Getting There

By Plane -- Córdoba is most easily reached by air, and there are numerous daily flights from Buenos Aires. Aeropuerto Internacional Ing. Ambrosio Taravella (also called Pajas Blancas; tel. 351/475-0871 or 351/475-0874) sits 11km (6 3/4 miles) outside town. Aerolíneas Argentinas (tel. 0810/222-86527; www.aerolineas.com.ar), Lade (tel. 0810/810-5233), Sol (tel. 0810/444-4765; www.sol.com.ar), and LAN (tel. 0810/999-9526; www.lan.com) operate here, with flights to Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Salta, Rosario, and Santiago de Chile. Buenos Aires flights cost approximately $160 (£109) one-way. Gol (tel. 0810/266-3131) also flies four times a week from Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil. LAB Lloyd Aero Boliviano (tel. 351/482-0614) has two weekly flights from Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

Taxis from the airport to downtown cost between $8 and $10 (£5.45-£6.80).

By Bus -- The Terminal de Omnibus, or central bus station, is located at Bd. Perón 380 (tel. 351/433-1982 or 351/433-1987). Numerous companies serve destinations throughout Argentina. Travel times are approximately 10 hours to Buenos Aires, 12 hours to Mendoza, 30 minutes to Villa Carlos Paz, and 2 hours to La Falda. A one-way ticket from Buenos Aires should cost no more than $40 (£27); companies constantly offer promotions and change their prices frequently. I recommend you check with the tourism office or the bus station before booking your ticket. A tourism information office is situated in the bus station (tel. 351/433-1987). Rede Ticket, Obispo Trejo 325 (tel. 351/428-0800; www.redeticket.com.ar), is a booking agency located 4 blocks from the central plaza that charges the same as the bus companies in the station.

By Car -- The drive from Buenos Aires takes approximately 10 hours on RN 9, which is a good road.

Car Rental -- To rent a small car costs $50 to $60 (£34-£41) per day. Try Annie Millet-Hertz (tel. 351/475-0581 or 351/475-0587; www.hertzenargentina.com.ar) or Avis (tel. 351/475-0815 or 351/475-0785; www.avis.com.ar) at the airport, or Europe Rent a Car, Entre Ríos 70 (tel. 351/422-4867). Budget, San Jerónimo 131 (tel. 351/421-1240; www.budget.com.ar), is located 1 block from Plaza San Martín.

Visitor Information

Córdoba's Centro de Información Turística, in the Cabildo (tel. 351/434-1227; www.cordobaturismo.gov.ar), offers hotel and restaurant information and distributes small city maps. It's open daily from 8am to 8pm in summer, with shorter hours in winter. There are also branches at the airport (tel. 351/434-8390) and at the bus station (tel. 351/433-1987 or 351/433-1982). They also provide information and maps on the entire region, such as La Falda or La Cumbre.

Getting Around

On Foot -- The old city of Córdoba is easy to explore on foot, with 24 blocks of pedestrian walking streets near the Cabildo. The heart of the old city spreads out around Plaza San Martín, in the southeast quadrant of Córdoba. Most of the historical sights lie in this area. Avenida Colón, which becomes Avenida Olmos, is the city's main street. Centro de Información Turística, in the Cabildo (tel. 351/434-1200), organizes walking tours of the city in English. As a general rule, you should not walk alone in big cities at night. In Córdoba, this is especially true anywhere along the river.

By Bus -- City buses are cheap and abundant, but only cospeles -- 50¢ (34p) tokens, available at kiosks around town -- are accepted. Córdoba City Tour (tel. 351/424-6605) is a double-decker bus that does English-language tours of the city, starting at Plaza San Martín.

By Car -- Driving is difficult in the city, and parking is almost impossible downtown. In Córdoba, taxis are bright yellow, while the safer and similarly priced remises (private, unmetered taxis) are light green. As is the case throughout Argentina, it is always safer to hire a remise rather than flag a taxi on the streets. This is just an extra measure of security for the visitor -- locals have no problems flagging taxis on the street.

By Bike -- Like any big city, cyclists should be aware of heedless drivers. Saying that, on bike is a lovely way to explore the park and plazas. Córdoba Renta Bike, San Martín 5 (tel. 351/421-8012), charges $20 (£14), including helmets and maps.

Fast Facts

Area Code -- The area code for Córdoba is 351.

ATMs & Currency Exchange -- Two reliable exchange houses are Maguitur, 25 de Mayo 122, and Barujel, Rivadavia 97. There is also an exchange booth at the airport called Global Exchange (tel. 351/475-9038). ATMs are commonplace in the city center, while the main Citibank is located at 25 de Mayo and Rivadavia.

Emergency -- For a medical emergency, dial tel. 107; for police, dial tel. 100 or 351/428-7000; in case of fire, dial tel. 101.

Hospital -- The Hospital de Urgencias (emergency hospital; tel. 351/427-6200) is located at Catamarca and Salta.

Internet Access -- Telecom, with a branch on almost every corner downtown, provides Internet access for less than $1 (70p) per hour.

Pharmacy -- Farmacia Virtual, 27 de Abril 99 (tel. 351/411-1101), is open daily until midnight.

Post Office -- The main post office, Correo Argentino, is at Av. General Paz 201.

Seasons -- Córdoba can be visited any time of year, although you should expect hot temperatures, stormy weather, and big crowds in January and February, and fairly cold temperatures June through August. In addition to peak summer season, tourist destinations also fill up during Easter week.

Spanish Classes -- The city is increasingly popular with study-abroad students who want to catch up on their Spanish, and long-term travelers who want to learn some vocabulary before heading farther. Able Spanish, Caseros 45 (tel. 351/423-3300; www.ablespanish.com), and Espanex, Av. General Paz 55 (tel. 351/421-8954; www.espanex.org), are two private institutions that can also organize volunteer work and internships.

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