Money, Money, Money!

[andy a]

HeatherS,

For a small amount like $600, I would bring the whole thing in cash with an ATM card for a backup. I would not waste my time getting traveller's checks, finding a place to cash them, etc. for that amount.

It should consist of 5 $100 bills and small stuff. That will make it easy to carry/conceal. KEEP NO MORE THAN $200 in your purse/wallet - the rest in an inner pocket.

Be sure that you can make $10 in change to buy the tourist card. Also, be able to pay airport tips with an assortment of $1 bills, and be able to come up with $18-20 to pay the cabbie in Santo Domingo or Puerto Plata (much less in Santiago).

Of course you will change $200 to pesos the first time you visit an exchange house. Don't change it all at 1 time of course because with the peso being even weaker than the dollar, you might get a better rate tomorrow. Also, you don't want to wind up with way too many pesos.

The best way to telephone home is from a call center. They are everywhere in the towns, although maybe not in the all-inclusives. The cheapest is Turitel. Unfortunately, although their signs still stand, most of their locations are no longer active. Tricom is 2nd best and very numerous. Its rate to the US is in the range of about 6 pesos per minute. BTW, if you need to call an 800 number, you can do so by dialing 880 instead. You cannot call an 800 number at all from Turitel (nor even a Dominican one, I think - international only).

Have fun.

[ricktoronto]

Originally posted by HeatherS
Thank you for all the suggestions. So I was planning to bring $600 USD spending money.

I figure I will do it half and half. Half Cash Half Travelers Checks and then bring my credit and debit cards in case of an emergency.

Sound Good or still No?

I ususally bring around US$500 or so in cash and maybe another $2,000 or so in TC's - for only $600 you may as well just bring 6 X 100 US bills ( new ones, big heads) and change one every couple of days. You always have the debit/credit for backup or points accumulation etc.

[ricktoronto]

Originally posted by Jim Hinsch


Daily withdrawel limits are set by the issuing institution of your bank card. The machines know nothing about that limit and have a "per transaction" withdrawel limit, typically RD$4000. So you can withdraw the higher withdrawel limit on your card by making multiple transactions at the same machine. I've withdrawn RD$32,000 or more from a single machine over several minutes. American Express reimburses me for ATM fees because I have a high-value brokerage account.

Remember the Banco Reservas machine at the old Boca Chica Resort now Dominican Bay? I could not get more than RD$1000 at once and RD$2000 in total when it worked which was never.

I just bring cash and Amex travelers cheques for the rest.

And I don't pay fees for international ATM's and I have a $2000 a day limit in $, so RD$14,000 or so.

[dale7]

For that amount bring cash and keep it seperated and in safe places. I usually bring 800US and I have that split between cash and traveler's checks for 6 nights. Bring an atm/debit/credit card for a backup. I have had to use ATM card a few times but make sure it is when bank is open so you can get your card back if machine isn't malfunctioning. I have found that about 1 in 3 machines didn't work in the DR at least with my card or were malfunctioning. I found ATM's don't give as good as an exchange rate but for 1 week, it won't make much of a difference, whether you use Western Union/exchange houses/banks, etc especially for only 600US. Keep everything locked up of value(passport, jewelry, etc) and don't carry a lot of cash on you and make sure you have various denominations because taxis and small businesses often "won't have change for larger US bills and will give you a bad exchange rate." Use only pesos. Use regular safety precautions and you will have a great time.
dale7

[johnsr]

"I always use a Codetel card for phone calls."

Where are the Codetel cards sold at?
John

[Ken]

johnsr, you can buy them from any Codetel office or booth. They have booths in a number of large stores, for example, to make it easier for people to pay bills, recharge cel phones, etc.

You can also find them for sale in some drug stores and supermarkets.

[Jim Hinsch]

If you want to get a card now, the below link offers a card you get now by E-mail, no connect fee, and can be used to call the USA from just about every country and can be used in the USA if you don't use up all the minutes. It comes out to about RD$10/min, which is worse than a call center but better than some of the calling cards I've seen in the DR.

Click this card

[andy a]

What about the per minute cost of the pay phone itself - if you can find one that works?

[ricktoronto]

Originally posted by johnsr
"I always use a Codetel card for phone calls."

Where are the Codetel cards sold at?
John

Everywhere. Cambios, colmados, mercados, hotels, hard to miss actually. Use with the blue phones in hotels - for long distance go to a calling shop and use the phone there. I called 10 minutes to Canada from Boca Chica and despite the claimed 13 RD$ a minute it cost 38 pesos.

[Paul Thate]

Borrow somebodies Orange phone.
Calls to the US or to Canada cost the same
as local calls.
If it is activated on phone cards the cost per minute to the
States or canada is 5.5 pesos.
if the activation is on a contract could be half that..
So far as I know the cheapest way to call North America.