I'm reading all of the new posts! We are leaving in 6 weeks for a month in Vietnam, starting in Cambodia. I usually use a local, Los Angeles, company and get money before hand. Will probably pay for hotels with a credit card, but want to take Dong for the VN portion of our trip. Is it easy to get cash there, ATMs etc. Does it make sense to take a $1,000 or $2,000 worth of cash with me? I'm a smart traveler and always watchful for thieves etc.
Thanks for your suggestions!

Yes

Can you buy Dong outside of Vietnam?
I'd check with your bank to make sure you can get a decent daily cash limit set up, and use the ATMs. I always take two different ATM/debit cards, just in case one doesn't work. You can use credit cards in many places there, but use your final hotel bill & taxi to airport to unload any extra Dong before you leave the country.

You can now buy Vietnamese dong overseas but usually at an awful rate: typically a 15-20% spread.

Many hotels, tour operators and more upmarket restaurants will take credit cards but may levy a small charge.

ATMs are everywhere. Personally, I only use those attached to banks during banking hours.

ATMs limits in and charges in Vietnam are constantly changing. Max limits can vary between 2m and 12m dong and charges zero to 140k dong ( although zero is rare). The most consistent and highest limits seem to be HSBC and Citibank (they are also the most reliable )

There are many gold shops and a few Western Union places around that will change at good rates, often better than the bank/ MasterCard official rate.

Personally, I usually prebook a transfer from the airport and go to an ATM or gold shop close to my hotel. Alternatively, you can exchange a little to get going at an airport booth.

As lcuy says, take two cards and make sure you bank doesn’t have any restrictions on foreign usage or require notification of where you are going. Some do, some don’t.

In Cambodia the main currency used is the USD and all ATMs will disepense these, so no need to carry wads of cash with you for all of your trip.

Tdiddy12: If I were you, I'd give Michelle or Russell a call down at Foreign Currency Express at the World Trade Center in downtown L.A. I've been doing business with them since either the 80s or 90s. I haven't been to Vietnam yet, but for Japan I use them and get my Yen at a better rate than some places in Tokyo. I'm one who deals mostly in cash as I either take dollars and exchange them when I get to S. E. Asia or for Japan I just get the money I need before I leave L.A. and don't need to be looking for and/or dealing with ATM machines and monetary limits. I also hardly use them here at home. To each his own. The only place that I had to use an ATM was in Hong Kong a couple years ago. There was an ATM machine inside of my hotel.

I'm back in Bangkok at present and haven't used an ATM machine at all and have been here for 3 weeks and have 3 more countries left to travel to and won't use one.

If you contact Foreign Currency Express and ask what the exchange rate is on Vietnamese money, I hope you post back as I might throw in 5 nights in Saigon on next year's annual trip back here to S.E. Asia and need to know if I can depend on cash exchanges or if I'll need to use an ATM machine which will totally depend on exchange rates. I'm on vacation for 6-6.5 weeks here in S.E. Asia and personally come out fine with a Visa credit union debit card, AmExp card, and cash which go a long way. I bring along 2, bank ATM cards and a bank credit card in case of emergency. I had an ATM card eaten in a machine in Copenhagen, some years ago, and it was right outside of my bank there. It was a headache and especially when one travels solo and it was at night and the bank was closed. It was fished out the next morning and the day before I was to fly to Paris. So, as far as getting foreign currency, what system I use depends on to which countries I am traveling.

Have a great trip! I hope you do a trip report.

Happy Travels!

Thanks all - First, Icuy, you can buy Dong in the states. I use LA Currency, currently the Dong is 23,195 to $1, they sell Dong at 19,351 which is about a 17% difference, you called it Crellston! Guenmai, I will contact Foreign Currency Express to see their rate and report back. My only concern was taking money out at the ATM and getting it in big bills. I took out $400 in Euros and got 4 $100 bills once. They can be harder to cash but I guess Dong is going to be huge bills either way. I believe, based on this info that I will buy a smaller amount then I intended. First week in in Cambodia, so will take US, lot's of ones!

Tdiddy12: Thanks for reporting back. I'll watch the forum to see what you find out from Foreign Currency Express as it depends on what country's currency one is buying as to what type of exchange rate one will get. Below is one of their reviews from Yelp. Michelle is the boss and has been there forever. Since I haven't dealt with Vietnamese money, it will be good to know, beforehand, how I'll handle the money situation if I go there for 5 days.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/foreign-cur...ss-los-angeles

Happy Travels!

Enjoy being a millionaire! In VN.

Vietnamese dong is great. Nearly all the notes are plastic, and coins if you get any are fairly useless. I don't use ATMs as I don't want to be lumbered with large denomination notes.

Saigon and Hanoi Airports have good kiosks, where the rate will only be slightly lower than in town. And you can get the denomination notes you want. The only one I'd try and avoid is the 500,000 dong note.

Changing money in towns is a doddle at travel agencies that abound. No problem changing unused money back at Saigon and Hanoi airports at a decent rate.

Basically, money is straightforward in Vietnam, as it also is in Cambodia. In Cambodia just use any local currency you get for tips or buying very small items.

"I don't use ATMs as I don't want to be lumbered with large denomination notes.” Really LL? The max. 500k dong bill ( a massive £16 / $20) is too big? The price of a couple of pints and a decent curry in Pompey .

Most ATMs dispense a variety of denominations but even the 500k is relatively easy to change these days

Yeah I know Crellston. But especially on arrival, it's so easy to go to the nearest kiosk at the Airport, and get exactly the notes you need. At least for the taxi driver into town who, if what we read is correct, never have any change.

Curry in Pompey.....Thursday Night is curry night at Wetherspoons, that'll do me, but I prefer Fish & Chips on Fridays.