Tea or mate is quaffed in enormous quantities. Events The country's show-stopper is the annual Carnaval , which takes place on the Monday and Tuesday immediately preceding Ash Wednesday. Montevideo's staid reputation takes a battering during this time as a brace of drummers and costumed revelers advance along its streets. All visitors need a tourist card, which is valid for 90 days and extendable for a similar period. Costs are slightly lower than in Argentina, especially with respect to accommodation and transportation.
Banks are the rule in the interior.
Better hotels, restaurants and shops accept credit cards, but Uruguayan ATMs reject North American or European credit cards. There is no black market. Taxi drivers do not require tips, although you may round off the fare for convenience. When To Go Uruguay's main attraction is its beaches, so most visitors come in summer. Along the littoral, summer temperatures are smotheringly hot, but the hilly interior is cooler, especially at night.