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Do I need to obtain pesos before I arrive in Argentina? I am going to fly into Buenos Aires and then to Mendoza to meet my friend and only anticipate maybe purchasing food/water in the airport. Can I use dollars or should I have pesos with me before I arrive?

Also, once I am in Mendoza I plan on wiring money from my US bank account to use during my trip. Is this the best way to do this? Should I bring a lot of US cash instead?

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There really is no need to bring pesos to Argentina. Though you will have to decide what works for you.

At airports, you can pay with credit cards and many debit cards. Changing money at airports is easy and safe (if typically a bit more expensive). ATMs are easily available, both in BA and Mendoza.

Having some cash on hand is practical, just in case, but having dollars, and exchanging these to pesos after arrival, is more than good enough.

Wiring money tends to be expensive, with ATM withdrawals often being more financially attractive, though this depends on your bank and card issuer.

Having large amounts of cash on or with you poses a risk that you might want to avoid, though if the cost of wiring money is prohibitive, that risk might be worth it.

It's been a few years since I was in Argentina last, but, then, exchanging dollars at the unofficial ('blue') rate was quite easy in Buenos Aires, less so in Mendoza.

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    do NOT use ATM in Argentina - central bank will rip you with rates a LOT!
    – Oleksandr Kravchuk
    May 31 '17 at 17:51
  • yes, it is about 50% lower than the black market one, which is absolutely mental.
    – Oleksandr Kravchuk
    May 31 '17 at 20:08
  • A good argument for bringing in cash. But, I remember that changing dollars at unofficial rates, though easy in BA, was much less easy outside the capital.
    – MastaBaba
    May 31 '17 at 21:07
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Dollars and a credit card are enough in Argentina.

They like to receive in dollar and you will can use in the most of the places. Also, Credit Cards is very usual in Argentina.

There are a bunch of people exchanging dollars (or other kind of currency like BRL Reais) by Pesos in the Florida street (Calle Florida). You can look for a good rate there.

However, if you really would like to go to an oficial place and you will arrive through Ezeiza Airport, there is a Banco de la Nación Argentina that you can exchange currencies. Also, there is another Banco de La Nación near Florida street.

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