Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
perwork, then tell you where to obtain your refund. Be sure to leave yourself a bit of extra time at the airport
to get this done.
Telephone
Two companies, Telecom and Telefónica, split the city's telephone services.
Street phones require coins or
tarjetas telefónicas
(magnetic phone cards available at many
kioskos,
or
small markets). You'll only be able to speak for a limited time before you get cut off, so carry enough credit.
Toll-free numbers in BA have '0800' before a seven-digit number.
Cell Phones
It's best to bring your own factory unlocked tri- or quad-band GSM cell phone to Argentina, then buy an in-
expensive SIM chip (you'll get a local number) and credits as needed. Both SIM chips and credits can be
bought at many
kioskos
or
locutorios
(small telephone offices); look for the '
recarga facil
' signs. Many
Argentines use this system with their cell phones. Phone-unlocking services are available; ask around.
You can also buy cell phones that use SIM chips; these usually include some credits for your first batch of
calls. Be careful renting phones as they're not usually a better deal than outright buying a cell phone.
If you plan to travel with an iPhone or other 3G smart phone, prepare yourself - you may need to pur-
chase an international plan to avoid being hit by a huge bill for roaming costs. On the other hand, it's pos-
sible to call internationally for free or very cheaply using a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) system such
as Skype. This is a constantly changing field, so do some research before you travel.
Cell-phone numbers in Argentina are always preceded by '15'. If you're calling a cellular phone number
from a landline, you'll have to dial 15 first. But if you're calling a cell phone from another cell phone, you
don't need to dial 15 (at least within the same area code).
When calling cell phones from outside Argentina, dial your country's international access code, then 54 9
11 and then the eight-digit number, leaving out the 15.
Locutorios & Internet Cafes
One way to make a local or international phone call is to find a
locutorio,
a small telephone office (some-
times marked
telecentro
) with private booths from which you make your calls and then pay at the register.
There's a
locutorio
on practically every other block in the center. They cost a bit more than street phones,
but you can sit down, you won't run out of coins and it's much quieter.
When making international calls from
locutorios
ask about off-peak discount hours, which generally ap-
ply after 10pm and on weekends. Making international calls over the internet using Skype is a cheap option;
many internet cafes have this system in place.
Faxes are cheap and widely available at most
locutorios
and internet cafes.
Phone Codes
The Buenos Aires area code is 011. You will need to dial this when calling BA from outside the city, but you
don't need to dial it when calling from within BA.
