dollars or pesos??

marylou22

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hey all,

could anyone advise me as whether to bring more dollars or peso's on hols. i'm not to keen on the idea of coming home with a rake load of dom rep peso's. not too many banks would be too pleased to see me i'd say... i'm staying at an all inclusive resort, but i'm sure we'll be sampling the local cuisine in the local restaurants, as well as doing the usuals like shopping, trips, taxis etc...not sure if i'm better off in $'s or pesos? or does it make any difference? or should i bring both???

ta ;)
 

Music

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I personally take american and exchange some of it to pesos throughtout my week so I don't end up with pesos when I leave.
Have fun and be sure to explore the DR!
 

ricktoronto

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Jan 9, 2002
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marylou22 said:
hey all,

could anyone advise me as whether to bring more dollars or peso's on hols.

Bring $, buy RD$ on arrival, daily as needed. You will get hosed royally in the US buyng pesos which are as easy to buy as girlies once you arrive, and with the changes lately easier to buy.
 

Escott

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You will need to exchange dollars for pesos in the DR. If not they will screw you on the exchange rate if you go to a restaurant and when you give a 20 for a 12 dollar tab they screw you on the 8 dollars of change as well. It may end up costing 25% more for a meal including what you lose on change.

Escott
 

jrzyguy

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Escott said:
You will need to exchange dollars for pesos in the DR. If not they will screw you on the exchange rate if you go to a restaurant and when you give a 20 for a 12 dollar tab they screw you on the 8 dollars of change as well. It may end up costing 25% more for a meal including what you lose on change.

Escott

For my most recent trip i bought about $100 USD in pesos before leaving here....that way i had some pesos in my pocket and i didnt have to run to the cambio when i got there right away. But for the rest of my trip i just exchanged my dollars for pesos as needed at the cambio. As the others have stated...NEVER use your US Dollars there to buy stuff.

Enjoy your trip!
 

john cast

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marylou22 said:
hey all,

could anyone advise me as whether to bring more dollars or peso's on hols. i'm not to keen on the idea of coming home with a rake load of dom rep peso's. not too many banks would be too pleased to see me i'd say... i'm staying at an all inclusive resort, but i'm sure we'll be sampling the local cuisine in the local restaurants, as well as doing the usuals like shopping, trips, taxis etc...not sure if i'm better off in $'s or pesos? or does it make any difference? or should i bring both???

ta ;)
i take small bill,s us and it does all i need
 

marylou22

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so what ye're saying is that to pay for stuff i'm better off in peso's and bring small denominations of dollars for other stuff. i'm coming from a euro zone so even changing into dollars isn't that beneficial. can't believe they don't give change in $'s - gansters.... ;)

right, thats great thanks for your help. i'm still confused but i suppose its all part of the fun....
 

scotia

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I have found that using my bank card to get cash and my credit card to buy groceries, clothes etc. gives me the best exchange rate often better than any cambio will give you. When I land in Santo Domingo my first stop is the bank machine to get some pesos. You should have no problem changing your euros at any cambio so there really is no need to get $US although I always buy a few myself before leaving Canada.
 

marylou22

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oh yeh......

scotia said:
I have found that using my bank card to get cash and my credit card to buy groceries, clothes etc. gives me the best exchange rate often better than any cambio will give you. When I land in Santo Domingo my first stop is the bank machine to get some pesos. You should have no problem changing your euros at any cambio so there really is no need to get $US although I always buy a few myself before leaving Canada.


yeh, i never thought of that but i know for a fact that i won't be able to use my bank card over there. and i wouldn't use my credit card. now i'm gonig to have euros, sterling, dollars and peso's. oh the confusion......hahaah

anyway, i'm sure i'll figure it out when i get there swiftly enough..

ta again.

;)
 

canadian bob

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marylou22 said:
yeh, i never thought of that but i know for a fact that i won't be able to use my bank card over there. and i wouldn't use my credit card. now i'm gonig to have euros, sterling, dollars and peso's. oh the confusion......hahaah

anyway, i'm sure i'll figure it out when i get there swiftly enough..

ta again.

;)
Bring $US Trav.checks in $100 denominations. Change only what you need daily. If you bring cash it will probably be stolen so fast you will think you never had any in the first place! Canadian Bob.
 

Canadian-Diver

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I just got back from the DR.... Stayed near Puerto Plata... I took US dollars and bought some pesos. The exchange rate varied for one US dollar... at the resort ----> 26 pesos; at the cambios ----> 27.5 pesos; at Sosua ---> 30.5 pesos ( check around for the best rate )

CD
 

marylou22

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so would ye think i'd be better off bringing just a few dollars and staying in euros and changing them over there as i need them. i will bring peso's too but i'd prefer to use just one currency. i'm lazy and i don't trust foreign exchange houses... suspicious mind.....
 

Tor

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Bring som dollars or Euros in cash, and take out what you need in Pesos from the atm's.
 

CyaBye3015

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Tor said:
Bring som dollars or Euros in cash, and take out what you need in Pesos from the atm's.

Do not use the ATM's in the DR, use the search function above, and you'll understand why.

Joe
 

ricktoronto

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Jan 9, 2002
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jrzyguy said:
For my most recent trip i bought about $100 USD in pesos before leaving here....that way i had some pesos in my pocket and i didnt have to run to the cambio when i got there right away. But for the rest of my trip i just exchanged my dollars for pesos as needed at the cambio. As the others have stated...NEVER use your US Dollars there to buy stuff.

Enjoy your trip!

With a cambio at every airport even $100 worth is a rip job if you buy them in USA or Canada in advance, buy them there and then at cambios as required. I would not try to pay with US cash ever. In the old days where nobody could obtain dollars for pesos from the cambios, maybe, now don't bother.
 

Lechero

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AMEX will give you about $RD20 Pesos/dollar! :eek:

Really not that much work to buy a few Pesos @ Ban Reservas right next to the luggage carousel as Rick suggested.
 

Castellamonte

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scotia said:
I have found that using my bank card to get cash and my credit card to buy groceries, clothes etc. gives me the best exchange rate often better than any cambio will give you. When I land in Santo Domingo my first stop is the bank machine to get some pesos. You should have no problem changing your euros at any cambio so there really is no need to get $US although I always buy a few myself before leaving Canada.
I found out the hard way that my Citibank Visa, CapitalOne Mastercard and American Express ALL add a surcharge for "foreign purchases" on the credit card. Check with your cc company to see if they do the same. I was floored and didn't have any idea until I'd actually charged something very large (so the surcharge was obvious).
 

Tor

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CyaBye3015 said:
Do not use the ATM's in the DR, use the search function above, and you'll understand why.

Joe

This is just to stupid. Hundreds of thousends are using the atms without problems. A few got problems, and ofcourse they are set in a very bad situation. But this is the same all through the world. I have been here as a tourist since six years ago, and have been living here for two years. I have never used anything but atm's, and never had a problem. Ofcourse I have some dollars in cash as a reserve. Use Atm's connected to a bank office, and use it when the bank is open, no problems.
 

marylou22

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ahhh

Tor said:
This is just to stupid. Hundreds of thousends are using the atms without problems. A few got problems, and ofcourse they are set in a very bad situation. But this is the same all through the world. I have been here as a tourist since six years ago, and have been living here for two years. I have never used anything but atm's, and never had a problem. Ofcourse I have some dollars in cash as a reserve. Use Atm's connected to a bank office, and use it when the bank is open, no problems.

ok so i've decided. i'm bringing all peso's and 100 dollars. i'll keep em in the safe and use as i need em. if i need to change i will, if not - peachy!! ;)

thanks everyone for all your idea's and suggestions..

x
 

CyaBye3015

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Tor said:
This is just to stupid. Hundreds of thousends are using the atms without problems. A few got problems, and ofcourse they are set in a very bad situation. But this is the same all through the world. I have been here as a tourist since six years ago, and have been living here for two years. I have never used anything but atm's, and never had a problem. Ofcourse I have some dollars in cash as a reserve. Use Atm's connected to a bank office, and use it when the bank is open, no problems.

I too have used my ATM card though out the world, the only place I've had a problem is in the DR, but, have it your way, it doesn't matter to me!

Joe