how is the best way to deal with exchanging money when traveling to Mexico?

Alot of places in Mexico will take US $$$. Please beware that some Mexican shops will rip you off with the whole curreny thing. I went to Cancun and some places will tell you 500 pesos and some will tell you 10 Us dollars. It just didn't add up.

You dont really. They take american money everywhere in mexico.

Use your ATM debit card if you have one. The exchange rate is reasonable and, depending on your card, the fees are minimal, if any. If you're flying into Mexico, you should be able to easily locate an airport ATM to get cash right after you land. If you're driving into Mexico, you can find an ATM at one of the local banks in the city once you've crossed the border. Unless you need to carry large amounts of cash, you can use your ATM card to get cash as needed to pay as you go. You can also use it at stores like Wal-Mart, Mega, and others. Just be careful that you only use a bank ATM and don't lose your card or leave it behind in an ATM. Debit card fraud is more prevalent in Mexico than in the U.S.

I have been several times and here is what I have learned.

1) Never exchange befoe you arrive. That is like speculating on the stock market, which some people do for a living, but I do not want to think your vacation money could be used on a gamble

2) ATM's protect large sums of money and are relatively safe, make sure you check with your bank what types you can use and what symbols to look for.

3) Carry US 1 dollar bills, espically at open markes where prices are negoitable. Also for taxi fares, bus fares, you wont get stuck with a bunch of pesos at the end of your trip. Last time I went for a week and brought 100, brought back 50 and just put them back in the account. US 1's are just as good as 20's and a lot safer. I wouldn't suggest more than 100.

4) Never exchange money at an ATM at night unless in a emergency and someone you know is with you

As ther other people mention, your American money is accepted pretty much everywhere espeically 2 hours from the US border, but as you go in , the US is less and less accepted.


Makin' me miss Muzquiz(look it up on Google already),
Forest D. Bynum

It's not true that you can pay with USD everywhere (probably only in the main tourist areas, such as beaches). My advice to you is that you use an ATM card to withdraw money, but try to do it in shopping centers only, especially during the day. Most ATMs or cajeros (in Spanish) will allow you to withdraw between 3,000 and 4,500 pesos per day (that's 280-420 USD). Try to avoid going to ATMs in banks on the street; it's safer to go in a shopping center. If you want to exchange cash, I suggest you do it upon arrival at the airport, or at banks such as HSBC or Bancomer. I'm not sure who has a better exchange rate. Have a nice trip.