Changing US dollars in Rio

We are arriving in Rio next month and cruising up the coast of Brazil before completing TA cruise. Does anyone have a recommendation for changing money once in Rio...we are there for a few days beforee jining the cruise

Thanx

Sandy in Spain

We are arriving in Rio next month and cruising up the coast of Brazil before completing TA cruise. Does anyone have a recommendation for changing money once in Rio...we are there for a few days beforee jining the cruise

Thanx

Sandy in Spain

There is no reason to carry lots of cash to Rio, other than personal preference, and safety reasons not to have large amounts of cash with you. Exchange a bit for your first day at the airport booth or get some reais at home. (Do not use the ATMs at the airport. ) You can easily use your credit cards or perhaps a dedicated "vacation" debit card account for almost everything. Use the ATMs in the bank lobby (location makes it less easy to tamper with the machine) to withdraw what you need for a short time. However, there are many Casas de Cambio (exchange houses) close to each other in Copacabana. Rates may vary slightly amongst them. Ask your hotel front desk person to refer you to one. Take a taxi there and have him wait to take you back immediately to the hotel to put the cash in the room safe or hotel safe.

Happy and safe travels.

Thank you, you're always there with great helpful information. Trying to get Reis in our part of Spain is a little tricky and we have plenty of dollars left over from our last cruise.

Sandy in Spain

That's very nice to hear. Thanks.

You might want to take a look at the informational site ipanema dot com, the pages on neighborhoods, music clubs, museums, parks, etc to get some familiarity with the city.

Do enjoy your trip.

ipanema dot com is full of useful information, I've used it many times while preparing for our visits to Rio

Sandy in Spain

we were in Rio Feb 16 this year I would recommend you get Reals at home and take them In Rio they didn't want US money at all and after I realized I could have got a better rate if I bought them at home. Just my opinion

we were in Rio Feb 16 this year I would recommend you get Reals at home and take them In Rio they didn't want US money at all and after I realized I could have got a better rate if I bought them at home. Just my opinion

Yours is the first case I've heard of in 20 years of traveling to Brazil of someone claiming they got (or would have gotten) a better rate buying reais at home than withdrawing from an ATM in Brazil or exchanging cash at a casa de cambio in the city.

Of course "in Rio they didn't want US money at all". It is in fact illegal to use currency other than the Real in Brazil.

We had major issues in Brazil getting reals. Not all ATMs are created equal.your bank has to have an agreement with the ATM bank; otherwise, you can do nothing. Fortunately our guide helped us in Salvador and Rio. It was quite frustrating as we needed to pay for our B and B in Iguazu in cash. Also, the limits one can withdraw per day enters in. We had gotten quite a few reals at home. We also used our credit card without issue until the last day when it was denied. We were paying for our guide's dinner so it was quite embarrassing. We had called the credit card company before we left home but still they thought it was fraud. We simply used a different card.

Brazil is a wonderful country but it does have some quirks that you just need to figure out.

Pearl

Brazil is a wonderful country but it does have some quirks that you just need to figure out.

That's an amusing/polite way to put it ! ;-)

(And ampify the "quirks" by 100X for those of us who spend considerable time here.)