Country Information

Capital: Willemstad

Time zone: GMT – 4

Telephone services: Country Code: 599 Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: Police – 114, Ambulance – 112. All services – 444444

Tourist information: Caribbean Tourism Organisation, 42 Westminster Gardens, Artillery Row, London SW1P 1RR Tel: (020) 7222 4335 Fax: (020) 7222 4325.

Passport information: Passports required by all except: Nationals of Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands holding a national identity card. Nationals of the USA holding voters registration card or birth certificate and alien residents of the USA with an alien registration card. Nationals of Canada with birth certificate or proof of citizenship. Nationals of San Marino with a valid ID card or a passport not expired for more than 5 years. Nationals and Alien residents of Venezuela and travellers in Venezuela, visiting the Netherlands Antilles holding a national identity card. Return Ticket required. Requirements may be subject to short-term change. Contact embassy before departure.

Visa information: Nationals of Australia, Canada the USA and Japan are allowed to stay for 14 days without a visa. Nationals of Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK are allowed to stay for 90 days without a visa provided they have onward or return tickets. NOTE: Contact the embassy for an up to date complete list of visa regulations, which are complex and may change at short notice.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended.
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required from travellers over 6 months of age arriving from infected areas.

Food & drink: Water is considered drinkable, normal precautions should be observed with food

Currency: Netherlands Antilles Guilder or Florin (NAG) = 100 cents.
At official tourist shops purchases can only be made in US Dollars.
Credit cards are accepted in large establishments. US dollar travellers cheques are the most welcomed.
ATM availability: 10 locations.

Cost of living: The most expensive of the Netherlands Antilles.

Languages: Dutch. English, Spanish Papiamento are also used.

Weather: Hot all year round with cooling winds. Raining season Oct – Dec.

Electricity: 1110/220 volts AC 50 Hz.

Post: 4 – 6 days.

Transport: TRANSPORT
ROAD: An IDP is required. BUS: A good bus service operates throughout the island and many hotels operate their own mini-buses to the capital. TAXI and CAR HIRE: Plentiful.

Special information: Swim wear for beach / pool-side only.

Capital: Luanda

Time zone: GMT + 1

Telephone services: Country Code: 244
Outgoing Code: Calls through the operator are booked in advance

Emergency telephone numbers: Not available at present.

Tourist information: National Tourist Agency, CP 1240 Palácio de Vidro, Luanda, Angola, Tel: (2) 372 750.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all. Passports must have enough pages for all the Angolan stamps required. Travellers who do not have enough blank pages may be detained/deported. Return Ticket required. May be subject to short- term change. Contact Embassy before departure

Visa information: Visa required by all. Tourist travel is not permitted. Business Visas granted.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Malaria: Exists in the falciparum variety.
Yellow Fever: Vaccination certificate required if arriving from an infected area.
Other Health Risks: Bilharzia, Cholera and Rabies. There is a very high prevalence of AIDS/HIV. Visitors should seek medical advice before travelling.

Food & drink: Water is untreated and NOT safe to drink. Avoid dairy products as they are not pasteurised. Fruit and vegetables should be peeled before consumption.

Currency: New Kwanza (NKW) = 100 lwie (LW). Note: All imported CURRENCY should be declared on arrival. Export of local currency is prohibited.
Credit cards and travellers cheques are not accepted.
ATM availability: Unavailable.

Cost of living: High inflation present due country’s instability.

Languages: Portuguese. African languages are spoken by the majority of the population.

Weather: North: Hot and wet in the summer months (Nov to Apr) winter is slightly cooler and mainly dry. South: Hot throughout the year with a slight decrease in the winter months.

Electricity: 220 Volts Ac, 60 Hz. Plugs = Continental 2 pin.

Post: 5-10 days for airmail.

Transport: FLIGHTS: Between main centres. RAIL: Erratic with no sleeping cars or air conditioning. ROAD: Many roads are unsuitable for travel. Local advice is needed. DOCUMENTATION: ID papers to be carried at all times. All travel is strictly controlled and some business travel is prohibited

Special information: NOTE: HIGH RISK. The Travel Advice Unit of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against travel to Angola unless on essential business. Much of the country is mined and banditry and car-jacking are common. The UN office for the coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Luanda [UCAH] is the best source for local advice. Carry identity documents at all times

Capital: Buenos Aires

Time zone: GMT – 3

Telephone services: Country Code: 54
Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: Police – 101/107, Police helpline (24hrs) in English on 101, for victims of crime.

Tourist information: Argentine Consulate, 27 Three Kings Yard, London W1Y 1FL Tel: (020) 7318 1340 Fax: (020) 7318 1349

Passport information: Valid passport required by all except nationals of Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay who, for journeys that do not go beyond these countries, can use their national ID cards. Return ticket required by Australia, Japan and others. May be subject to change at short notice. Contact the Consular authority before departure.

Visa information: Required by all for business purposes, refer to the relevant authority for visa requirements for tourists.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended.
Malaria: Exists in the Vivax variety in rural and areas below 1200m.
Other Health Risks: Rabies, noteworthy risk of Hepatitis A, Trypanosomiasis, Gastroentiritis, Intestinal Parasitosis and Anthrax. Anthrax is not at this time seen to be significantly more prevalent than in many rural economies worldwide.

Food & drink: Water is untreated and not safe to drink

Currency: Nuevo Peso (P) = 100 centavos
Diners Club, American Express and MasterCard. Travellers cheques can be exchanged in larger towns for US Dollars.
ATM availability: Over 800 locations.

Cost of living: Budget travel is not impossible. Reasonably priced lodging, food and transport is available. Allow for fluctuating prices between cities and rural areas.

Languages: Spanish is the official language. English, German, French and Italian are sometimes spoken

Weather: The central area is hot and humid between December and February and cooler in the winter. The north has a sub-tropical climate, the south has a sub-arctic climate.

Electricity: 220 Volts AC, 50 Hz. Plugs = older buildings require 2-pin, but 3-pin can be used in more modern buildings.

Post: Airmail to Europe takes between 5 to 10 days. Surface mail can take as long as 50 days, so airmail is advisable.

Transport: FLIGHTS: Air travel is the most convenient way to get around the main cities but is often in heavy demand and subject to delay. ROADS: Cross- country high ways are well built, although road conditions off the main routes can be unreliable. DOCUMENTATION: IDP is required and this must be stamped at the offices of the Automovil club Argentina. Minor violations are subject to large fines. RAIL: One of the largest domestic rail- networks in the world. Good facilities and low class travel can be good value. There are six main routes out of Buenos Aires, but information can be hard to find elsewhere in Argentina.

Special information: Avoid casual discussion of the Falklands/Malvinas islands. Due to an increase in crime occasionally involving violence, avoid poorly-lit areas at night. Avoid carrying large amounts of cash at all times. Beachwear is not suitable for town. Avoid military installations, which usually allow no stopping.

Capital: Vienna

Time zone: GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to the Saturday before the last Sunday in September)

Telephone services: Country Code: 43
Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: Dial 112 anywhere in the EU to reach the emergency services. Additional local numbers:- Police – 133, Ambulance – 144, Fire – 122.

Tourist information: Austrian National Tourist Office, P.O.Box. 2363, 14 Cork Street, London, W1X 1PF Tel: (020) 7629 0461 Fax: (020) 7499 6038.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all. Requirements may be subject to short term change. Contact embassy before departure.

Visa information: Visa required by all except: Nationals of EU countries with a valid ID card.

Health information: Health Risks: Rabies, Ticks.

Food & drink: Water is considered drinkable, normal precautions should be observed with food

Currency: In common with 12 Member States of the European Union (EU), here the euro is the currency. There are seven different banknotes and eight coins of the Euro. Each participating EU country has coins with one common side and a reverse side specific to each country, while the banknotes look the same throughout the Euro area. Exchange: All banks, exchange counters at airports, railway stations. Credit cards are not as widely used in Austria as they are in the USA and the United Kingdom, however most major cards will be accepted in large towns. Travellers cheques are accepted in towns and tourist areas.
ATM availability: Over 3000 locations.

Cost of living: Relatively expensive, similarly to other Western European countries.

Languages: German

Weather: Moderate continental climate. Winter – high snow levels but sunny. Summer – warm days cool nights

Electricity: 220 volts AC 50 Hz. Round 2 pin European plugs are used.

Post: 2 – 4 days within Europe.

Transport: RAIL: An efficient rail service operates throughout Austria. Special offers / discounts can often be found. ROAD: Excellent network of roads. There is free assistance from the Austrian motoring association. (OAMTC). Hitching: Institutionalised. DOCUMENTATION: Green card is strongly recommended for driving. The British driving licence is usually recognised. A Motorway Vignette is required on Motorways and A roads, they are available at border posts and larger garages.

Special information: Visitors to the Alps are advised to contact the Austrian Tourist Agency (tel: + [43] (020) 7629 0461 for advice on weather and safety conditions before travelling. It is customary to greet people with the salute Grüss Gott. Austrians tend to be quite formal. The church holds a high position in Austrian society which should be kept in mind by the visitor. It is customary to dress up for the opera or theatre.

Capital: Canberra

Time zone: East GMT + 10, Central + 9.5, West + 8

Telephone services: Country Code: 61
Outgoing Code: 0011

Emergency telephone numbers: Emergency services = 000.

Tourist information: Australian Tourist Commission, Gemini House, 10 – 18 Putney Hill, London, SW1S 6AA Tel: (020) 8780 2227-9 Fax: (020) 8780 1496.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all. Return Ticket Required. Regulations may be subject to change at short notice. Contact the embassy before departure.

Visa information: Visa required.

Health information: Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate will be required if travelling from an infected area.

Food & drink: Water is considered drinkable, normal precautions should be observed with food.

Currency: Australian Dollar (A$) = 100 cents NOTE: Import or export of A$5000 must be reported to customs at entry or departure. All major credit cards and travellers cheques, in any international currency, are widely accepted.
ATM availability: Over 6 000 locations.

Cost of living: Comparatively cheap compared to the UK and USA. Caters for all.

Languages: English and many minority languages.

Weather: Extreme varieties of climate from tropical to temperate. Nov – Mar = warm or hot everywhere. Apr – Sept occasional rain in the South which can be intense.

Electricity: 240/250 Volts AC 50 Hz. Unique 3 pin plugs used – adaptor required.

Post: 7 – 10 days.

Transport: FLIGHTS: Vast size of Australia makes this the most convenient form of intercity travel. ROAD: In the outback a full set of spares should be carried, with water, food and petrol. DOCUMENTATION: National licence valid for 3 months and must be carried whilst driving.

Special information: If travelling into the interior specific precautions should be taken, for instance take adequate supplies, and leave information of your whereabouts. Special care and respect of natural habitats is recommended. Always ask permission before photographing aborigines. Tourists should exercise care in Sydney as a number of backpackers have been attacked. Be cautious when using ATMs.

Capital: Oranjestad

Time zone: GMT – 4

Telephone services: Country Code: 297
Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: Police – 11000, Ambulance – 74300, Fire – 115

Tourist information: Caribbean Tourism Organisation, 42 Westminster Gardens, Artillery Row, London SW1P 1RR Tel: (020) 7222 4335 Fax: (020) 7222 4325.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all except nationals of the USA or Canada holding a naturalisation card and photo ID, alien registration card, birth certificate or affidavit of birth. Return ticket required. Requirements may be subject to short-term change. Contact embassy before departure.

Visa information: Visas are required by nationals of Afghanistan, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Libya, Mauritania, Mongolia, Myanmar, Syria and Vietnam. All other nationals may enter for a period of 14 days for tourist purposes providing they have onward or return tickets and proof of sufficient funds for the length of stay. Nationals of Belgium, Bolivia; Burkina Faso, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Germany, Israel, Jamaica, South Korea, Luxembourg, Malawi, Mauritius, Niger, Philippines, San Marino, Suriname and Swaziland can enter without a visa for up to 3 months

Health information: Yellow Fever: R. A Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers over 6 months of age arriving from infected areas.

Food & drink: Water is distilled and treated in a saltwater purification plant, and should be refreshing and safe, normal precautions should be observed with food.

Currency: Aruba Florin (AFL) = 100 cents. Exchange: The US$ is widely accepted. Local currency can not be exchanged outside Aruba. Travellers cheques in US dollars and Dutch Guilders are widely accepted. MasterCard is widely accepted.
ATM availability: 10 locations.

Cost of living: Hotels on the Palm Beach and Eagle Beach resorts are very expensive. Rates for other accommodations are much lower in the summer season.

Languages: Dutch, English, Spanish and Papiamento are also spoken.

Weather: Warm and dry climate. Average temperature 28ºC. The months of October, November and December experience short showers.

Electricity: 110 volts Ac 60 Hz. – Normal American supply.

Post: Up to 1 week.

Transport: FLIGHTS: Air Aruba offers domestic services between other Caribbean islands. ROAD very good system of roads throughout the island. BUS: Bus services operate between the towns and hotels. TAXI: Fares are fixed and should be checked before journey. CAR HIRE: The most pleasant way of getting around the island. Many cars are available. DOCUMENTATION: A valid national or IDP is required. Minimum age – 23 for driving.

Special information: Beachwear should only be worn around the beach / pool.