Heading to Puerto Vallerta Saturday

[ruddstud]

My wife and I are heading to PV all inclusive Oct 11-18. What currency should we bring for tipping, tours, cabs, off site meals etc..? Any tours we should take? Any areas we should visit? We are 45 mins north near a place called Bucerias.

Thanks

[GoinAllTheWay]

Go to Bucerias for sure! Cool little town with a ton of amazing pubs and places to eat. In particular, look for a pub called yoyo mo's. AMAZING pizza and food overall. Tons of canucks go there as the place is owned by a couple from Calgary. We stayed a little south of Bucerias and a couple times we walked up the beach to go watch the Flames game at YoYo Mo's, that was really cool. Trust me on this place, it's awesome.

Vallarta Adventures is highly recommended. The rhythm of the nights cruise is a must as well as their outdoor adventure (zip lining).

These guys are all about safety and making sure their guests have a great time.

As far as currency goes, I just bring some US cash and a credit card. At least 2 Canadian banks down there so getting more money isn't an issue. Even the Mexican ATM's work too as far as I recall.

[rotten42]

I go every year to PV (NV)..You don't need US cash. If you use it, chances are you are getting ripped off. Pesos are fine.

[troutman]

I always wanted to go from there to Guadalajara for a couple of nights (second biggest city in Mexico), but that is quite different than relaxing at a resort.

[Wood]

I generally use pesos when shopping, lots of stores and restraunts can rip you off if you pay American. I bring American for tipping and cabs/collectivos mostly. Most ATMs anywhere work but it usually has a charge of $6+ for withdrawing

[Huntingwhale]

#1 word of advice is that if you are bringing USD, make sure it is ALL in small bills. Good luck getting change for any USD currency anywhere, including banks. It just doesn't happen. If you use large USD bills when doing any transaction, you'll get change back in Pesos (and you'll always lose out on the exchange) and magically no one will ever be able to give you back USD change. One our last day we had to prepay for our taxi to the airport and all we had a $100 US bill. Our hotel, which spent all day and night accepting US bills, magically lost the ability to give us change for our bill and we ended up having to convert the bill to pesos and then being able to pay the cab driver. Incredibly frustrating and left a sour taste in my mouth.

[rd_aaron]

Originally Posted by GoinAllTheWay

Vallarta Adventures is highly recommended. The rhythm of the nights cruise is a must as well as their outdoor adventure (zip lining).

Those are the two we did and we really enjoyed both of them.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by ruddstud

My wife and I are heading to PV all inclusive Oct 11-18. What currency should we bring for tipping, tours, cabs, off site meals etc..? Any tours we should take? Any areas we should visit? We are 45 mins north near a place called Bucerias.

Thanks

Not a specific place, but my wife and I went to NV years ago. It was a good place to surf. In fact, we met a bunch of people from BC, that went down regularly to surf there.

In short, if you get a chance give it a go.

[surferguy]

Head to Saluylita for surfing, its usually a bit better outside the bay.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

you'll get change back in Pesos (and you'll always lose out on the exchange) and magically no one will ever be able to give you back USD change.

That's pretty typical for anywhere that takes USD, change always comes back in local currency. Even at the Calgary airport if you pay for something in USD you get the change back in Canadian nowhere close to bank rate.

[calgarywinning]

Go to Calforex in chinook mall for a good exchange rate on Pesos.

Cafe de Olla', Joe Jacks Fish Shack, Le Palapa, Vista Grille are amazing restaurants. I like old town Puerto Vallarta if you get a chance to visit, but quite a ways from where you are at.

[Huntingwhale]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

That's pretty typical for anywhere that takes USD, change always comes back in local currency. Even at the Calgary airport if you pay for something in USD you get the change back in Canadian nowhere close to bank rate.

Mexico takes it a step further. I just find it odd that every single business/transaction can be done in US currency, but no one ever seems to be able to give you change. I went to multiple currency conversion booths and no one could give me change for a 20. The hotel would never give me change, yet their was a constant stream of guests who would trade in USD bills for Pesos. Ask a server who makes his tips in 1s if he could give you change? Nope. I swear it's a country wide conspiracy.

And +1 for Vallarta Adventures. We went on their Sierra Madré excursion and it's one of the funnest things I've ever done.

[MyFlamesFirst]

You can actually pretty much get away with Canadian money there too now. I wouldn't bother taking out American. I would recommend pesos for tipping and smaller purchases. I'd second the adventure tours. Zip lining and snorkeling/ repelling in cenotes is wicked fun, plus I believe a good portion of the money goes to supporting the Mayan land you do it on (or so I was told). If you guys are young and looking to party, check out the club coco bongo. It's a ways out of PV, but usually the hotels offer excursions that include the bus there and back plus unlimited alchohol. That place is surreal, only way to describe it. If your going for a romantic get away with the wife, that is probably not your place tho.

[linecook]

Originally Posted by ruddstud

My wife and I are heading to PV all inclusive Oct 11-18. What currency should we bring for tipping, tours, cabs, off site meals etc..? Any tours we should take? Any areas we should visit? We are 45 mins north near a place called Bucerias.

Thanks

See you there, I'm heading down Tuesday. 1 week at Club Regina and then a week at Rancho Banderas.

Fishing is really good this time of year. Lot's of yellow fin tuna and marlin.

[John Doe]

This is off topic, but if you have never been to PV before, watch out for the timeshare people at the airport. For some reason they have their own corridor at the terminal that you must pass through to get to the tour personnel outside the doors. Don't acknowledge them or even make eye contact. I found them to be very aggressive. Just keep your head down and keep walking until you get to the people with the tour operator t-shirts. If you are at a resort, you can book your tours there.

[chummer]

^^That is not off topic,it's great advice.Same applies for the Cancun Airport,they're brutal,don't give them a second of your time.

[Baxter Renegade]

Bring 70% Pesos, 30% USD

[socktape]

Originally Posted by John Doe

This is off topic, but if you have never been to PV before, watch out for the timeshare people at the airport. For some reason they have their own corridor at the terminal that you must pass through to get to the tour personnel outside the doors. Don't acknowledge them or even make eye contact. I found them to be very aggressive. Just keep your head down and keep walking until you get to the people with the tour operator t-shirts. If you are at a resort, you can book your tours there.

Book them there or do it yourself... it isn't very hard and you can usually take the bus to get there... will cut the cost of the tour roughly 30% less.

That and the guys that want to help you with your luggage... they pull your bags 100 feet and then are looking for a tip.

[GoinAllTheWay]

Originally Posted by socktape

That and the guys that want to help you with your luggage... they pull your bags 100 feet and then are looking for a tip.

This is one thing about PV that really annoys me. The second you step off the plane you have to run that freakin gauntlet of Timeshare/tourguide/taxi/baggage help people.

Sitting on the beach and you have wave after wave of people trying to sell you the exact same crap as the 50 that came before them.

I totally understand that it's just people trying to make a living but it does really get on the nerves after a while.

[ruddstud]

Originally Posted by linecook

See you there, I'm heading down Tuesday. 1 week at Club Regina and then a week at Rancho Banderas.

Fishing is really good this time of year. Lot's of yellow fin tuna and marlin.

Join us at YOYO Mos for a Flames game, will be there WednesdaY!