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I took a trip there in 2011 and 1/5 sounds a little off for what tourists could get. Officially at the time $1 would get about 4.5 bolivars. Unofficially, we co
by pilom 13y ago
I took a trip there in 2011 and 1/5 sounds a little off for what tourists could get. Officially at the time $1 would get about 4.5 bolivars. Unofficially, we could get around 7-9 bolivars per $1.
We were pissed because we didn't know about the exchange rate issues or the ATM restrictions. We ended up going to a bank every day to withdraw the max on 3 different cards. Probably would have saved about $60/day if we had simply brought a bunch of cash with us.
- aristus 13y agoYou don't know the right people. :) Cash on the street is the way to go but unless you can navigate la vivesa criolla you'll get robbed. I was shooed into the corner because a gringo lookin guy would have killed the deal.
- rafaelm 13y agoYou will always find a Venezuelan who needs or knows somebody who needs to buy dollars at the black market rates! Anyone who comes to Venezuela and exchanges their dollars at the official rate is getting robbed. Of course it can be scary as a tourist if you don't know anyone here.
- pilom 13y agoIt wasn't by choice. We only had $100 in our pockets because we didn't know. In most countries I had been to, its easier to use a card to pay for stuff rather than exchange cash. I figured it would be the same way in Venezuela, I just didn't know.
- crdoconnor 13y agoI was there last year and the rate seemed to be between 9-11.