Money

Hello,

Maybe this has been covered before but I don't see it in any recent threads. We're going to Belize this Friday, splitting our time between Caye Caulker and San Ignacio (plus a night in Belize City, at D'Nest Inn, on the way in and the way out, simply because of when our flights arrive/leave).

It sounds like US dollars are accepted pretty much everywhere, but I don't want to carry around hundreds of dollars of cash.

Would you recommend using cash machines to withdraw BZ currency, or bringing travelers' checks and exchanging them for BZ currency?

As a side note, last summer I went to Europe, and called my bank and credit card company ahead of time to let them know where I'd be and when... but when I tried to withdraw anything more than US$100, they still flagged (and froze) the account. It was a bit of a panic situation, knowing I had plenty of money available but no way of getting to it... then a big pain spending time on the phone trying to straighten things out. That's the only reason I'm considering travelers' checks -- at least then I'd have something if there were ATM issues.

Thanks!

I brought $200US in cash and used the ATM on Caye Caulker twice. Early one morning, it was showing as out of service, but that was fixed once the bank opened - I figured it had probably run out of money the night before. I used a credit card for larger purchases - the hotel bill and the trip to Lamanai, for example. I was told that the bank on Caulker will do a cash advance on a credit card if you need one, so was counting on that as a backup. I actually forgot to call my bank and cc company to let them know I was traveling, but didn't have a problem.

If you've booked anything ahead (lodging, diving) ask if they accept credit cards and/or traveler's checques and if there's a fee. We've found that some places still charge a fee for credit cards and many are happy with traveler's checques and don't charge a fee for that so I plan accordingly. Also, like John, I pack a few extra for emergencies, but don't plan on them being your way to get cash as the lines are often surprisingly long at the banks and there may be a conversion fee. Getting cash from a charge card usually means instant interest added by the credit card company but you can prevent that by frontloading the account before the trip so obtaining cash on the account doesn't result in a negative balance. ATMs are usually a great way to go but be aware of the charges your bank may add for foreign transactions and non-branch ATMs withdrawals - for some banks in can be $5 a pop. And, as alh notes, the machines are sometimes empty, especially on week-ends, so don't cut it too close.

Have a great trip and be sure to tell us all about it!

All you can do is call the credit/debit card company and tell them where you are going and hope for the best. I have been on the road 5 years and you'd think they would get the point - yet I still have trouble every 3 months or so. In the larger scheme - I appreciate the security though.

Just be lucky you don't have to try and activate a new card "from your home number" when you haven't had a home or number in 5 years and are currently on the Andaman Islands in the middle of the Bay of Bengal. LOL. ---- BTL telephone service is pretty good.

On edit - bring 20 one dollar bills. These are great for small purchases. Otherwise, use the ATM's, should be no problem in Belize.

Edited by: LizandAlan

Thanks for your advice, everyone! We're here on Caye Caulker and haven't had any problems with lines, empty ATMs, or withdrawing cash. Loving it here!

Never used the ATMs on Caye Caulker, in February, but used them a couple times in San Ignacio, and never had any troubles. Isn't Caye Caulker wonderful? Can't wait to go back.