LOOKIN FOR MONEY ADVICE

TRAVELINFAN · 08-14-2003

I'M HEADED TO PLAYA IN TWO DAYS AND CAN'T WAIT.

I'M MARKING ABOUT $1000 SPEND CASH FOR TWO OF US BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT PERCENTAGE I SHOULD HAVE IN AMERICAN DOLLARS VERSES KEEPING IT IN MY CHECKING ACCOUNT TO EXTRACT AS PESOS FROM THE ATMS THERE? CAN ANYONE GIVE ME SOME INSIGHT HERE? WILL I BE USING THE AMERICAN GREENBACK OR THE MEXICAN DOLLAR ONCE I'M THERE???

JAH · 08-14-2003

Three things:

First, remove your Caps Lock. Your email is difficult to read. Please make it easier for all of us.

Second, Mexican currency is called pesos, not dollars. It is considered best for all concerned to use the currency of the country one is visiting. In this case, it will be pesos.

Third, have a good time and smile at everyone you meet!

summergirl · 08-14-2003

As far as the currency, you should bring at least a couple hundred in American money. Is this your first time on this site because you can do a search and find out plenty of information on this topic? Please turn off caps lock. 8)

Lust4Travel · 08-15-2003

You can use either. You will get change in both.

We find it easier to take it out of the ATMs as needed. That way you're not walking around with a ton of cash, but when you need it you get it in the local currency. You also don't want to get stuck with a lot of pesos at the end of your vacation . . .

John in DC · 08-15-2003

No one ever had any trouble buying anything in Mexico with pesos.

**denisea** · 08-15-2003

Quote:

Originally posted by "Lust4Travel"

You also don't want to get stuck with a lot of pesos at the end of your vacation . . .

Maybe if you don't plan on ever visiting again. Since we return year after year, we actually prefer to come home with some extra pesos in our pockets so that we have it for the start of our next trip.

Lust4Travel · 08-18-2003

I said:

Quote:

You also don't want to get stuck with a lot of pesos at the end of your vacation . . .

You said:

Quote:

Maybe if you don't plan on ever visiting again.

What I meant was, we take pesos out of ATM machines as we need them, instead of exchanging all our money prior to traveling.

We visit PDC every year, but never know exactly what we will spend. Personally, we can't afford to have hundreds of dollars in pesos sitting around between visits, although I'm sure some of you can. And you lose a lot of spare change exchanging it back to USD. We do keep what we have left in our pockets, but it's not as much as we would have if we exchanged all our money at once.

**denisea** · 08-18-2003

Quote:

Originally posted by "Lust4Travel"

What I meant was, we take pesos out of ATM machines as we need them, instead of exchanging all our money prior to traveling.

We do the same.

Quote:

Originally posted by "Lust4Travel"

We visit PDC every year, but never know exactly what we will spend. Personally, we can't afford to have hundreds of dollars in pesos sitting around between visits, although I'm sure some of you can. And you lose a lot of spare change exchanging it back to USD. We do keep what we have left in our pockets, but it's not as much as we would have if we exchanged all our money at once.

We usually have a pretty good idea of how much we'll spend....though sometimes it's a little more and sometimes it's a little less. We don't have hundreds of dollars in pesos sitting around between visits, however, we don't try to spend it all before we leave and we don't worry about converting it back to US currency when we return. Neither way is right or wrong just different personal/financial preferences.

noni · 08-18-2003

All over Cancún and PDC US Dollars are accepted as well as Travler Checks; most of the mayor places fallow the currency exchange of the two mayou parks (Xcaret & Hel Xa) right know the exchange rate is 10.50 pesos for a dollar. If you change everything to pesos you can loose money in some transactions, mostly because most of the activities (tours, jungle, cabs, etc.) post all their prices in US Dollars. I will recomend to keep some Pesos, Travlers ans US Dollars. Also notice that if you charge something to your credit card, the charge will be made in Mexican Pesos (plus the commission that many spots charge) and sometimes it causes little differences with the original amount because your bank exchange rate difer from the local.

dibiggs · 08-18-2003

We had a lot of pesos left over the last trip,I mean a lot, & usually we do not worry about it.
Like some of the gang on here,we are frequent travellers to the area.
But this time we found a money exchange at the airport that gave us an awesome rate,better than any one else.I guess they do not like that Canadian money.
That was in Terminal #1 though.
Remember there are 2 terminals.
But someone should know on here if there is one in Terminal #2.
And also correct me gals if I have my terminals mixed up........thx......Di 8)

JAH · 08-18-2003

Terminal #1 is where the FBO(Fixed Base of Operations) is, and this was the original Cancun airport. It is where all private aircraft check in, and it is also where the charter airlines land. Terminal #2 is where everyone else lands -- Continental, Delta, Mexicana, Taca, Martin Air, etc.

Critter · 08-19-2003

I wish I had your guys money problems, every time I try to hord a few pesos for the next trip back my wife manages to spend those, the dollars and usually I'm digging for the credit cards before I can get out of the gift shops.

Last time I travelled by myself and came back with a bunch of pesos in my pocket. They are sitting in my nightstand waiting for the next trip down.

mindz · 08-19-2003

:lol: That two-hour wait in the Cancun terminal is calculated to get me to spend the rest of my pesos...cochinita pibil in the food court, $1 coronas, Mexican candy that I can't find in town like camotes from Puebla, Yucatecan cookbooks in English, colognes in the duty-free shop... we come home with barely enough pesos to buy us our traditional first meal in Playa (shrimp tacos) next time we come! :lol:

Drewbert · 08-22-2003

>Last time I travelled by myself and came back with a bunch of pesos in my pocket. They are sitting in my nightstand waiting for the next trip down.

Check the drawer, mate. I'm pretty sure I saw your wife down here yesterday, giggling away as she dragged a huge bunch of shopping bags up to the Aeromexico check-in counter.

08-14-2003	#1 (permalink)
TRAVELINFAN sandflea Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 2	LOOKIN FOR MONEY ADVICE I'M HEADED TO PLAYA IN TWO DAYS AND CAN'T WAIT. I'M MARKING ABOUT $1000 SPEND CASH FOR TWO OF US BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT PERCENTAGE I SHOULD HAVE IN AMERICAN DOLLARS VERSES KEEPING IT IN MY CHECKING ACCOUNT TO EXTRACT AS PESOS FROM THE ATMS THERE? CAN ANYONE GIVE ME SOME INSIGHT HERE? WILL I BE USING THE AMERICAN GREENBACK OR THE MEXICAN DOLLAR ONCE I'M THERE???

08-18-2003	#9 (permalink)
noni ruined Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Cancún Posts: 96	money All over Cancún and PDC US Dollars are accepted as well as Travler Checks; most of the mayor places fallow the currency exchange of the two mayou parks (Xcaret & Hel Xa) right know the exchange rate is 10.50 pesos for a dollar. If you change everything to pesos you can loose money in some transactions, mostly because most of the activities (tours, jungle, cabs, etc.) post all their prices in US Dollars. I will recomend to keep some Pesos, Travlers ans US Dollars. Also notice that if you charge something to your credit card, the charge will be made in Mexican Pesos (plus the commission that many spots charge) and sometimes it causes little differences with the original amount because your bank exchange rate difer from the local.

08-18-2003	#10 (permalink)
dibiggs beachaholic Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Vancouver BC Posts: 422	Pesos We had a lot of pesos left over the last trip,I mean a lot, & usually we do not worry about it. Like some of the gang on here,we are frequent travellers to the area. But this time we found a money exchange at the airport that gave us an awesome rate,better than any one else.I guess they do not like that Canadian money. That was in Terminal #1 though. Remember there are 2 terminals. But someone should know on here if there is one in Terminal #2. And also correct me gals if I have my terminals mixed up........thx......Di 8)

08-19-2003	#13 (permalink)
mindz way into it Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: wisconsin Posts: 249	spending pesos :lol: That two-hour wait in the Cancun terminal is calculated to get me to spend the rest of my pesos...cochinita pibil in the food court, $1 coronas, Mexican candy that I can't find in town like camotes from Puebla, Yucatecan cookbooks in English, colognes in the duty-free shop... we come home with barely enough pesos to buy us our traditional first meal in Playa (shrimp tacos) next time we come! :lol:

08-22-2003	#14 (permalink)
Drewbert into ruins Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 60	Really? >Last time I travelled by myself and came back with a bunch of pesos in my pocket. They are sitting in my nightstand waiting for the next trip down. Check the drawer, mate. I'm pretty sure I saw your wife down here yesterday, giggling away as she dragged a huge bunch of shopping bags up to the Aeromexico check-in counter.

08-14-2003	#2 (permalink)
JAH reposado Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Indiana Posts: 1,309	Three things: First, remove your Caps Lock. Your email is difficult to read. Please make it easier for all of us. Second, Mexican currency is called pesos, not dollars. It is considered best for all concerned to use the currency of the country one is visiting. In this case, it will be pesos. Third, have a good time and smile at everyone you meet!

08-14-2003	#3 (permalink)
summergirl sandflea Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 3	As far as the currency, you should bring at least a couple hundred in American money. Is this your first time on this site because you can do a search and find out plenty of information on this topic? Please turn off caps lock. 8)

08-15-2003	#4 (permalink)
Lust4Travel ruined Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Pittsburgh, PA but NoVA born and raised Posts: 82	You can use either. You will get change in both. We find it easier to take it out of the ATMs as needed. That way you're not walking around with a ton of cash, but when you need it you get it in the local currency. You also don't want to get stuck with a lot of pesos at the end of your vacation . . .

08-15-2003	#5 (permalink)
John in DC way into it Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 216	No one ever had any trouble buying anything in Mexico with pesos.

08-18-2003	#11 (permalink)
JAH reposado Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Indiana Posts: 1,309	Terminal #1 is where the FBO(Fixed Base of Operations) is, and this was the original Cancun airport. It is where all private aircraft check in, and it is also where the charter airlines land. Terminal #2 is where everyone else lands -- Continental, Delta, Mexicana, Taca, Martin Air, etc.

08-19-2003	#12 (permalink)
Critter añejo Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Cerca de Washington DC Posts: 3,343	I wish I had your guys money problems, every time I try to hord a few pesos for the next trip back my wife manages to spend those, the dollars and usually I'm digging for the credit cards before I can get out of the gift shops. Last time I travelled by myself and came back with a bunch of pesos in my pocket. They are sitting in my nightstand waiting for the next trip down.

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