Local Knowledge
Telephone
Dialing Codes
Country code for Argentina: +54 Area code for Buenos Aires: 011 (drop the zero when calling from abroad)
Emergency Numbers
City Police : 101/911 Ambulance 107 Fire: 100
Tipping
It is customary to leave a 10-15% tip in cafés and restaurants. Taxi drivers
don't expect tips. Just round the fare up to the nearest peso. Leave hotel porters
and housekeepers at least a couple of pesos, and tip hairdressers around 5%.
VAT & Taxes
Prices in shops include the government's 22% value-added tax, known as Impuesto de
Valor Agregado (IVA).
Getting Around
Buy public transportation tickets in advance at metro (subte) stations.
Taxis
It is easy to catch a black-and-yellow taxi on city streets, but a radio taxi,
locally known as remise, is a safer option. Order it over the phone. If
you're hailing a taxi on the street, be sure to seek out an official
one, with a plastic light box on the roof and the company name on the door.
Subway
The five lines of the Buenos Aires subway (subte) cover all main areas of the
city. The subway is the cheapest and often fastest way of getting around.
Trams & Buses
Buses, or colectivos, run 24 hours a day on 140 lines throughout the city. The
bus is only slightly more expensive than the subte. Electronic ticket vending
machines on board take only coins but do give change.
Public Holidays
New Years Day
1 January
National Memorial Day for Truth and Justice
March 24
Maundy Thursday
March-April
Good Friday
March-April
Malvinas Day (Victims of the Falkland Islands War)
April 2
Labor Day
May 1
May Revolution
May 25
National Flag Day
June 20
Independence Day
July 9
Day of San Martín
August 17
Columbus Day
October 12
Immaculate Conception
December 8
Christmas Day
December 25
New Year's Eve
December 31
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