Best way to take $$ to PV

[wheaties]

What's the best way to handle taking $$ to PV? I've heard about the ATM's and compromised cards. I've heard there are extra charges for traveler's checks. How safe is it to use your Visa card for everything?

Will cab driver's take American dollars?

Lots of questions, so little time! Thanks in advance!

 

[quiltergal]

Nearly everyone in PV takes US dollars. We never bothered exchanging to pesos or getting travelers checks. We used our credit card, not our debit card. We didn't use ATMs at all for security reasons.

 

[Blondie]

We head to the Westin Club Regina in a few weeks. We take cash. Never use a credit card/ATM because of all the horror stories we have heard about card numbers being stolen. We did get pesos last year but we really did not need to. This year we will get just a few. And, check with your bank as we had to order them three days in advance. Other posters say they get them at the airport in Mexico.

 

[pittle]

We generally go to a bank and use an ATM - you get the best rate of exchange. We also use our credit cards at resturants and the hotels. We always take $50 - $100 in US $1 bills (depending on how long we will be there) - everyone accepts them.

We generally leave some $1 bills on the bed daily for the housekeeper. Since you often have more than one housekeeper in a week, we like to tip daily. They love the US $.

 

[ripshion]

Never pay for a meal in Mexico with US dollars! The restaurant will give your change back in pesos usually and it will be at their exchange rate and not the bank rate. Every Mexican business will have their own rate! Always best to use pesos or your credit card to pay for meals or items etc. Also, if you exchange US dollars at your resort you will be losing out! You can always get a better rate by exhcanging at a bank or using an ATM to withdraw pesos.

 

[rlblack]

We normally bring some cash, we exchange about $300 at the airport- at the American Express window, it was the cheapest rate, than even at the banks. That way we have money for cab fares, and bus rides. Other than that we use our credit card at nice restaurants and pesos at the little places. For groceries we use our credit card. If we run short we will exchange at ATM at Sam's club or Walmart. That way if there is a problem, you have an American company to "discuss the problem with". We also call our credit card company and tell them where we will be, and the limit we set for one purchase, i.e. we state we will not pay more than $200.00 on any one charge. That way if your card is used for more- they will put a hold on all charges until you call in. If we have any money left over, we save it for our next trip.

Ruth

 

[jws3]

Having just returned from a week in Mazatlan, here's my experience. We hadn't been there for 20 years, so I took way more US cash than we needed. However, that said, it sort of looks like they're pretty much standardizing the exchange rate. Almost everwhere the price was 1020 pesos per 100 dollars. We bought a couple or $300 US worth of pesos to pay for tours, booze, groceries and the little open taxis (pulmonas, or 20 years ago, mariposas).

I had managed to get rid of all of the pesos, but at the airport, I bought a trinket for something like $3.50 US and got change in pesos because they didn't have any quarters. Right. Oh, well it was only 50c and I can use them to mark my golf ball.

 

[davilin88]

Using pesos is cheaper than USD, as the vendors will round off, say if an item is 200 pesos they will take 20 USD, which is more. I don't know many airports, but SFO has an atm which will give you pesos at the bank's rate. Credit cards also get the banks rate of exchange. Avoid hotel exchange boothes.