www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I havent been down in SJ since May. Thanks.

As of 6 PM EST today, according to
http://www.xe.com/ucc/
the exchange rate was 494.050 to 1 U.S. Dollar
ShyOne

Also try

www.oanda.com/convert/cheatsheet

This will give you a handy reference guide converting both to/from colonnes and you can print it out and carry with you.

_________________
Y.N.W.A.

Anyone know or think they know the best place to exchange money?

Anyone care to take a guess when the CRC will hit 500? On my last trip, I was mentally converting at 500:1 for most transactions because it was a close approximation and easy to do, even though I knew I was losing a few cents on the dollar. Now it looks like it's getting very close to being accurate as well.

Dwayne,
Anyplace except for the airport should give you
a good exchange. I normally just go to the bank
on the first Monday I'm in town, or whatever the
first normal working day is. Until then I either
exchange at the hotel or ATM. I could be wrong,
but all the places I have exchanged money,
except for the airport have given me either
the same as the bank, or within 2 Colones.
ShyOne

BigSmile,
I was wondering the same thing. Perhaps the
rate will hit 500 when I'm in town the week
before Christmas. Who really knows about
those things, not me. I thought I was getting a really
good deal when the exchange rate was 425 to 1
during my first trip. I didn't expect the rate to
continue to go up like it has, especially when
the exchange rate pretty much sucks for us
(U.S. Dollar holders) in other parts of the world.
ShyOne

I got a better exchange at the airport then I did the hotel

I "think" I know the best place. If you go to the currency exchange downstairs at the airport after baggage claim you will get screwed, stay away. Go back upstairs, there is a small bank in the right front corner that has the best rate.
In the Gulch the Colonial casino may be the same or very close to the bank rates.

_________________

Living well is the best revenge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwUtj_YnNoY

Was it from an ATM?

If so, then it doesn't matter what ATM you use, at the airport, bank, casino, hotel, etc. If the ATM dispenses colones, YOUR bank then does the conversion to give you an exchange rate. The only difference between different ATM's is the service charge that they add to the withdrawal. Unfortunately, unlike the US, in CR they are not required to post the fee amount on the ATM itself so you can decide which is the cheapest.

I have a credit union checking account and, in October, when the official rate was like 480, I got 478, that's including the ATM fee which means that my exchange rate was right at 480 or even a couple more.

Thanks for info on where to exchange.

*************

When will the C hit 500? Based on this schedule, it looks like the C goes down (against the dollar) 1 colon about every 7 to 8 days on average so you can calculate it out.

http://indicadoreseconomicos.bccr.fi.cr ... Cuadro=370


Dwayne

The best thing to do is to get AMEX travelers checks at your bank before you leave and that way they can be replaced if lost or stolen...(as if that never happens in CR). I just exchanged $1000 at Scotai Bank and got 494.79 to 1 and was really happy. And there was no fee attached since the agreement that AMEX has with the banks is that the canot charge for changing the traveler checks for cash. Just beware, because there was a report at the hotel I was at that the clerk at a Cr based bank took the travelers checks away from the counter, then came back and counted them out and gave change for $100 LESS THAN THEY ORIGINALLY SET DOWN. Compaints didn't get them anywhere, and they were $100 short when they left that bank.

I only exchange $100 at a time. I am not sure why I would need several hundreds of dollars worth of colons a time. I only need enough to eat, a cub ride and a session at ZB, NF or Idem.

I stay at the Hotel Presidente and they offer a fair exchange rate. They do not like the $100 with a serial number beginning with the "B". Check your bills before you travel.

You can also break $100 at the casino cage at the BM. This way you will have the exact combination of bills for your negotiations.

I try to never carry more than about $100 worth of cash with me at any one time. The safes in the rooms are your friends!

Thanks for all the info guys. I remember on my first trip in summer 2001 the rate was 310 to the dollar. What a difference in a short time.

You can create a graph of CRC versus USD at:

http://www.oanda.com/products/fxgraph/fxgraph.shtml

If you do so, you will see a nearly straight-line increase in the value of the dollar over time. Extending that straight line forward will give you a pretty good idea of what the exchange rate will be in the future (if things don't drastically change somehow).