Traveltalkonline.com Forums


SXM Cruise Schedule TTOL Sponsors SXM Travel Calendar
Forum Statistics
Forums39
Topics39,345
Posts319,065
Members26,661
Most Online3,755
Sep 23rd, 2024
Top Posters(30 Days)
bdeeley 77
RonDon 38
GaKaye 30
jazzgal 29
erb923 25
fabila 22
Kennys 21
Member Spotlight
Posts: 5,508
Joined: May 2002
Today's Birthdays
bomberchamp, StacyLynn, stacylynnn
Who's Online Now
1 members (1 invisible), 646 guests, and 73 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 11
Traveler
OP Offline
Traveler
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 11
I have viewed several posts on $$ vs. credit cards, but wanted to get feedback on best dollar denominations to bring with us. We will be mainly spending $$ on meals on French side to get 1 for 1. Otherwise, we have a foreign transaction-free CC. Thanks in advance.


May you live as long as you want, And never want as long as you live...
SXM Sponsors
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 17,792
Likes: 1
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 17,792
Likes: 1
You will want an overall assortment of denominations. Smaller bills for tips, etc. and I have never had a problem using larger bills in restaurants. Once in a while you will see a sign indicating they do not accept UD $50 or $100 but that is usually smaller places.

When on the French side you will likely get your best exchange rate (or 1:1) when using cash and I doubt denomination will be a problem..

Not sure if I am reading your post right about the credit card and fee. If you want to consider a card without the foreign fee, Discover does not charge the fee and neither does Capital One.


J.D.
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 480
T
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
T
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 480
50's work well for us, you will accumulate the smaller bills.

Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,211
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,211
We bring a combo of 50s and 20s. Seems to work well for us.

Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,143
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,143
We bring a pack of 5's and the rest 20's. The fives are for various tips and the 20's for meal purchases and trinkets. We use our Capital One for the lodging and rental car. Take more than one type of card in case one gets compromised.

Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 173
J
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
J
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 173
Grand Case restaurants may cost you between $100 and $200 for 2, depending on the place and how much you drink, so hundreds and fifties can be useful for that.. Beach drinks tend to be $6 -$8, so for a couple, 20s can be useful. As said, you will accumulate ones, fives and maybe tens. We brings 100s and 20s.

Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 19,328
Likes: 2
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 19,328
Likes: 2
All our Citi bank cards did away with the fees a year ago.

Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 13,169
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 13,169
We bring an assortment of bills, but mostly 100's especially for dining at night. Gourmet dinners are always over 100 at the best restaurants. Even beach days at the really good beach restaurants will be at least that much or more for spending the day there, chairs, umbrellas and lunch with drinks.




Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,160
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,160
Quote
JimCandD said:
We bring a pack of 5's and the rest 20's. The fives are for various tips and the 20's for meal purchases and trinkets. We use our Capital One for the lodging and rental car. Take more than one type of card in case one gets compromised.


Hard to overstate the importance of taking multiple cards.

Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 13,495
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 13,495
I think a lot depends on how you plan to pay for what. We use credit cards for everything that we can, and only use cash if credit cards aren't accepted at a business or if the credit card systems are down. Because of that, we bring $50s and $100s, and generally only use about half of the cash we bring. The current exchange rate isn't that high, so we don't concern ourselves with 1:1. We also bring a stack of $5s to tip our housekeeper each day.

And to repeat what has been said, we always bring at least three different credit cards, just in case.

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,694
pat Offline
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,694
Quote
Spltatms1957 said:
I have viewed several posts on $$ vs. credit cards, but wanted to get feedback on best dollar denominations to bring with us. We will be mainly spending $$ on meals on French side to get 1 for 1.
Quote
Otherwise, we have a foreign transaction-free CC.
Thanks in advance.


If I'm reading this right, your cc does NOT have any associated foreign exchange fees. When we used TCs almost exclusively, we only brought $100 denominations and once we started the change over from TCs to cash, we carry the bulk of our cash in $100 and $50 denominations just to avoid a lot of bulk in our wallets. That said, we usually do bring about $200 in miscellaneous denominations, including about 5-10 dollars in singles and a bunch of five dollar bills for tips for bellmen, and for the maids and such.

I haven't been to a restaurant or a jewelry store yet that has a problem with larger bills and even the larger grocery stores accept them without issue along with credit cards.


Respectfully,

pat



"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat
them."
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 23
B
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
B
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 23
As a follow up question are the room safes secure?

Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 13,169
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 13,169
Depending where you stay. Some are safer than others.




Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 308
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 308
I usually bring 1 lb of each denomination!!!! LOL!!

Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,108
Likes: 1
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,108
Likes: 1
ATM....take out what you want.

Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,994
Likes: 2
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,994
Likes: 2
I bring primarily $100 and $2 bills. I can have the former "cashed" at Divi's front desk if I'm going to a beach bar. I use the $2 bills for tips, and they are always accepted enthusiastically.


[Linked Image]
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 20
S
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
S
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 20
We bring smaller bills,20's and 50's. CC for dinners and excursions and rentals. If you get points, use the CC's

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 348
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 348
For us bringing fifties and hundreds works, with twice as many fifties as hundreds, equaling the same.

Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,294
J
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
J
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,294
$2 bills make me think of Neil Rooney.

Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,056
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,056
Just heard on the news that the government is thinking of no longer printing the $100. It is the bill that is reproduced illegally the most. Gonna need a bigger pocketbook soon since you'll have to take twice as many $50 with you.

Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 83,821
Likes: 2
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 83,821
Likes: 2
Really? That seems dumb to me, as then folks will start forging $50 more. $100 are much more convenient, if you need to carry a larger amount of money.


Carol Hill
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 4,220
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 4,220
Yes, $100's are much easier to buy a bottle of Dom with.
So are you buying?


Rah Rah Rasputin
They put some poison into his wine
He drank it all and said "I feel fine"
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 83,821
Likes: 2
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 83,821
Likes: 2
Not me, been a couple of years since I have been down for Regatta, so the Dom is on you! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />


Carol Hill
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 348
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 348
Maybe a better question is how much do people take in cash with them? We usually bring $1,200, which usually lasts about 7 days. Going for ten days, we wind up at the bank machine with the remaining three days left and withdraw another $500. That said, about 80% of our meals and drinks out cost is paid by cash so the credit card is seeing little activity.

Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 9
H
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
H
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 9
While reading this thread I noticed there is no mention of bringing euros. I will be staying in Marigot and planned on bringing half my cash as euros. Do I not need to do this?
Are USD all I need? Do most of the establishments on the french side do the 1:1?
I thought I would need them for grocery shopping, etc.
Thanks for everyones great advice on here.

Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 1,205
J
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
J
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 1,205
You don't need euros. U.S. cash works everywhere on the island. Grocery stores were doing 1:1. Not all places are 1:1. A lot of the restaurants are not. Yellow sub in orient village was though. Enjoy your vacation!


Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5