US currency in South America?

[M&Dcruisers]

We will be leaving soon on a South America cruise going to 3 ports in Argentina, a stop in Uruguay, and a couple of stops in Chile. After the cruise we will be taking a cruisetour to Machu Picchu, Lima and Cuzco.

 

We will need to pay for a few meals which we will probably eat in our hotels. Other than that I will probably buy some souvenirs.

 

Can I get by with only American currency?

[Duane T]

We will be leaving soon on a South America cruise going to 3 ports in Argentina, a stop in Uruguay, and a couple of stops in Chile. After the cruise we will be taking a cruisetour to Machu Picchu, Lima and Cuzco.

 

We will need to pay for a few meals which we will probably eat in our hotels. Other than that I will probably buy some souvenirs.

 

Can I get by with only American currency?

 

We finished our Cruisetour in South America 2 weeks ago and we went to all the ports, cities, attractions you mentioned. We brought along a credit card that didn't have foreign transaction fee charges. I also bought Peruvian money for incidentals which I thought would probably be useful if you visit small grocery stores or restaurants. Almost all the main shops took the credit cards (MasterCard, Visa, American Express). Even in Machu Picchu/Aguas Calientes, even the small shops took US dollars. I had enough Peruvian money to use as a tip/gratuity to our Peruvian tour guides and drivers.

 

We didn't have any local currency for Argentina (Buenos Aires and Ushuaia)and Uruguay (Montevideo). Again, all the shops we visited took US currency. One key is that most vendors were keenly aware of counterfeit bills and if you had any blemish, marks, writing, tears, etc on your US cash, they did not take it, especially on larger US bills ($20, $50, $100). The new $100 US bill was so new a lot of vendors did not know what to make of it...so I generally used my credit card for any purchase over $40 US dollars.

Edited January 24, 2014 by Duane T

[4774Papa]

We will be leaving soon on a South America cruise going to 3 ports in Argentina, a stop in Uruguay, and a couple of stops in Chile. After the cruise we will be taking a cruisetour to Machu Picchu, Lima and Cuzco.

 

We will need to pay for a few meals which we will probably eat in our hotels. Other than that I will probably buy some souvenirs.

 

Can I get by with only American currency?

You may be able to get by with US dollars. US dollars are widely accepted in South America. We just finished a cruise Around the Horn, visiting Argentina, Uruguay and Chile. Two years ago, we visited Columbia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile.

 

The one country that you want to try to use dollars is Argentina. The Argentine Peso in Argentina has an official rate of around 1 dollar to 5.6 pesos, but the black market rate is about 1-10. Many restaurants, cab drivers, etc. will take dollars and give us 9.5 or 9.7. If you use a credit card it goes in at the official rate (not good).

 

There is no currency problem like that in Chile or Uruguay. I don't remember such a problem in Peru.

 

Take new and unmarked bills with no rips or cuts. Take $100 bills, but also take smaller bills to pay for taxi and cheap meals.

[catergirl]

"The new $100 US bill was so new a lot of vendors did not know what to make of it...so I generally used my credit card for any purchase over $40 US dollars. "

 

you say they didnt know what to make of it, but did they take it?? thanks martha

[VidaNaPraia]

US dollars are widely accepted in South America.

(just FYI on this blanket statement, and I do understand it is not a country mentioned by the OP)

 

Last time I looked, Brazil was part of SA. The only currency legal for transactions in Brazil is the Real.

[Duane T]

"The new $100 US bill was so new a lot of vendors did not know what to make of it...so I generally used my credit card for any purchase over $40 US dollars. "

 

you say they didnt know what to make of it, but did they take it?? thanks martha

 

I was able to use the new $100 bill at the hotel or bank to exchange it for smaller change in local Peruvian money bills. There were a couple of jewelry stores that we visited that we might have used the $100 bill in Argentina but we could never haggle the prices down to an amount we thought was fair.

[Duane T]

(just FYI on this blanket statement, and I do understand it is not a country mentioned by the OP)

 

Last time I looked, Brazil was part of SA. The only currency legal for transactions in Brazil is the Real.

 

True. We were told buy our guides that we needed to use local currency in Brazil. We were also advised that we needed to use local currency in Argentina. But the souvenir store clerks were pretty quick about giving quotes for souvenirs in US dollars.

[4774Papa]

(just FYI on this blanket statement, and I do understand it is not a country mentioned by the OP)

 

Last time I looked, Brazil was part of SA. The only currency legal for transactions in Brazil is the Real.

My post responded to the question. Brazil was not mentioned by M&Dcruisers. I suspect that US dollars can be spent in Brazil.

[VidaNaPraia]

My post responded to the question. Brazil was not mentioned by M&Dcruisers. I suspect that US dollars can be spent in Brazil.

 

No, as stated, it is illegal to use US dollars for transactions in Brazil. Shopkeepers, restaurants, taxis and tourist sights do not accept US cash. If you bring dollar notes, there are exchange houses (casas de cambio) in most cities. You can also spend half a day or more in line at a bank doing an exchange. Some hotels, not all, seem to take dollars, but are simply doing the same kind of exchange as a convenience to guests. Rates of exchange vary, sometimes widely.

This info may be of interest to other cruisers and those arriving for the WC who might be reading.

Brazilians can be sensitive about being mistaken for part of Spanish speaking South America, but Brazil IS indeed a South American country.

[4774Papa]

No, as stated, it is illegal to use US dollars for transactions in Brazil. Shopkeepers, restaurants, taxis and tourist sights do not accept US cash. If you bring dollar notes, there are exchange houses (casas de cambio) in most cities. You can also spend half a day or more in line at a bank doing an exchange. Some hotels, not all, seem to take dollars, but are simply doing the same kind of exchange as a convenience to guests. Rates of exchange vary, sometimes widely.

This info may be of interest to other cruisers and those arriving for the WC who might be reading.

Brazilians can be sensitive about being mistaken for part of Spanish speaking South America, but Brazil IS indeed a South American country.

Thanks for the information on Brazil. If I go, I will plan on taking some Reals with me. I imagine that ATMs are available for buying Reals?

 

Why are the lines so long to convert currency? In Chile, the wait was almost nothing.