Is anyone in Buenos Aries at the moment, or has been very recently. I’m looking for some information on currency as we’ve just been told we should take American dollars with us. Wondering if this is really necessary as we’re going for 3 months, and it will involve carrying a fair bit of cash. Any tips much appreciated. Thanks.
A friend (not involved in THS) just headed to Argentina, where their son has lived for years. He said various companies that normally send money have pulled back in Argentina. (He had planned to send money and pick it up once there.) He mentioned unrest and coming elections, with various folks worried about violence or such in the aftermath. He said he had to make alternative arrangements and keep his trip shorter than he would’ve liked otherwise.
Hi @saritrace and it’s lovely to see you back posting on the Forum 
If you were only travelling there for a week or two like we have, then yes I would suggest taking US dollars is the best option. However, in your case, due to the length of your stay, I would advocate seeing if the bank that you use at home has an affiliation or an association with a bank in Buenos Aires. This might allow you to draw funds directly from your account at home whilst you are away.
Another option might be to actually open an account with a bank in Buenos Aires but you would need to look in to this.
On another note, I have a couple of great restaurant recommendations for you. We have always enjoyed The New Brighton and El Establo, two great local restaurants. There is also a great restaurant/coffee shop called Cafe Florida on Florida.
Also, for reference, as a member you can also add your TrustedHousesitters profile on to your Forum profile by following the attached link, should you wish. This will then enable others to offer you helpful advice and feedback.
If you are unsure how to do this, or if you have any questions at all, do not hesitate to ask, we are all more than happy to help.
Have a lovely time in Buenos Aires 
Thanks both for the help and suggestions. Much appreciated.
I just remembered that my friend said he ended opening a Fidelity account, so he can make withdrawals with fees reimbursed while in Argentina.
FWIW, Charles Schwab usually does that, too, though I don’t know about its Argentina services.
Such accounts can make sense for frequent international travelers, and if you’re not U.S.-based, there might be similar accounts you can open in other countries. Traveling with a bunch of cash is risky.
BTW, apparently one of the political candidates has proposed switching the country’s currency to the USD, which is why USD might be more useful if you’re staying for extended time. Of course, unclear whether that candidate will win and if so how fast currency might change, even if it does.
We were there in February and opened an account with Western Union before we went and it was easy to pay money into the account and withdraw it in the local currency at one of the many branches there. The currency fluctuates so much that it is better to take it out in chunks to get the best value. The Western Union exchange rate is very competitive and it is a safe way to get cash there. You just need to bring along your passport. There is even an office within the Post Office in the international airport so you can use cash to pay for your taxi. We ended up going around with wads of cash as everything was almost half the price that it would have been if we paid by card. The hotels and restaurants are used to this and have cash counting machines. I love Buenos Aires. Have a great time.
FWIW, my friend who’s just headed to Argentina said he’d checked with Western Union and no go. Maybe it’s one of the businesses that have withdrawn because of the instability there. You could check, of course. Things sound very fluid down there now.
