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic islands. It is also said to be the world's only colony on the increase.

The nominated site is also important as a breeding point for the southern sea lion. Several other marine mammals are found in the area including a stable group of orca, they feed on a basic diet of fish and squid but will take both young and adult sea lions, elephant seals and adult right whales on the peninsula and elsewhere in Patagonia. A notable orca hunting technique is to rush into the shallow surf, beach themselves, grabbing the prey in their jaws, and manoeuvre back to sea with the next wave.

Terrestrial mammals are abundant. There are large herds of guanaco almost everywhere on the peninsula. Other species present include the big hairy armadillo, Mara or Patagonian cavy, a large rodent, Argentine grey fox, Culpeo fox, the weasel-like small grison Patagonian skunk and the pampas cat.

Península Valdés has 181 species of birds, of which 66 are migratory. Seven species of marine and coastal birds form nesting colonies on 12 distinct sites scattered throughout the Península. The Magellanic penguin is the most numerous with active nests amongst five different colonies. The second most numerous bird is the kelp gull. The lesser rhea is quite common. Other colonial birds are the neotropic cormorant, black-necked cormorant, great egret, black-crowned night-heron and common tern.
The site with the largest diversity of breeding birds is on Isla de los Pájaros where the American oystercatcher, the blackish oystercatcher and the flying steamer are also seen. The intertidal mudflats and coastal lagoons are important staging sites for migratory shorebirds, including red knot, white-rumped sandpiper and Hudsonian.