Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Left
Banco Francés
Center
ATM
Right
Locutorio and Internet Café
Banking & Communications
!
Banks
in Microcentro, on
Florida, Sarmiento, and
San Martín streets in
particular. They are open
9am-6pm daily. Commis-
sion rates at banks tend
to be lower.
%
Traveler's Checks
Sarmiento 189, (1003)
Capital Federal,
Argentina. Telephone call
centers undertake
airmailing too, but by
general delivery only.
d
Correo Argentino: www.
correoargentino.com.ar
Banks generally open
10am-3pm on weekdays,
though some may open
an hour earlier or close an
hour later. Currency
exchange counters within
banks tend to offer better
exchange and commission
rates than an exchange
bureau, although rates
vary from bank to bank.
All banks are equipped
with ATM machines; just
look for the “Link” sign
that shows they accept
foreign bank cards.
@
ATMs
*
Telephone
Traveler's checks can
always be changed at
banks or a currency
exchange bureau, but at
high rates of commis-
sion, often as much as
3 percent. The American
Express office however,
cashes its own traveler's
checks free of charge.
Note that businesses
other than a currency
exchange bureau rarely
accept traveler's checks
under any circumstance.
d
American Express:
Arenales 707; 4310-3535
and Fax
Call centers
are ubiquitous in Buenos
Aires, and telecom giants
Telefónica and Telecom
are the two largest opera-
tors. Most centers are
open 10am-11pm daily
and all offer international
call and fax services.
(locutorios)
ATMs provide the
easiest way to access
money, although there is a
$100 limit per transaction
and the bank in Argentina
will charge a withdrawal
fee. Nearly all of them
accept Visa, MasterCard,
and American Express
cards and operate 24
hours. Surcharges
depend on your bank.
£
Credit Cards
(
Cell Phones
Most foreign cell
phones work in Argentina
with a tri-band or quad-
band, but making calls
can be expensive, and
receiving calls and text
difficult. You can use your
own phone and buy a
local SIM card, which can
be bought at kiosks for
around US$3. Renting a
cell phone is a good
alternative. d
Mobile
Phone Rental: San Martín
948, 3rd floor; 4311-2933;
www.phonerental.com.ar
^
Bank Transfers
Sending money from
overseas can be done via
Western Union. Visit their
website for charges,
maximum payments, and
a list of local affiliates.
d
www.westernunion.com
&
Mail
The most widely
accepted credit and debit
cards in Buenos Aires are
Visa and MasterCard and
to a lesser extent,
American Express and
Diner's Club.
d
In case of
stolen credit cards call:
American Express 0800-
777-3165 • MasterCard
0800-555-0507 • Visa 4379-
3333 • Diners Club
0810-444-2482
Branches of the
Correo Argentino postal
service are open 9am-
6pm on weekdays and
they send airmail by
general delivery as well
as registered post
)
Internet Access
Call centers and
Internet cafés provide
Internet access and both
are found at almost every
turn in Buenos Aires.
Service is via speedy
broadband connection
and is usually very cheap.
Most modern bars, cafés,
and restaurants have
wireless connections.
(correo
certificado)
.
Poste
Restante
mail should be
sent to the city's central
post office and address-
ed as follows: Recipient's
name, Lista de Correos:
Correo Central,
$
Changing Money
There are numerous
currency exchange bu-
reaux
(casas de cambio)
108
When calling Buenos Aires from overseas, dial +5411 before the
local 8-digit number. When calling from Argentina, first dial 011.
