Car rental in Argentina

Before you rent a car in Argentina, it is important to decide what you need the car for. The driver should be aware of the following:

• If you are planning a long trip, it is better to choose a large, comfortable vehicle.
• For short journeys within a city, a small compact car will be sufficient.
• If travellers prefer cars with automatic transmission, this should be arranged in advance. Such cars are in short supply in Argentina and finding one may take a long time.

The price of petrol and diesel fuel at service stations in Argentina is almost the same across the country.

• In southern and central Argentina 1 litre of petrol costs about 3 pesos.
• The northern regions offer cheaper fuel, at approximately 2.5 pesos per litre.

In the major cities of Argentina, fuel can be purchased in any quantity. At suburban petrol stations and in small towns, you may only be able to buy fuel up to a maximum of 30 pesos at a time.

Drivers who violate traffic rules in Argentina have to pay a fine of about 500 pesos. If the violation is serious, they can also be deprived of their driving licence for a period of 15–90 days. For repeated offences on the road, the driver faces a fine of 1,000 pesos and the loss of the right to drive a car for 2 years. Similar penalties apply to motorists who are seen smoking while driving.

• Penalties also apply to drivers who drive without wearing a seat belt.
• Under the country’s traffic rules, driving is permitted only for persons aged at least 21 years.
• If the driver is a foreigner, their driving licence should be international.
• The documents must state that the person driving the car has at least 2 years of driving experience.

These rules are universal, no matter where the traveller is, whether in a large metropolitan area or on a small country road.

When renting a car in Argentina, the driver, in addition to a driving permit, should have insurance, a document confirming the right to temporary use of the vehicle, and a receipt for payment of taxes on the car hire. As for speed limits in the country, the following restrictions apply:

• Maximum speed on a 2-lane road: 80 km/h.
• Permitted speed on the motorway: 130 km/h.
• If the driver is travelling in a built-up residential area, the speed of the vehicle must not exceed 40–60 km/h.

As for parking, in Argentina it is available in two forms: free and paid.

• Parking spaces are often marked with a sign indicating the type and cost of the service.
• Unfortunately, in large metropolitan areas, especially in the city centre, it is difficult to find a free space to leave a car for a while.
• Paid parking areas are equipped with machines for automatic payment. An approximate charge for 30 minutes of parking is 1 peso.

In Argentina, most parking machines issue a receipt when paying, indicating the time of payment and the period for which the service has been paid. In some places, instead of a parking machine, municipal staff may be on duty. Parking spaces must be marked with a sign indicating the hours and days when parking is free. In addition, it shows the cost of paid parking, which is practically the same in all cities in Argentina.