TRAVELER @ nationalgeographic.com

Deciding When to Go
Go November-early December and March-April, when temperatures are cool, streets are uncrowded, and hotel rooms are priced up to 20 percent less than in peak tourist season (late December-January).

Getting There
By plane: Montevideo's Aeropuerto Internacional de Carrasco (+2 598 604 0330) is about 12 miles northeast of downtown. There are no direct flights from North America, but Montevideo is only a short hop across the Río de la Plata from Buenos Aires. American Airlines, United Airlines, Varig, and Lan Chile all offer connecting flights from major U.S. cities.

By boat: High-speed ferries from Buenos Aires take about three hours to cross the Río de la Plata, and the Buquebus ferry port (+2 598 916 8801) is five minutes by car from Ciudad Vieja, Montevideo's colonial core.

By bus: Bus service to Colonia and Punta del Este is frequent, comfortable, and inexpensive ($0.22 U.S. per trip) from Terminal Tres Cruces (+2 598 2 401 8998).

Clearing Customs
U.S. citizens need only a passport to stay up to 90 days and a visa for longer visits. Travelers planning to stop over (not just change planes) in Brazil need a Brazilian visa. More information >>

Determining Time Difference
When North America is on DST (April 7-October 26), Uruguay is an hour ahead of ET. From October 27-April 6, Uruguay is two hours ahead of ET. Current time and date >>

Making Telephone Calls
When calling overseas from the U.S., dial 011 followed by the country code (598), city code (2), and telephone number. More information >>

Checking Weather Forecasts
The climate is mild with temperatures peaking at 83 (ºF) in summer (December-January) and dropping to about 43 (ºF) in winter (July-August). Spring temperatures average 55-68 (ºF), and fall temperatures average 64-78 (ºF). Current weather conditions >>