Air Canada Vacations

Before you leave Canada

Entry requirements

A valid Canadian passport is required for Canadians intending to visit Argentina. The passport should be valid for at least the expected duration of stay in the country. For all other nationalities, consult your consulate or tourist board for details. You can also visit www.voyage.gc.ca for up-to-date information.

Baggage

Please refer to aircanada.com for baggage information.

Airport check-in

It is recommended that you present yourself at the airport counter of the airline indicated on your voucher three hours prior to departure. Air Canada or Air Canada Vacations representatives will be available starting at 5 a.m..

Your arrival at destination

Transportation from airport to city

Argentina's main international airport is Ezeiza Ministro Pistarini, located 42 km west of Buenos Aires. There are two terminals at Ezeiza International Airport; Terminal A is used for all International carriers including Air Canada.
Typically the easiest and quickest way to get to the city is by taxi. The ride will cost about AR$60, that includes all motorway tolls and taxes.

Most Air Canada Vacations packages include transfers. Upon arrival, you will be met by your Air Canada Vacations representative and transferred to your selected hotel.

Hotel check-in

Upon arrival at your hotel, please identify yourself at the front desk with your Air Canada Vacations voucher. You will then be assigned your accommodation.

During your stay

City highlights

Most tourist attractions in Buenos Aires are located in a relatively compact area near the old colonial heart of the city, the Plaza de Mayo, established in 1580. Stretching east to the Río de la Plata is the Puerto Madero neighbourhood, a renovated port district now full of restaurants, clubs, and many of the city's newest hotels. The Microcentro, or main business district, sits slightly to the northwest of this area, and is where many hotels and other tourist-related services are located. Directly to the south of Plaza de Mayo is Monserrat, full of government buildings and historical churches. Farther south is the charming San Telmo neighbourhood, one of Buenos Aires' oldest districts. This must-see neighbourhood’s most important attractions are its numerous antiques stores, decades-old restaurants, and local bars and tango halls. Just beyond this is La Boca, the city's historical Little Italy, which includes El Caminito, a historical pedestrian zone. North of the centre of the city is the beautiful area of Recoleta, home to Evita's final resting place as well as most of the city's upscale hotels. The neighbouring area of Palermo is where many of the most important museums, parks, and other sites are located. Most of Recoleta and Palermo is best accessed by taxi, as there are no nearby subway stations.

Getting around

The best way by far to get around Buenos Aires is the metro. Called the subte, it’s the fastest and cheapest way to travel from neighbourhood to neighbourhood. Buses are also convenient in Buenos Aires, though less commonly used by tourists.

Metro

Five subte lines connect commercial, tourist, and residential areas in the city Monday through Saturday from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. and on Sundays and holidays from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.. The actual last train at any given station might be earlier, however, as the schedules are more of a guideline than a commitment. The flat fare is 70 centavos (23¢). You can also buy a subte pass for 7 pesos (US$2.30), valid for 10 subte trips.

Taxi

The streets of Buenos Aires are crawling with taxis, and fares are inexpensive, with an initial meter reading of 2.16 pesos increasing 24 centavos every 200 metres or each minute. Remises and radio-taxis are much safer than street taxis. Most of what the average tourist needs to see in the city is accessible for a USD 2-4 cab ride. Radio-taxis, when hailed on the street, can be recognized by the plastic light boxes on their roofs.

Buses

There are 140 bus lines operating in Buenos Aires 24 hours a day. The minimum fare is 80 centavos (25¢), but this price goes up depending on the distance travelled. Pay your fare inside the bus at an electronic ticket machine, which accepts coins only but will give change. Many bus drivers, provided you can communicate with them, will tell you the fare for your destination and help you.

On foot

Most of the centre is small enough to navigate on foot, and you can connect to adjacent neighbourhoods by bus, taxi or the subte. Plazas and parks all over the city supply wonderful places to rest and watch the locals.

Entertainment & nightlife

From the Teatro Colón to dimly lit tango salons to the big techno clubs, Buenos Aires offers an exceptional variety of things to do after dark.

The Teatro Colón is home to the National Opera, National Symphony, and National Ballet. In addition, there are nearly 40 professional theatres around town (many located along Av. Corrientes between Av. 9 de Julio and Callao and in San Telmo and Abasto) showing Broadway- and off-Broadway-style hits, Argentine plays, and music revues.

A large collection of historical bars, cafés, pubs, and restaurants is concentrated in San Telmo, Monserrat, the Microcentro, and other, older, areas of the city. Dancing in Buenos Aires is not just about tango; in fact, the majority of the younger population prefers salsa and European techno. Of course, nothing in life changes quite as fast as the "in" nightclub, so ask around for the latest hot spots.

Shopping

In Buenos Aires you'll find a wealth of young designers catering to the young-women's market, offering unique, feminine, and funky fashion found nowhere else in the world. High-quality leather goods and antiques can also be found throughout glitzy malls, along major shopping thoroughfares, and in small boutiques and little out-of-the-way stores.

Many Buenos Aires stores, particularly those catering to tourists, also offer tax-free shopping. You'll know them by the blue and white logo on the door; ask if you don't see one. Leather-goods stores are exceptionally well versed in the process, and it is often part of the spiel when you go into one of them.

Many neighbourhoods, especially Palermo Viejo, have special shopping maps. Ask for these maps at the Buenos Aires City Tourism kiosks or in individual stores all over town. The Golden Map, which most hotels have at their front desks, also lists many stores, though you'll probably find that the stores that advertise less tend to have better prices.

Buenos Aires has many shopping areas, but the following places are where you'll find most of the action.

Microcentro – Calle Florida, the Microcentro's pedestrian walking street, is home to wall-to-wall shops from Plaza San Martín to all the way past Avenida Corrientes.

Avenida Córdoba – For off-season bargains head to the 3000 block of Córdoba, in the area bordering Barrio Norte and Palermo.

Recoleta – An elegant, Parisian-like strip of European boutiques, cafés, antiques stores, and art galleries. Start your walk at Plaza Francia, in front of the Recoleta Cemetery, and continue to either Cerrito or Avenida 9 de Julio.

San Telmo & La Boca – These neighborhoods offer excellent antiques as well as artists' studios, and arts and crafts celebrating tango. Street performers and artists can be found in these areas.

Dining

Nothing matches the meat from the Pampas grass-fed Argentine cows, and that meat is the focus of dining experiences throughout the city, from the humblest parrilla (grill) to the finest business-class restaurant. Empanadas, dough pockets filled with minced meat and other ingredients, are also an Argentine staple, offered almost everywhere.

Buenos Aires's most fashionable places to eat out are all found in Palermo. Palermo Hollywood and Palermo Soho, the two divisions of this neighborhood, are full of trendy hot spots combining fine dining with a bohemian atmosphere. These restaurants have attracted some of the city's top chefs, many of whom have received their training in France and Spain. Some of the most exquisite and interesting cuisine in the city is available in the venues in Palermo Viejo.

The De Dios restaurant map is excellent and can be found in bookstores everywhere, or order it ahead of time at www.dediosonline.com. Many Palermo Viejo restaurants are on a special Palermo Viejo dining map available at most of the venues listed. Many other neighbourhoods, such as San Telmo, also have similar maps.

Health & safety

Contact the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers for tips on travel and health concerns, and for lists of local, English-speaking doctors (IAMAT in Canada, 416 652-0137; www.iamat.org).  The website www.tripprep.com, sponsored by a consortium of travel medicine practitioners, may also offer helpful advice on travelling abroad. You can find listings of reliable clinics overseas at the International Society of Travel Medicine (www.istm.org).

No vaccinations are officially required of travellers to Argentina, but you are wise to take certain precautions, especially if you are planning to travel to jungle regions. Water and ice are considered safe to drink in Buenos Aires, however, visitors should drink only bottled water, which is widely available as a precautionary measure.

General information

Tipping

A 10% tip is expected at cafés and restaurants. Give at least $1 to bellboys and porters, 5% to hairdressers, and leftover change to taxi drivers.

Electricity

Argentina runs on 220 volts. Many luxury hotels have transformers or adapters available.

Language

Argentines speak Spanish, which locally is not called Español as in other countries, but is instead referred to as Castellano.

Time zone

Argentina is 3 hours behind GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). Argentina observes daylight saving time.

Currency

The official Argentine currency is the peso, made up of 100 centavos. Money is denominated in notes of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 pesos; and coins of 1, 2, and 5 pesos, and 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 centavos.

Exchange

You can convert your currency in hotels, casas de cambio (money-exchange houses), some banks, and at the Buenos Aires airport. It is sometimes difficult to exchange traveller's checks outside the centre of Buenos Aires, so plan ahead to have a sufficient amount of cash in pesos on day trips. ATMs are easy to access in Buenos Aires and other urban and tourist areas, but don't depend on finding them off the beaten path. Banks are open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m..

Long distance calls

Argentina country code: 54. Buenos Aires city code: 11.

Your departure from destination

Hotel checkout

Hotel checkout times may vary depending on the property but generally you must vacate the room by 12 p.m. (noon).

Duty-free shopping

After an absence of 7 days or more, Canadian residents are permitted to return with a maximum of CAD$750 of merchandise per trip without paying duty. Each time you leave Canada for at least 48 hours, you are eligible to declare up to CAD$400 of merchandise. A written declaration may be requested. Each adult is allowed 1.1 litres (40 oz.) of liquor, 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or cigarillos, 200 tobacco sticks and 200 grams (7 oz.) of manufactured tobacco. To calculate the number of days absent, do not count the day you left Canada but include the day you return. If you include cigarettes, tobacco sticks and loose tobacco in your personal exemption allowance, only a partial exemption will apply. You will have to pay a minimum duty on these products unless they are marked “Canada-Duty paid”. Canadian made products sold at duty-free shops will be marked this way.

Airport check-in

Procedures are the same as for departure from Canada.

Customer care

For inquiries relating to extension of stay or change or hotel changes, please call Air Canada Vacations Customer Care department toll free at 800 296-3408 or e-mail us at: prevoyageclientele@vacv.com We are at your service seven days a week; from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST Saturday and Sunday.

Local Air Canada offices (for airline ticket inquiries)
For inquires relating to your airline tickets, please contact the local Air Canada office represented by:

Air Canada Reservations
Av Cordoba 656
C1054AAS Buenos Aires
ARGENTINA

Tel.: +54 11 4327 3640 to 44
Fax: +54 11 4393 9090
Mon. - Fri.: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.