Argentina will initially seem extortionately expensive to anyone arriving from the neighbouring countries, even Chile. Buenos Aires, in particular, is an expensive city and as a rule of thumb the further south you travel in the provinces the more your budget will be stretched, which means that Patagonia is not a place to travel around on a shoestring. That said, you can get by on less - albeit not much less - than you would in North America, Western Europe or Australasia, especially with some careful planning or, say, by camping and self-catering. Accommodation is certainly far more expensive than in Peru or Bolivia, but also more luxurious on the whole.

Eating out ends to be on the pricey side, too, but again at least the quantities are generous and quality is reliable; you can usually save money by having your main meal at lunchtime, when set menus (sometimes called menú ejecutivo ) are really quite reasonable. You may want to avoid the international fast-food chains, but the home-grown equivalents tend to be better, healthier and cheaper in any case. Snacks such as lomitos , often bumper sandwiches filled with real steak, or delicious empanadas , are far more satisfying than any cheeseburger, while pizzas are often unbeatable value. Picnicking is another option; local produce is often world class and an al fresco meal of bread, cheese, ham or salami with fresh fruit and a bottle of table wine in a great location is a match for any restaurant feast. Breakfast and drinks at cafés, especially in Buenos Aires, can be expensive, so it's often a good idea to avoid them if money's tight.

Long-distance transport will also eat up a huge chunk of your expenses and hitchhiking is not always an option. The enormous distances to cover are obviously an important factor to bear in mind, and you may have to budget for some internal flights. Look out for special deals once you're there, especially with the smaller private airlines. Buses vary greatly in condition and price from one category to another and some companies give student discounts, while others promote given destinations with special fares, so it's worth asking around. Remember, too, that the better companies usually give you free food and drink (of varying quality) on lengthy journeys which can more than compensate for a slightly higher fare. Spacious and modern buses offering coche cama comfort overnight enable you to save the price of a room and are worthwhile options for covering long distances over less interesting terrain. City transport, including taxis and remises , are far better value than in the UK or North America, and most cities are compact enough to walk around anyway. Airports and bus stations are rarely a long way from the centre of town, although mostly too far to walk.

Most places, especially hotels, restaurants and big stores, ask for a huge handling fee for credit-card payments (as high as 20 percent); so it's worth knowing that many businesses - and hotels in particular - will give you a fair-sized discount for cash payments ( efectivo or contado ) on the quoted price, though they may need prompting.

Roughly speaking, you'll need to reckon on spending at least $200 a week on a shoestring budget, $400 to satisfy creature comforts, by staying in mid-range accommodation and not stinting, while for $800 a week you can live in the lap of luxury. If you're travelling alone , you might need to add at least another ten to twenty percent to these prices.