ateabag

Hi! I usually get a little foreign currency so I don't have to wait in currency exchange lines upon arriving so can go directly to the hotel. Made the usual call to AmEx & were told they did not have Ar Pesos available. Cked another site online & could not understand the lingo but wondered if the Ar peso is regulated & one cannot purchase it out of Ar?? Anyone know?? Thx again!

travdis

We did not bother before going to Buenos Aires. We went to the ATM at the BA Airport. American dollars were accepted everywhere and at a better exchange rate than credit cards and ATM. They encouraged Americans to come in their store by offering very good exchange rates thinking you would buy more. Of course all change was in pesos.

drdawggy

I usually exchange money at the international airport in Buenos Aires. Banco de la Nacion offers a good rate of exchange at either the window or from the ATM.

Dollars are accepted in most tourist shops, but not always at a favorable rate of exchange. Sometimes yes, sometimes no....Most purchases apart from toursit shops are in pesos....

You can exchange money in the Miami airport if you are so inclined...but the rates are terrible....better to wait until you are in Buenos Aires.

jainai

Check with your bank. I got pesos at Wells Fargo, no service fee. You will need to call the branch several days ahead of time so they can order the pesos for you. They also have the option of delivering the currency to your home after debiting the amount from your account. It's a wonderful service. (Can't wait to visit BsAs. We arrive tomorrow! Will be our first time.)

drdawggy

I do not bank with Wells Fargo, but mostg banks offer a terrible rate of exchange for pesos paid in the USA. check the rate at www.dolarhoy.com and compare with the rate offered by your bank. no need to charge an additional service fee if the rate of exchange is 15 or 20 percent below the going rate offered in Argentina.

hopefulist

I like to get currency ahead for whatever country I'm traveling to. Bank of America has a way to order it online and pick it up at your bank; maybe others provide a similar service.

Jeff_Costa_Rica

There is something fun about getting some money in advance of the country to which you're traveling, but U.S. banks and exchange houses give terrible rates for Latin American currency. That's assuming they can get it at all. You get far better rates waiting until you arrive in country.

mikemo

Why bother?
Just beyond customs and to the right of the (world car is $65. pesos) Remise kiosks at EZE is an ATM: I was able to get $1800. AR pesos.
M

CollegeMom

Use the ATM at the airport to get pesos and avoid the fees and wait for ordering from a US bank. There are ATMs at the airport (and many in BA) as well as currency exchanges, but found the ATMs to give better rates. Dollars can be used in larger stores, grocery stores, and tourist spots, but pesos are definitely needed (small bills) for taxis and small shops. Credit cards are also widely accepted, but most of them charge an international fee of 1-3%. You can get pesos outside of the country, but some Argentines put their money in foreign banks to protect against devaluation like they have sadly expereinced so many times in the past.

jainai

It is true, that although my bank (Wells Fargo) did not charge a service fee, the exchange was not great. It was something like 2.8 pesos for 1 usd. I worried about arriving with no AR cash or possibly wasting time finding an ATM that dispensed cash with my bank/credit card or waiting in bank lines to do the exchange in Bs.As, or worry about getting mugged after the exchange. My partner and I speak very little Spanish and worried about the whole logistics of getting money exchanged. But if I were to do it again, I'd skip getting money out of my US bank (or maybe just get a small amount?) and go to the airport in BsAs as recommended by the BsAs travel gurus and do my entire exchange there. =) It has been very nice thus far not to worry about going to get pesos each day, though.

DKG50

I'm in the exactly same situation as the last poster. I'm heading to BsAs from NYC in 2 weeks. Bank of America (a.k.a. Bank of Horrible) wants to give me only 2.8 as a rate. I think that we'll wait until we get to the airport. For a week's money, 3.12 is certainly better than 2.8.

Any other advice?

Thanks!

DKG50

drdawggy

If it has taken the worry out of your trip, a poor exchange rate may be a small price to pay for an enjoyable and hassle free experience. That's the point of a vacation....to relax, enjoy yourself and learn as much as you can about the place you have chosen as your destination....Hope you enjoyed Buenos Aires and will post a review of your experiences when you return.

sergitonicola

hello, i have a commerce in Bs As and travel to Miami once a month, if you need I will be glad to exchange at 5:1

Shooze79

I found it impossible to exchange USD once outside Argentina so I would recommend spending all your Argentine pesos before leaving...even if you have to buy wine or perfume at the duty free store in the EZE airport.

In the U.S., before the trip, I was able to buy Arg pesos at my local bank at the regular market exchange rate. Once back in the U.S., the same bank would not buy back the pesos (even though they said they would before I left for the trip three weeks earlier).

Argentines are severely restricted on how many US dollars they can "buy" so many are saving them - but not in the bank. There is a blue market in which you can get a better exchange rate for your USD, but the dealers seemed to be getting skittish. (April 2013) I only used the ATM to get Arg pesos as the blue market scared me. ATMs are Banelco and Link.

In the stores, they may not have an "advertised" USD rate for goods, but learn to ask. I made that mistake at a few stores before learning that I only had to ask for the USD rate. You can get much better deals when paying with USD cash.

Counterfeiting of the 100 peso bill doesn't seem to be the problem that it was three years ago. More cab drivers are accepting the 100 peso bill, but always be careful! A cab driver may tell you he can make change for the 100 peso bill, will take your bill and then will give it back to you...telling you he cannot make change. In the meantime, he has switched your good 100 peso bill with a counterfeit. This was common in 2010. On my recent visit, the cab drivers were more honest. If paying with a 100 peso bill, they would put the bill on the passenger seat while making change. Still, always be careful. The counterfeit I was "passed" was in Recoleta - one of the most affluent areas of Buenos Aires.

Happy travels!