My husband and I are going to Cancun in June. We are
confused about the exchange of money - dollars vs.
pecos. Can anyone give us advice as to exchange,
the best place and if it is better to charge the
meals, or if you can use U.S. dollars? Thanks for
your help.

just got back from Zihuatanejo.....charge everything and save your receipts...the rate is 8.4 to 1 but you will be lucky to 8.1 to 1...and most can't do math so charge it and pay in pesos..have fun the mexican people were very friendly!

Hi, I'm just a bit confused about your message.
You said to charge everything, and then to
pay in pecos. Explain--do you mean to put
everything on a credit card, or to pay in pecos,
that would mean converting my money?

Thanks for your help.

Hi, I'm just a bit confused about your message.
You said to charge everything, and then to
pay in pecos. Explain--do you mean to put
everything on a credit card, or to pay in pecos,
that would mean converting my money?

Thanks for your help.

Pat,

Sorry you did not understand. Charge everything you can however that will be impossible for taxis and things purchased in small shops.

1. you can covert $ at airport in Mexico City..8.4 to 1 with small service charge.

2. you can use ATM in most places I got very good rates when I checked my Macs when I got home.

Hope I made mysel more clear!

john

I was in Puerto Vallarta this past Christmas, I had
to exchange Cdn. Dollars, not a problem. Exchange
your money in town at the exchange booths or banks,
you get a better rate - don't exchange your money
at the hotels exchange rate is poor. We found that
everyone would take the American Dollar for tips,
taxi drivers, restaurants, they usually ask you if
your paying in pesos, we just found it easier to pay
in pesos. Your hotel or the bank should be able to
supply you with a small conversion chart for reference - just ask for it, it's very helpful.
Also, we did look at exchanging a bit of money at
the airport, but the rate was a bit lower. We took
a bit of everything when we left, $20 american, I
exchange $20 for pesos at my local money exchange
outlet and brought mostly Cdn. Funds, this was just
for the trip to Mexico so I could tip and maybe buy
a drink or something to eat. I believe that the
exchange a Christmas was 7.90 pesos per one american
dollar...hope this helps.

I would put as much as you can on your credit cards. For small items you of course pay in pesos. You will get the best exchange rate in the malls. You really do not need to hire a taxi because the resort area has very good public transportation. Exchange small amounts say $50.00 should probably be all the cash you will need for your stay. At the airport when leaving all of the paper money you have left can be re-exchanged. If you find the need to hire a taxi, establish price of the trip before you get in.

Hi! I just recently returned from Puerto Vallarta. I had had my Canadian money converted to American dollars before I left for my vacation. I think think that the best way to do it is to get majority of your money converted to pesos before you get there. Most places in PV accept American dollars, but we found that pesos were preferred. We also found that most places we went to quoted us in pesos, so it was just as easy to have them in our wallets. Trying to figure out what pesos equal a certain amount of American dollars was sometimes a difficult task. There are many places that will change Canadian and American dollars, and the booths in the streets are usually your best bet, as they will usually give you a better rate than the hotels will. Hope that you have a great time. We had the best week of our lives, and we didn't want to come home.

I have been to Mexico for the past 3 years (1 Cancun and 2 in Puerto Vallarta) I would recommend putitng NOTHING on your credit card. Some of our friends have had problems being double charged. Last April exchange rate was 8.5 and our hotel paid 8.5 most hotels will pay the actual rate.

Take a small calculator with you AND USE IT....It will be much easier for figuring tips and if you are using pecos it is easier to know in US dollars how much you are paying. Most merchants will take either pesos or US dollars and even travellers checks. You may be able to bargain better if you use US because they prefer it. Your change however will be in pesos.

Our experience is in Cozumel every winter.

· Hotels will do money exchanges for you, but its not the best rate. However, it is never worthwhile to stand in line on the day the bank is open to exchange money. The wait is tremendous and the rate is only minutely better. The best places are the little "hole-in-the-wall" exchange houses. There are also cash machines all over now. They accept most cash cards and disperse money in pesos - think about this carefully when you tell the machine how much money you want - you want pesos not dollars. 200 pesos only equals about $23 U.S. Do the math first.

· If you charge expenses on an American Express card, you will get the VERY BEST exchange rate at the time the charges are put through. This is a good way to save money if rates are fluctuating. We've never had a problem being overcharged.

To get the best exhange rate when shopping or dining, ask for the price in pesos and then do your own conversion. At that point you can pay in pesos or dollars with no fear of being ripped off. And don't be afraid to bargain, bargain, bargain - its expected.

Take a look at this currency converter web site:

http://www.xe.net/currency/