Changing Dollars to Pesos
[QUOTE=DavieW;434087]The one time I needed to change USD in Mardel I went for a wander from my hotel and found a jewellery store, within a block, that changed at the blue rate. Directly opposite the Casino Central on the same block with with the coffee-shop on the corner that sells spectacular cakes.
Hotels will happily take your dollars. At the OFFICIAL rate![/QUOTE]I would like to suggest that a VISITOR to BA change more blue dollars than he thinks he will need when going out of the city or before the weekend. If you have some pesos left over before going home, you can take a slight haircut by offering them on this forum to a gringo who lives here and can use the pesos. I saw a recent traveler offer 2000 pesos at 10 to 1 when the blue rate was about 8.5 to 1. I do not know how many PM offers he had, but I do know of at least two offers to exchange from frequent posters on this forum who live in BA. If you do the math, that is a better alternative than the OFFICIAL rate or the rates offered by hotels, shops, restos, ATMs, etc. As other posters have said, pesos are worthless outside of Argentina, and you cannot change back to dollars at EZE or AEP.
To give you an idea of how worthless pesos are in another country, an Argentine truck driver recently tried to pay for fuel in Chile with pesos, and the pesos would not be accepted, at any exchange rate.
Tres3.
Today, at just before 3 pm
Was 8.15 at the Western Union on Lavalle. The place is 10 minutes walk from my office.
Just across the street from my place, there's a local travel agency / souvenir shop. They quoted 8.00.
Low Rates For The Holiday?
Walked around Lavalle and Florida looking for "cambio" on Thursday and the rates were a bit depressing.
One idiot offered 7.40 and the next guy hit us at 7.70 while explaining that it was a National Holiday, that most places were closed and that they had all agreed to the 7.70 rate.
The money was not mine and it was only 500 dollars so we ended up at the Asian Lady's Leather Shop and she paid 7.85 .
Not sure if that's what DR would have received from her but it was good enough at that moment.
TL.
Exchanging on the weekend?
Does anyone know whether Scalabrini Ortiz / Cervino is open on Saturday? If not, are there any places in Palermo where I could change dollars for pesos on a Saturday? I'm not sure if I'll make it through this weekend...
Thanks in advance!
Currency Exchange House on Florida
I changed USD (US Dollars) to ARS (Argentine Pesos) at a small little shop on Florida. Called "Florida City" and is located at Florida 360, local 32 (shop 32) in the Galeria Colon. I got 7.90 ARS to the USD. I used clean $100 bills with no marks, cuts, tape or "Hello Kitty" stamps. I learned throughout the world that the exchange houses are very particular when it comes to USD $100 bills. Most that I went to will not accept USD that have any type of marks, in short they want "Clean and Perfect" bills. The elderly man was quite friendly and honest. I will return.