US dollar or local currency for tours

[skyraider]

We will be cruising from Valpairaso to Rio Feb. 16 on HAL Rotterdam, and would like to use taxis or private dockside tours. Do we require local currency or is USD generally accepted by the operators in the following ports:

Puerto Montt

Punta Arenas

Ushuaia

Buenos Aires

Montevideo

Also approximately how much would be the hourly charge in these ports.

[Aussie Gal]

We used private guides in Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas and Buenos Aires and they all took U.S. dollars.

 

We hired a taxi in Ushuaia for a few hours and he also took U.S. dollars. Our trip with the taxi driver in Ushuaia was for about 4-5 hours with another couple and I think it cost each couple around $50. He was English speaking but he did drive rather fast!!

 

In Montevideo we did the ship's tour so cannot help you there.

 

Jennie

[Splinter]

We privately booked tours for our entire trip (never took a ship's tour), using http://www.southstartours.com We pre-paid all our trip fees (except for the tips of course) before we left home via credit card, and received vouchers which we gave to the tour operators who met us at each port. We saved a lot over the ship's tours, and had either private cars or small van tours throughout our stay.

 

The only exception was in Puerto Montt where I booked us directly on-line with this company: http://www.chile-travel.com/eureka.htm This was for a private tour in a Mercedes with an English speaking guide who picked us up at the pier. They also took a credit card, but did not actually charge us until the day of our tour. We drove by their office and paid with the credit card there, again in American dollars.