Travel cash

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  • virgo17
    virgo17 Posts: 955 Forumite
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    EveryWhere wrote: »
    I'm confused...Cancun is in Mexico not the USA. Mexico has it's own currency, Pesos. Why do you need US dollars?

    Interested in this as well, as going to Mexico in a couple of months time.
  • MM2002
    MM2002 Posts: 157 Forumite
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    Dollars are accepted and preferred in Mexico more than Peso’s so I’ve been told.
  • EveryWhere
    EveryWhere Posts: 3,249 Forumite
    MM2002 wrote: »
    Dollars are accepted and preferred in Mexico more than Peso’s so I’ve been told.

    Who told you that?? No one, I'm sure.

    Can you imagine that they don't accept their national currency?
    Of course it's preferred. You are doing them a favour by mugging yourself.
  • EveryWhere
    EveryWhere Posts: 3,249 Forumite
    virgo17 wrote: »
    Interested in this as well, as going to Mexico in a couple of months time.

    As someone who has been to Mexico, twice, it is utter nonsense. It's not unlike the funny people that change Pounds to Euros to take to Turkey. NO.....the currency is Lira. Take it out of an ATM.

    Why do them a favour by giving them US currency at no benefit, but only detriment to yourself?. Don't help the drug barons and rip off ATM machines by giving them US dollars or withdrawing US dollars from machines there.
    Cancun is in Mexico, not USA.
    What are people thinking? :)
    It would be different if you bought US dollars when £1 was a dollar fifty and you are now using them for your hols.
    But if for tips and cash only places, Pesos!
  • eDicky
    eDicky Posts: 6,572 Forumite
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    MM2002 wrote: »
    Dollars are accepted and preferred in Mexico more than Peso’s so I’ve been told.
    Why do you think they are 'preferred', if it's not because they can inflate the price in dollars instead of using the national currency, the peso..?
    Evolution, not revolution
  • JezR
    JezR Posts: 1,697 Forumite
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    The belief that dollars are generally preferred to pesos in Mexico is at least 20 years out of date.

    They are fairly widely accepted in Cancun as a convenience to USA-originating tourists, but at a cost.

    Other advice is to try to conserve small denomination notes ($20 and $50) as much as you can for when you need them. Mexican ATMs tend to give the maximum size notes they can and $500 notes are not convenient to spend most of the time.
  • Voyager2002
    Voyager2002 Posts: 15,280 Forumite
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    JezR wrote: »
    Mexican ATMs tend to give the maximum size notes they can and $500 notes are not convenient to spend most of the time.

    Hotel staff just love them as tips though!
  • EveryWhere
    EveryWhere Posts: 3,249 Forumite
    JezR wrote: »
    The belief that dollars are generally preferred to pesos in Mexico is at least 20 years out of date.

    They are fairly widely accepted in Cancun as a convenience to USA-originating tourists, but at a cost.

    Other advice is to try to conserve small denomination notes ($20 and $50) as much as you can for when you need them. Mexican ATMs tend to give the maximum size notes they can and $500 notes are not convenient to spend most of the time.

    Do not use standalone(or any for that matter) ATMs in Mexico that dispense US dollars!
    You will pay a hefty price for such folly.
  • JezR
    JezR Posts: 1,697 Forumite
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    The cautious take care not using any ATMs in Mexico if possible apart from those inside banks as there is still a lot of skimming gong on, and these days it is more difficult to be sure, as things have moved on from the device being clearly stuck on outside the card slot.

    And in case anyone isn't clear $500 in my previous message from refers to 500 Mexican Pesos, not US Dollars. What is roughly a £20 note goes a lot further in the economy for locals rather than tourists. Plus few in Mexico own up to having any change.
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