Reading the various forums, mainly Mooney and AOPA, I encountered the advice from one clever tightwad to take lots of pesos. I regularly go to Tijuana for dental work and nobody uses pesos, at least in the places I go. I think if I pulled out a bunch of pesos people would wonder what's wrong with me.

Is that good advice, to bring pesos? Seems to me using dollars would be sort of a built-in "tip" since the people accepting the american money will know the best local exchange , , , so that gives them a little "extra" and I'm sure is much appreciated. Is taking pesos with us good form these days? Or is it a sign to the Mexican mind that they've got a cheap gringo bastard counting his pennies? It could be a case of being penny wise and pound foolish. And I could be totally wrong. Comments?

Back in the old days it was a smart thing to do - converting dollars to pesos before going down into the interior, or even at the border for that matter . . . but the dollar has become pretty ubiquitous. It's the standard of currency in most of the world, not just Mexico. I'm pretty sure it's why we can get away with printing trillions of worthless dollars that are accepted at face value. But what do I know. I haven't been south of Ensenada since 1979.

Also, someone mentioned Mulege accepts credit cards for fuel and, in fact, is encouraged by DGCA at all the airports since it allows less wiggle room for those along the way to skim some off the top (perhaps another baseless rumor). Is that true? Is credit card (VISA) a viable option? I use Capital One exclusively for offshore purchases since they are the only card I know about that doesn't charge a foreign exchange fee. Unless it's the fuel vendor adding the 3% penalty, with Capital One it's the same as using it at home. No fees. Good card.

Someone mentioned a 3% penalty when buying fuel but I'm wondering if they were talking about the commission the card issuer charges on foreign purchases, or whether it's a local charge the Mexicans impose. What's the scoop on credit cards and fuel down there?

The more I'm reading of the relaxed atmosphere pilots are finding once they cross the border, the more I suspect I'll be able to make some arrangement to keep the plane over at Todos Santos instead of leaving it on the sun-baked oven of La Paz airport.

Also thinking Loreto on the way down and San Felipe on the way back up.

Thanks,

Mike

NEXT DAY:

Well, looks like I'm all wet regarding spending U.S. Dollars in Mexico. People that know what they're doing buy pesos at a good rate and use them for purchases that can't be paid with a credit card. Using a Capital One credit card (or another one - they're still fairly rare. I think the Paypal card is another one that doesn't charge a foreign transaction fee) is the best way to pay for anything in Mexico it appears. The conversion is done by the credit card company at the official rate. For those transactions that require cash, it's more economical and normal to use the national currency. So it looks like I almost became a dumb gringo.

ATM's give the best rate in buying pesos - or any foreign currency from what I've experienced in other countries. The ATM should be in a bank or airport or other very reliable place. I'm still researching which Mexican banks will exchange pesos for dollars without charging any fees. As I'm writing this, the official exchange is 18.65 pesos per dollar.

Last edited by MikeS; 06/05/16 08:57 PM.