Should I take pounds or dominican pesos to Dominican Republic.

dominicana_2

Hi. Does anyone know if I will get a better exchange rate for pounds to Dominican pesos in the UK or in the Dominican Republic?

ScottHart

We are going to DR next Monday and are taking US dollars (we have used the WeSwap card as it gave us the best exchange rate).

PompeyPete

From Trip Advisor Dom Rep forum FAQs

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g147288-c5273/Dominican-Republic:Caribbean:Currency.Issues.html

It's also worth a look through the respective sections on the FCO Travel Advice...

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/dominican-republic

NiftyDigits

ScottHart wrote: »

We are going to DR next Monday and are taking US dollars (we have used the WeSwap card as it gave us the best exchange rate).

How did that work? You swapped on the WeSwap account and then found an ATM in the UK that dispensed US$ at no charge?

Otherwise I don't see the point unless you purchased the US$ before Brexit.

ScottHart

Unfortunately we missed the boat on Brexit, but the rates we have got on WeSwap were better than buying USD in the UK. It also helped that as we signed up to WeSwap via MSE we got a £10 bonus and commission free swaps (if you pick 7 days swaps).
I loaded £685 onto my card, and with the good'ish' exchange rate combined with the £10 bonus, that gave us $900. If we had just got USD in the UK, we would have got about $880. We are also taking a few hundred dollars in cash for tips.

NiftyDigits

ScottHart wrote: »

Unfortunately we missed the boat on Brexit, but the rates we have got on WeSwap were better than buying USD in the UK. It also helped that as we signed up to WeSwap via MSE we got a £10 bonus and commission free swaps (if you pick 7 days swaps).
I loaded £685 onto my card, and with the good'ish' exchange rate combined with the £10 bonus, that gave us $900. If we had just got USD in the UK, we would have got about $880. We are also taking a few hundred dollars in cash for tips.

You appear to have missed my point.... why did you buy US$ in the first place?

Having US$ on the WeSwap card will not allow you to withdraw or spend US$ in the DP.
You would have done just as well or better, taking a UK denominated card such as Halifax Clarity, Creation Everyday etc.

The only benefit would have been if you bought pre Brexit and locked US$ in at a superior exchange rate.
But this way, you will simply exchange Pounds for Dollars for Pesos. Hopefully, with the £10 bonus, you haven't actually lost anything.

HHarry

Sorry Dominica, but I can't remember whether the exchange rate is preferable when you get there. I've aleays got my currency here before I go so that I know I'm sorted.

Don't forget that you will need some $ to pay the tourist tax when you arrive at the airport. I think it's $10 each, and they don't take peso's.

Voyager2002

As always, my advice would be to take a 'good' travel card and withdraw cash from an ATM once you are there. Since the Dominican peso is a relatively specialised currency, you are unlikely to find good rates for buying it in cash in the UK.