Booking flights

Getting to your trip starting location will most likely involve some air travel. Here is our brief guide on flights; including reservations, taxes and baggage.
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Ensuring you have the correct currencies when travelling, along with a budget and plan for tipping, is important for your peace of mind. In this guide, we share practical tips and advice on how best to navigate money during your adventure.
For your trip to Chile/Argentina, we would recommend the following:
The official currency of Chile is the Chilean Peso ($). In contrast to Argentina, US dollars are rarely used day-to-day when paying for things but are easy to exchange. Credit and debit cards are widely accepted throughout Chile.
Chile does not have a significant black market for foreign currency so you’ll largely find the same rate being applied throughout the country.
You can see all legal Chilean peso tender notes on the Central Bank of Chile’s official website.
Chilean pesos
Argentine pesos
The official currency of Argentina is the Argentine Peso ($), however, it's common to use US dollars when travelling in the country.
Argentina currently has a significant black market (known as the 'blue' market) for foreign currency, so travelling with and spending US dollars in cash is an absolute must. This is an accepted way of life here, so don’t worry, you’re not doing anything illegal. Most establishments (cafes, bars, restaurants and tour operators) will accept US dollars in cash at a much better rate of exchange, saving you anywhere from 50-100%.
Not all places will take foreign currency, so you will have to always carry a small number of Argentine Pesos (AR$) for paying for taxis, museums etc. Careful, the sign for the Argentine peso is $, which is easily confused with the US dollar sign.
You can see all legal Argentine peso tender notes on the Central Bank of Argentina’s official website.
9 de Julio Avenue, Buenos Aires
We don't recommend relying solely on Western Union (or any other money-wire company) to send you cash for you to collect on holiday. Given the significant lack of foreign currency throughout the country, you will only be given cash in Argentine pesos (not USD) and there will likely be limits to how much cash can be obtained per transaction, albeit the exchange rate will likely be favourable and close to the Blue-rate. This will result in you wasting time going to different WU offices trying to procure your cash and a considerable amount of stress.
We've had reports of people waiting 2hrs for cash at the El Calafate WU. The only way to guarantee you'll have the dollars cash to spend in Argentina is to pack them. Given the security risk this might present, budget accordingly and be prudent.
In early 2023, the Argentine government reached an agreement with credit card companies to allow foreigners to pay for goods and services at approximately the blue rate. At present this represents a safe and efficient way for tourists to take advantage of the beneficial exchange rate. That said, you should be ready to use cash if circumstances change: if there’s one thing the history of Argentina teaches us it’s that the economy is predictably unpredictable.
If you would like to understand more about the Argentine economy, both its history and the current situation, we recommend reading this article written by Swoop's Product & Partnerships Manager, David (also featured in the video above).
David is half Argentine and has spent many years living in and exploring Argentina.
Welcome to El Chaltén
All major towns in Chilean and Argentinian Patagonia have ATMs, but please note that El Calafate and El Chalten are notoriously problematic, so try to plan ahead and withdraw enough cash in Buenos Aires. If you are arriving from Chile, then a good way to get local currency is to pay for your dinner in US dollars, as the change will be given to you in local currency.
Most restaurants in towns accept Visa/Mastercard/Amex, however, please be aware that cards are not usually accepted in more remote parts of Chile and Argentina, so do stock up on local currency before venturing into more remote areas.
Even if you intend to pay by card and withdraw local currency from an ATM, please ensure that you carry some US dollars cash as your backup currency (remember to only take as much as your travel insurance covers you to carry).
Take 15% more cash out than you planned. Tipping guides, drivers and others adds up - we wish we would have had more cash on hand to really express our appreciation to all those that treated us so well! Read the full review
Travelled: December 2021
Jonathan Staker - USA
Bring tons of US cash to Argentina. You cannot get much cash from the ATM’s in Patagonia. Read the full review
Travelled: December 2019
Karen Belding - United States Of America
Pay guide gratuity in euros or US dollars rather than the local currency so that you don't get stuck with too many AR Pesos – their currency is not accepted outside of their country, including Chile. Read the full review
Travelled: September 2018
Tracie Wingo - USA
Review:
As a rough guide, you should budget $25-60 USD per person per day for food and drink.
The only cash machine in El Chalten is usually empty, and the bank is rarely open. A lot of the restaurants in the town only accept cash; therefore it is important that you stock up on cash before travelling to the town.
It is customary to leave a tip for guides, drivers and hotel staff in USD at the end of their services, but you may want to carry a few extra pesos for tipping in local establishments such as restaurants and bars. It is at your discretion whether or not you choose to tip, but we generally suggest the following guidelines:
Tipping your guide, hotel or restaurant staff is at your discretion, but you will not have access to cash when in Torres del Paine National Park so please budget accordingly. Some hotels will provide tipping guidelines, others may not.
Darwin Range, Tierra del Fuego
It is up to you to decide if you would like to tip. Guides are paid and do not rely on tips for their income, however, they work long hours throughout the season and are knowledgeable and passionate about what they do. Tipping is a great way to show your appreciation for the great experience they gave you.
It may also be helpful to note:
Trekking from Estancia Cristina
Getting to your trip starting location will most likely involve some air travel. Here is our brief guide on flights; including reservations, taxes and baggage.
To help you to choose places to stay that make sense for your itinerary, budget and preferences, we've created these location-based accommodation guides.
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