Cash(US), Traveler's Cheques , or Credit Cards...

[grefer]

I live in Puerto Vallarta for 3 months of the winter and the best currency is the peso. Use your ATM at any bank and you get the market price at the time of exchange less commission and fees. The lowest fee bank is CI Banco. The $C is worth 15.21 pesos this morning and you would net 14.8 at this bank. The Mexican merchants will take both US and Canadian currency but at substantial discounts. Even exchanging foreign currency at the banks reguires showing your passport and long lines plus poor exchange. ATM is the only way to go.

Be careful where you use the ATM. The wife and son had their cards hacked at a mall ATM. I used only the one at our resort and was ok.

[tweety]

Going to a resort. why would you go to a different country and then not actually go to that country? Instead going to the disgust, waste, and all that's ugly of america.

Yuck.

[farmaholic]

tweety.... i am "encouraging" them to get off the resort and go see some stuff(hence the question about how to handle the money), guided group tours for safety reasons. Keep your nose clean attitude. And you know, for someone who has never done a lot of the hot destination thing maybe staying on the resort is a good place to start. Confidence...? Caution...? The last one I won to Jamaica I gave to them as well.... they did the group tour thing off resort and had a blast.

To each their own...

[fjlip]

Farma you should be buying everyone tickets...with your luck. Or maybe you spend hundreds on tickets?

[sumdumguy]

Our best trip was to Paris and Monaco. We used the rapid train to get around but we met some Americans who rent a car to see the sites - they wouldn't travel Europe any other way. Next time we will do that. But before we go back to Europe, we would like to take the barge cruise down the Mississippi. Anyone know anything about that cruise?

[farmaholic]

Fj.... ya that was kinda hard to believe.... won two trips in three years from the same lotto.

I support some lotteries... I would sure like to win the big lotto Max...wishful thinking... but it would make things easier for those coming behind me.... nothing like laying gold bricks for those to walk on instead of making it on their own(pure unadulterated sarcasm) so they can have their "entitlement" with a big dose of "lack of appreciation".

I truly am lucky in MANY ways. I do suffer from a bit of "Silver Platter Farm" disease.... but I made it into something bigger and better as well and didn't **** it away. I got to wonder what the future of it holds though! No Successor can truly afford to pay the full value of what the farm business is worth!

[SASKFARMER3]

Les is right use your bank card and get out peso. Remember when buying stuff the Mexicans are so good at the exchange rate that some times they get you confused and instead of spending 20 USA you spent 35 but they made you laugh and you feel good even if you realize later you over paid. Life lesson get off the resort in any country. Drive or bus in most places it's amazing what you find. Some times you stumble on a spot that no tourist company even knows about.

We're in Cabo next Christmas Visa card and Scotia bank is right their in big mall down town.

[newguy]

we never go on tourist excursions any more.Have a taxi driver friend that sets up our private excursion.he never fails and we see what most people would not in half the time.Holidays you are not suppose to be sleeping in a bus waiting to be dropped off at your resort

[AllisWD45]

We are going for 3 weeks in Jan to Cuba. Enough of the all inclusive resorts. They are not what they used to be. Flying to Varadero and going to stay in a private home about an hour from there and 45 minutes from Havana. Owners have 4 rooms for rent and will provide all meals cheap or only some. Family has a Cuban style car available with driver to take you where you want to go.They speak very limited English we speak very very limited Spanish Its on the ocean in a village of 2500. Apparently a small exclusive resort there with a bar and food place available to us. A couple bars and grocery store in town and a highway side open air tourist bar. $900 Cdn. for 2. Pay when you get there.
Told the supervisor either we have the time of our lives or we are bored shitless but it will be warm.They accept Canadian$ or Cuc's there. Plan to see a bit of the country this time.

[Flatlander]

Seems like if we go on an excursion, like fishing, and the boats owner is American, they want USD. If you are using locals or tipping locals they tell me they like peso. If they get CAD or USD or whatever, and they work six days a week they have to go to bank on the only day off and the bank really hoses them on forex.