Best currency to take to Argentina and Chile

In Argentina you need American dollars in cash to exchange on the black market where the rate is about 13 pesos. The official rate is about 8 pesos.

Not much point taking dollars to Chile. Save them for Argentina. Some tourist related activities might take them but most places won't.

Thank you. So presumably it's quite easy to exchange, where could I do this is Buenos Aires?

Thank you, so presumably you'd advise Chilean peso for Chile and US dollars for Argentina?

Yes, take US dollars, preferably clean, crisp, unmarked US$100 bills to exchange. If you walk along the pedestrian street Florida in downtown Buenos Aires, there are always people calling out "cambio" or "change dollars."

And if you cross into Chile at a small border crossing, you will have better luck with US dollars there. Some small towns in Patagonia don't have an ATM, or it may be out of bills. Argentine pesos are worthless outside of Argentina. It may have changed, but Chilean parks will only accept Chilean pesos for entrance fees.

You can exchange Chilean pesos for Argentine pesos near a border, but the exchange rate won't be in your favor. Try to get only the currency you can spend while in each country.

I don't know what an "e prepaid cash passport card" is, but it won't be useful in Argentina. Basically any cash taken out of an ATM will be at the official rate and, with fees plus small withdrawal rates, it will cost you much more than exchanging at the Blue dollar rate (i.e black market)

Thank you, this is really useful. The prepaid card works the same as a debit card but with less charges. Usually they are used in shops or at ATMs and can be useful if you don't want to take too much cash. I will definitely take US dollars for Argentina and Chilean pesos for Chile - much appreciated.

The prepaid card may be useful in Chile, but don't count on using it in Argentina. As a foreigner, the only thing a credit card is needed for is to buy a plane ticket to fly domestically.

It is a pain in the ass to carry foreign currency and then exchange it for wads of Argentine pesos (the AR$100 is the largest bill), but it is the way one travels in Argentina nowadays.

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