Santos Travel Forum

is it really still necessary to have US-dollars in South America (Brazil,Argentina,Paraguay,Uruguay) or is the euro already generally accepted? two years ago (January 2002) I could pay in Caracas with euro but had still problems changing in the countryside, understandable as the bills were not yet known very well. Of course I want to avoid unnecessary exchange costs and I am greatful for advice as I will travel on January 24 for a month in the above mentionned countries.
Richard from Austria

Richard,

Generally speaking, commerce and services do not accept €...... some places accept us$. You can change money in the bigger cities, as this will be really hard in the small ones.....
have a nice trip!
Raquel

Dear Santos,
As a general rule, it is a good idea to exchange money before you go to South America. We just came back from Brazil, and took American dollars but used the ATMs to get local currency, which was a good value. This way we didn't have to pay to exchange money at a bank. It is true that many remote or rural locations will only accept local currency, so change while you are in the big cities. We were pleased to find that many retailers, even small cafes, accepted Visa. The Euro and dollar are strong in South America right now, so have a great trip!

Hi Richard!
There is no problems with Euro in Uruguay; you can change them at any exchange office. Dollars are accepted at restaurants, hotels and main shops.
Andrea

Thank you very much for the quick reply. I was guessing that it will be okay, but one never knows really. See you soon !