Argentina: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Argentina feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 261 written places.
Italian passion speaking Spanish; dinner at ten, opinions at full volume, mate shared always.
✓ Considered polite
- Accept mate when the gourd is passed - drink it all, hand it back, say gracias only when done
- Eat dinner late - restaurants fill at 21:30-22:00
- Greet everyone with one cheek kiss, men included among friends
- Check the exchange-rate landscape before arriving - rates and rules shift often
✗ Better avoided
- Stir the mate or wipe the bombilla - trust the cebador
- Expect shops open at siesta time in the provinces
- Discuss the Falklands/Malvinas lightly
- Rush anything - sobremesa table talk after meals runs longer than the meal
Worth knowing
- Tipping is around 10% in cash
- Cards work but cash and payment apps sometimes get better effective rates - check current practice
- Long-distance buses are excellent - full-flat seats cross the huge country overnight
- Sunday is family asado day - many restaurants close, plan around it
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
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Keep planning
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.