Take the big bills to a bank or currency exchange to obtain smaller bills. Many times smaller restaurants and other businesses are reluctant to accept larger bills in Buenos Aires. And for taxi tips, you do not do this in this country unless the driver has overtly gone out of his way to assist you.

In the future purchase your foreign currency from www.XE.com. You pay via a credit card along with a fee. When the company rings you, request small bills. When I went to Brasil and Argentina and Egypt in 2007, I received my smaller bills without encountering any problemos.

When I travel to Europe in our fall and back to South America during their spring of 2009, I will order some of my currency before I take off for my trips. I don't mind having to pay a small fee because it enables me to have a free mind after I arrive at the airports.

Hi, Tomarkot!

Would you tell this forum what rate your bank gave you?

This is because I have been insisting that the rate you get in the US is pretty bad and would like confirmation. You can get here today 3,55 pesos per US dollar.

Moving on to your questions, you CAN tip with small dollar bills, but pesos would be better, IMO.

The best place to change 100 peso bills is in supermarkets. You can buy, say a couple of bottles of mineral water and they HAVE to give you change.

You can also pay not-too-small purchases in most supermarkets with a 100 dollar bill and they'll give you change in pesos. The rate may not be too good, however.

The Banco de la Nación branch at the airport may or may not be willing to give you change. Change is always a problem here, as you apparently know.

Have a great time in our town.

Try to avoid paying taxis with 100 pesos bills. There are some false bills, 20 in particular , and a good way to end up with one is paying taxis with big bills.
You do not need to bring money from the US, but if you must try to get asap small bills.

I exchanged my $$ for pesos at 2.92.

I only post this so Avrooster can laugh at me - AGAIN.

I don't have to stand in line at Banco Nacion.

If I pay for the radio taxi, at the airport, with a $100 peso bill, then I should get about $22 pesos in change.

If not, Supermercado Disco is 3 blocks from where I'm staying. A loaf of bread, a jug of wine and ....

Your research seems to be outdated, Rastaguytoday. LOL!!!

The licensed cabs at the Ezeiza airport are now charging 98 pesos. Tienda León costs 141 pesos.

Sounds like you'll have to go to Disco, to get change for those pesos your bank most generously sold you at 2.92

Thanks to everyone for info regarding currency in Argentina.

And to Avrooster, for us it's been a "Live and Learn" experience. Our bank exchange rate in the US was 323.68; not the 3.55 you described. So we would have been better off waiting until we arrive in BA, as we received all 100's and now have the dilemna of where to get smaller denominations.

The suggestion about visiting the Supermercado for receiving smaller bills is greatly appreciated. (We always need bottled water and snacks.) Also, we didn't know that the taxi fares from the airport into town have gone up. Thanks for the "heads up".

We're staying at the Marriott near Calle Florida. Any other ideas forum members can share regarding how best to handle paying for things in BA will be welcomed. Using credit cards? We're wondering if we should just use our credit card for Tango Shows, most restaurants, local tours, etc.

We appreciate any ideas people are generous enough to offer about money or any other BA ideas! Thank you all!

Lately, our Disco on Las Heras has signs that warn customers that they don't have cash.
They do but they won't want to be breaking a 100 for a 5 peso purchase.. You can go into a bank and get change.. Use the ATM machine to get cash ..
Smaller shops and cafes might not take credit cards, always keep that in mind.. the Ferias and San Telmo flea market = strictly cash.. Tango shows .. if the big ones, probably credit cards ..

The good thing about just taking out a couple of days worth of pesos from the ATM machine is if you were to have a pocket picked, you would not lose a lot.. Calle Florida is terrible for pickpockets so if your wife Must carry a bag, tell her to carry something with the strap across the chest.. you should put your money in more than one pocket and try not to get into that horrible crush of people on Florida street during the day.

There are also money exchange places here .. one on Pueyrredon and one on Quintana in Recoleta.. no idea what their rates are..

Avrooster,

I think that the radio taxi rates in US$ have actually gone down.

Peso exchange rate up + taxi charge rate up = close to the same or less the same US$ amount.

If I thought 6 months ago it was going to cost X in US$, and 6 months later it still cost X in US$, I'm a happy puppy (or is that dawggy)?
--------------------
I tend to use credit cards when traveling, particularly when dining or at a hotel. What's better depends on what your bank says its charges are for international transactions.

However, cambio chicita and moneta is always good to have and Avrooster is buying a book from me for 10 cents

I would use a credit card for any place which does NOT give a good (about 10%) discount for cash payment. It's as simple as that. Larger businesses probably will not give you a discount, smaller ones, particularly the ones where the owner is at the cash register, probably will. If you don't need an invoice, you could get 10% more, but we are now treading dangerous ground....

Scarlett,

I'm staying on Las Heras, about 3-4 blocks west of the Disco.

I believe there is also a Coto nearby and a Carrefour closer to our apartment.

I love Carrefours. However, I've only been to ones in Turkey and Singapore, so what do I know?

I would favor Carrefour over Coto. I'm pretty sure they'll take a 100 pesos bill, even for a comparatively small purchase. The best is Jumbo, but the closest one could be the one in Palermo.

Bottom line: we are better off waiting to get pesos at the airport to get the better exchange rate. Then do we pay the taxi in pesos or dollars. I assume bringing small denomination dollars is also a good idea. Can they be used widely?

debwhite,

If you want to take the time at the airport. Previous posts have said waits up to 2 hours. It was "cheaper" to me to have pesos on arrival than to wait at the bank. I have to meet the concierge at the apartment at a certain times, so it works for me.

As far as small US$ bills - Avrooster says "Moving on to your questions, you CAN tip with small dollar bills, but pesos would be better, IMO."

In another recent post, owlwoman talks about bringing in US$500 in ones and fives. Search for her name for comments on the value of doing so, in that post.

Rasta, the Disco on Las Heras & Austria is the one with the no money signs.

I like the Carrefours on Berruti and love the one at the Paseo Alcorte.. and as AV says .. Jumbo!
Jumbo and Carrefours ( Paseo Alcorte) always take big bills from us .. although the truth is, we generally do more shopping and spend more in those stores.. Disco is usually small amounts of this and that shopping.

How are you enjoying this weather ? sooo much nicer than it has been

Scarlett,

I arrive on 13 March. Mentally, I've left California already.

Do you have the cross streets so I can look them up on my handy map?

I spent 6 weeks in Singapore a few years ago, and Carrefours was a lifesaver. Good wine at good prices, among other things, including the US elusive, Victoria Bitter.

Hi
I thought you were here already! Not too long now, and the weather should be perfecto : - )
OK.. Las Heras and Austria is where the Disco that we go to is ... there is one on Quintana between Callao and Montevideo.. there is the Coto on French between Larrea & Pueyrredon and Paseo Alcorte is a very nice mall with Carrefours taking up the entire ground floor.. huge.
You can buy electronics, stoves , books, housewares and groceries .. clothes and linens too .. oh, and plants and garden supplies.
They have an excellent fish market and ready to eat section,you can buy something and take a table and eat while shopping.. I love it :- )
It is off of Alcorte just past the MALBA .. on Salguero.. I think .. not sure what the name of the street is .. we either walk over or tell the taxi driver the name of the place.

Jumbo is in Palermo .. imagine a huge Home Depot combined with a huge grocery store.. with a great imported section.

There are little markets all over and little kioskos so you can always find drinks and milk..
Hope this helps ...

solve the whole problem by getting your cash from an atm at the airport and change some bills there by buying something small or going to a bank and getting change...

And the ATMs don't have a 2 hour wait, I assume. That's what I originally planned to do. I don't need to change money in a bank. Thanks rhkkmk.

debwhite,

There is a previous link (go back a month or so) saying that the ATMs at the airport are often out of money, and if they do have any money, they will dispense only large bills. It is pretty thorooughly discussed there.

If you try to put in a small or odd amount it won't allow you to obtain money.

Also, many Argentine ATMs have very small limits on the amount you can withdraw at one time.

Okay, I am convinced that I should have at least a decent amount of pesos on me when we enter the country. I will check the exchange rates and determine how much. Then we will take our the maximum allowed each time we pass an ATM. I am hoping we can use our Capital One charge card at many places.

deb, from what I understand, you will have a difficult time getting pesos in the US. . some people have tried and find out that it is impossible.
You will be fine arriving with cash and using your ATM card.. everyone does it here.. those of us who live here and those who visit.. Every block seems to have at least one bank and where you are staying is good for bank availability ..

Has anyone had any experience going into a bank and drawing cash over the counter on their (Visa) debit card to avoid the multiple service charges at an atm to get more than the 300 or so pesos?

tatersalad, I think you have to have an account to do something like that, but I imagine since you have an ATM card from the States, wherever it is used, it will get charged a fee... whether you do it in a machine or hand it to someone to put in their machine.. no?

How good is your Castellano ?

debwhite A better option than trying to obtain pesos in advance of your trip: Take cash and exchange at Banco de la Nacion or Piano Bank in the international airport. You will get a much better rate than exchanging before you visit.

We had no trouble exchanging (best rate, too) dollars for Pesos at the Banco de la Nacion at EZE; the wait was MAYBE TEN MINUTES - it was easy, convenient and safe. You can take a Remis from the airport and pay in credit, dollars or pesos.

We have used pesos for all needs, except an over-the-telephone credit card payment/with a reservation for a show.
Last year, we used Credit Cards for all airline and Buquebus arrangements.

We leave our extra cash and passports in our apartment - in a safe place.

When we needed more pesos, we took some dollars, our passport and went to Citibank nearby - again, easy, safe and an even better rate due to rate change here. We then went straight back to our apartment to put the $$ in our safe place, and then off to spend it LOL!

Really, it is not a problem if you get the fora suggestions and info, and have a general plan. We would be ready to opt for ease rather than the very best exchange rate - but, honestly, they are one and the same...

However you get your pesos, I hope you enjoy using them in BsAs and the rest of Argentina. What a wonderful place to spend vacation time. Even Avenida Florida!

~MarnieWDC