The Argentine peso is the standard currency, divided into centavos. After the country's devaluation turmoil ran its course in 2001, the currency stabilized at around 3 pesos to the U.S. dollar. (Prices are written with a $ sign in front of them, but this is for pesos. Anything listed in dollars should have "US$" in the price.)

Exchange booths and banks readily change foreign currency into pesos, so avoid risky black market exchanges. ATMs are widely available and some will provide money in either pesos or dollars. Credit cards are universally accepted at shops, restaurants and large hotels.

Traveler's checks can also be used, although the exchange process can be problematic outside the city, and the exchange comes with an additional commission. The main American Express headquarters is on the central Plaza San Martin.

Most banks are open Monday-Friday 10 am-3 pm. A few remain open until 4 pm. Banks don't close for lunch. Private exchange booths in tourist areas are open until the shops close.

Argentina applies a 21% value-added tax (called IVA) to most goods and services (books, medicines and some foods are excluded). Purchases made with credit cards may have an extra 10%-15% tacked onto the price, reflecting the high rates that credit-card companies charge local shops. Some businesses may offer discounts for cash payments.

The process for getting an IVA refund can be complicated, so some people don't bother, but the refund amounts can add up if you're doing a lot of shopping. (You'll probably find that stores in the Microcentro are more accustomed to the process than stores in outlying areas.) First, you have to spend at least 70 P at a shop that displays a "tax free" sticker. The shop must give you a special tax-free sales slip along with a Global Refund check, which a staff member must fill out, together with an envelope with the address of Global Refund (in case something goes wrong at the airport). At the airport, you show your purchases (so don't pack them inside your suitcase) along with the sales slips at customs. They stamp the check, which you take to a Global Refund stall in the airport to get your cash refund.

At land border crossings where there are no such stalls to give you a cash refund, write on the back of the customs-stamped check whether you want the money credited to your credit card or sent to you in the form of a bank check. Then drop the postage-paid envelope into a mailbox. You should have the refund within two weeks.

Taxes on goods when leaving the country are exempt up to US$300, plus an additional US$300 if the goods were purchased in a duty-free shop.

The airport tax, for all flights, is US$18. There is also a 5% tax on the purchase of air tickets.

In restaurants, tip 10% of the bill. Movie ushers and bus terminal porters get a 1 P tip, air terminal porters 2 P per suitcase. Cab drivers get no tip, though it is common to round up the tip to the next 50 centavos or 1 P amount. Add a few pesos for help with baggage. Tip bellhops and concierges at hotels when warranted: A good rule of thumb is to tip in pesos what you normally would in dollars or euros at home.

We think the best time to visit Buenos Aires is late spring (November and December) or fall (March-May). Seasons in B.A. are exactly opposite of those in North America: Summer in B.A. is December-February, and winter is June-August. In recent years, however, late August and September have been unseasoanably warm and pleasant, too. The climate seems increasingly to be melding into one long warm-to-hot season and one shorter cool-to-cold season. Buenos Aires summers are hot (averaging 82 F/28 C) and can be oppressively humid, though once in a while there might be a cool evening. Winters are mild (averaging 40 F/5 C), but there can be at least a couple of very cold and wet weeks. Rain can occur any time of the year, often as thunderstorms.

The city can be a dressy place, so businesspeople should wear suits year-round. But especially with the younger crowd, shorts, jeans and sneakers are surprisingly common. Typical attire for adults in Buenos Aires would best be described as "smart casual" or "business casual." Although women should avoid revealing clothing if they don't want extra attention, clothing is no more modest there than it is in the U.S. or Europe.

In summer, women will want to take separates and a few dresses; a light sweater or wrap is suggested to combat the air-conditioning. A casual jacket with slacks and short-sleeved shirts with a collar are fine for men. Leisure travelers with no social obligations will do best with nice jeans or linen slacks, and T-shirts or short-sleeved shirts and a light sweater. Practically nobody wears a hat in Buenos Aires, so sunglasses and lots of sunscreen will be a help. Although there aren't any strict dress codes for visiting churches, showing too much skin is considered disrespectful.

In late July and August you'll need a warm coat with a scarf and gloves, as well as heavy pants and a warm sweater for informal occasions. Leisure travelers need a parka, a midweight jacket for warmer days, jeans, wool slacks, sweaters, hats and gloves. The rest of the winter, that new leather jacket you purchased there will do just fine.

A lightweight raincoat and folding umbrella are also handy year-round.

If you need to check your e-mail or surf the Web, check almost any locutorio on main streets in the city: There is one every block or two. Prices are extremely low, but connection speeds vary greatly. Look for velocidad alto signs indicating high-speed connections. Wi-Fi is becoming more widely available, especially in cafes, restaurants and bars. Most hotels rated four stars or more now offer Wi-Fi in public areas and/or guest rooms.

Correo Central

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You can mail letters and small parcels from the Central Post Office. There are other locations throughout the city. Stamps are available where postcards are sold. Open Monday-Friday 8 am-8 pm, Saturday 10 am-1 pm. Sarmiento 151, Buenos Aires. Phone 4891-9191.

The Buenos Aires Herald, the local daily English-language newspaper, can be found at all major newsstands in the Microcentro area and in hotels. Its Friday "Get Out" supplement is a good place to look for entertainment listings. Newspapers and magazines in English and other languages are always sold at the newsstands at Florida and Corrientes, Florida and Cordoba, and Florida and M.T. de Alvear (facing Plaza San Martin). Time Out Argentina magazine is an excellent resource, available in English at newsstands. Major hotels stock the Wall Street Journal and International Herald Tribune.

To place a call to Buenos Aires, you must first dial your country's international access code, followed by the Argentine country code, 54, and then the Buenos Aires city code, 11. To dial a Buenos Aires number from within Argentina but outside of the city, first dial 011.

The number of digits in area codes and phone numbers varies. Most phone numbers begin with 4. Cell phones begin with 15, which is dialed before the number. Most toll-free numbers begin with 0800.

Public phones operate with coins, tokens (called cospels) or phone cards purchased at a kiosk. Try to make your calls from a private phone center called a locutorio or telecentro, which will be much cheaper than calling from your hotel. In these centers you are assigned a closed booth where you sit and dial your number. The phone has a meter you can read. You pay for all calls when you leave. If you want to make an international call, tell the attendant before entering the booth. These phone centers also send faxes, and some provide Internet access.

Nearly all phones in the city are direct dial. Dial 0 first for a domestic long-distance call, 00 for a foreign country and then the country code and number.

Many cell phones will work in Argentina (with expensive international roaming charges), but check with your specific carrier. A more economical option is to rent a cell phone locally for the duration of your visit, especially if you are conducting local business.

Buenos Aires has two airports. Ezeiza International Airport (EZE), officially called Ministro Pistarini, 32 mi/50 km southwest of the center of town, handles most of the international flights. Jorge Newbery (AEP), also called Aeroparque, 5 mi/8 km northwest of the Microcentro, handles mainly domestic flights. The airports have no direct rail or subway links with the city center or with each other.

Connecting Transportation

Best way:

For a passenger with luggage, we recommend hiring one of the car services at the desks beside the Customs exit at both airports (50 P-75 P) from Ezeiza International. Be advised that transfers booked with a five-star hotel will be 90 P-150 P.

Other options:

Taxis charge 50 P (or run the meter) for the 40-minute ride from Ezeiza to the Microcentro but are not always as dependable or safe as car services. Taxis from Aeroparque charge according to the length of the trip, but you can expect the fare to be less than 12 P for a ride to one of the northern neighborhoods (Recoleta or Palermo). A car service is 21 P.

The cheapest way is to take one of the minibuses run by Manuel Tienda Leon. From its terminal near Puerto Madero the bus ride costs 25 P to Ezeiza, 9 P to Aeroparque (phone toll-free 0810-888-5366).

All long-distance bus companies use the bus terminal beside the Retiro train station. A few city bus lines terminate there, as well.

We don't recommend getting behind the wheel in Buenos Aires. Traffic is fast and frantic, fatal accidents are all too common, and parking is difficult. You must always be on your guard for drivers who run red lights, weave in and out of lanes or hug your tail to force you to move over to let them pass. The closer you get to Buenos Aires on the wide highways that approach the city, the more of this you will see.

If you do choose to rent a car, know that driving is on the right side of the road. Private cars (rentals included) are not supposed to enter the central area of town bordered by Corrientes, Carlos Pellegrini, Santa Fe and Libertador during weekdays, and note that street parking in Barrio Norte and Palermo is almost impossible to find. You'll be better off in a parking lot, which costs about 3 P per hour.

Ferries run regularly across the mouth of the Rio de la Plata to Uruguay. Two ferry lines, Buquebus (phone 4316-6550, http://www.buquebus.com) and Ferry Lineas (phone 4311-2300, http://www.ferrylineas.com.uy), link the Puerto Madero area of B.A. with Uruguayan ports. Cacciola (phone 4393-6100, http://www.cacciolaviajes.com) runs catamarans between Tigre and Uruguay.

Buses

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Buses run various routes throughout the city. Drivers don't tend to stop at each marked stop, so when you see an oncoming bus, be sure to wave. You purchase tickets from a coin-operated machine onboard. Buses operate 24 hours a day. Night service is frequent on heavily traveled routes. One ride typically costs 0.80 P. Keep your ticket. Phone 131 for information in Spanish.

Subways

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Subways are much quicker than traffic-bound buses or taxis, but the five lines don't cover every area you might want to get to. Get a subway map and study where you're going before you decide on a means of land transport. Single and multitrip tickets have replaced metal tokens. Lines run Monday-Saturday 5 or 6 am-10:30 or 11 pm, Sunday 8 am-10 or 10:30 pm. The fare is 0.70 P.

Car services (remises) called by your hotel or restaurant are your safest option, but most of the taxis plying the streets are also these same radio taxis. Look for a lighted libre (free) sign on the roof or in the front window. The cars are new, and most have air-conditioning. Drivers charge 1.98 pesos to start and 22 centavos per 0.16 m/0.25 km and will wait for you for a fee. Your hotel can make arrangements for you, too.

If you're going to take one of the city's black-and-yellow cabs, you'll have better luck flagging one down in the street than boarding one at a taxi stop. Radio taxis are run by private companies that coordinate the drivers. For a small extra charge, they'll pick you up at a specified address. Make sure the driver turns on the taxi meter when you get in the vehicle. Drivers rarely speak English.

When handing a large bill to the driver, mention the size of the bill to avoid inconveniences or argument in making change.

Reputable radio taxi companies include Annie Millet (phone 4816-0101); Eleven (phone 4807-6666); Mi Taxi (phone 4931-1200); Radio Taxi Ciudad (phone 4923-7007); Radio Taxi Siglo XXI (phone 4633-4000); and Remises REB (phone 4863-1226).

Trains run to points outside the city, allowing for a number of day trips. Put the ticket bought at the ticket window (ida one way, ida y vuelta round-trip) through the electronic turnstile; if that's not working, a ticket taker will punch it. You must surrender the ticket upon leaving the system.

The Mitre line runs north to Tigre from Retiro Station. The Roca line travels to points south and Mar del Plata from Constitucion Station. The Tren de la Costa extends from Olivos (north of the city center) to Tigre. Fares for all routes run 0.5 P-1.5 P.

And the Money Kept Rolling In (and Out), by Paul Blustein. PublicAffairs, 2006.

The Argentina Reader: History, Culture, Politics by Gabriela Nouzeilles and Graciela Montaldo. Duke University Press, 2002.

Borges: A Life by James Woodall. Basic Books, 1998.

Sin Patron: Stories From Argentina's Worker-Run Factories by Lavaca Collective, foreword by Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis. Haymarket Books, 2007.

Argentina Central Office of Tourist Information

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This office provides information on all of Argentina, though it's of limited use beyond the most basic questions. Open Monday-Friday 9 am-5 pm. Santa Fe 883, Buenos Aires. Phone 4312-2232. Toll-free 0800-555-0016. http://www.turismo.gov.ar.

Buenos Aires City Tourism Secretariat

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This organization provides literature and advice at sidewalk kiosks and offices throughout the city. Main office is open Monday-Friday 10 am-5 pm. Sarmiento 1551, Fifth Floor, Buenos Aires. Phone 4372-3612. http://www.buenosaires.gov.ar.