Credit cards ( tarjetas de crédito ) are certainly useful in Argentina, given that travellers' cheques are not that practical and in the light of the abundance of ATMs. They are good for dealing with emergencies, obviate the need to carry large sums of cash (especially for paying in expensive restaurants) and can be used to book rooms ahead, or as payment guarantees on car rental (for which they are indispensable). Visa and Mastercard are the most widely used and recognized, with American Express and Diner's lagging in third and a poor fourth place. You might have to show your ID when making a purchase with plastic and be warned that, especially in small establishments, the authorization process can take ages and may not succeed at all. A very practical and often more economical alternative is a bank debit card , which saves you having to sort out bills at the end of the month and helps to stop you overspending. You just put your holiday money into your checking account before leaving.

It's always a good idea to take out card protection insurance efore your departure so that, if you lose your cards or they're stolen, you'll only have to call the insurance company. These schemes are available from most banks and tend to cost only £10/$15 a year, more than worth it especially if they will then wire funds to you. Otherwise make sure you have written down all your card numbers and an emergency telephone number so that you can block any lost or stolen cards; these particulars should be kept in a safe place apart from the cards themselves. Another precaution is to carry one card at a time and leave the others in a hotel safe or tucked away in the darkest recesses of your rucksack.