Things To Bring and Not To Bring
Here is a short list on what to bring and not to bring for a trip to Buenos Aires. Obviously it all depends on the type of trip you are planning. Common sense comes always handy.
You can find pretty much everything in the local supermarkets and shops, and of the same brands as home. Most clothes you will find here are high quality and cost a lot less than in the North America or Western Europe. So, leave space in your bags, because at a 3 to 1 ratio peso-dollar you can shop a long way here. I would advise against packing a lot of clothes, unless you are a woman who wears anything larger than a size 8, then forget shopping for clothes in Buenos Aires for the women here are tiny and the clothes run really small. In that case bring enough clothes to get you through your trip. If you don't like shopping just bring comfortable clothes and do a load of laundry every few days. Laundries are on every corner and they are very inexpensive, about u$d 3 for a whole washer load. This will make your life much easier than hauling large suitcases filled with clothes you don't need. Buenos Aires gets very hot in the summer, while the spring and autumn are very tolerable. With the exception of July and August it's never really that cold. Just remember that the seasons are opposite to those of the northern hemisphere. Tuck in one of those rain jackets that folds into a pouch since rain storms can happen anytime throughout the year and there is no defined dry season. Even if you are traveling during the warmer months, bring a pair of dress shoes and a nice outfit to go out. Many of the city's best restaurants will not let you in with shorts. I would also suggest you bring rubber sole shoes since some sidewalks can be slippery and a lot are broken (which leads to the famous splash of water when you step on it). Plus there's plenty of dogs and no one picks after them. If your camera is APS / Advantix, bring film from home; It's not widely available in Argentina (you can find it in Buenos Aires, but at much greater cost). Also, hold back from developing until you reach home. More so, bring some sunscreen in the summer, it is not cheap in Buenos Aires (a bottle of Hawaiian Tropic will run you 10 dollars). Alkaline batteries are also pricey, so bring enough along. In Argentina the voltage is different, there is a 220v voltage power, so if you are coming from where the voltage is different bring a transformer with you. There isn't a huge variety of medicines you can buy over the counter. Even in a pharmacy, you will not find Claritin-D or Advil Sinus for example. So if you have allergies or sinus problems, be sure to bring your own medicines. If you are a light sleeper and you are in Argentina during the Christmas and New years celebrations pack some ear plugs as they love to set off firecrackers in the streets during this period and it goes on every night up to high hours.
The list goes on, but you will have to wait until a future article. Meanwhile if you have any questions just write me an e-mail...