Page 38 - Across the Andes: Chile’s Atacama Desert & Argentina’s Northwest

• Banknotes: 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, and 2000 pesos

• Coins: 1, 2, 5, and 10 pesos

How to Exchange Money
On your trip, the easiest way is to withdraw funds from a local ATM. The ATM will give you
local money and your bank at home will convert that into U.S. dollars.

DZ` NLY LW^Z PcNSLYRP NL^S L_ ^ZXP SZ_PW^ LYO XZYPd PcNSLYRP ZʯNP^ ?Z PcNSLYRP NL^S
you’ll usually need your passport and bills in good condition (not worn, torn, or dirty). New
bills (post 2004) are best. Never exchange money on the street. All exchange methods involve
fees, which may be built into the conversion rate; ask beforehand.

If you want to exchange money before your trip, you can usually do so through your bank or at
LY PcNSLYRP ZʯNP M`_ bP ]PNZXXPYO _SL_ dZ` bLT_ LYO NSLYRP XZYPd ZY _SP _]T[ TY^_PLO

ATMs
When using the ATM, keep in mind that it may only accept cards from local banks, and may
not allow cash advances on credit cards; you might need to try more than one ATM or more
than one card.

Many banks charge a fee of $1-$5 each time you use a foreign ATM. Others may charge you a
percentage of the amount you withdraw. We recommend that you check with your bank before
you depart.

Lastly, don’t forget to memorize the actual digits of your card’s PIN number (many keypads at
QZ]PTRY ,?8^ OZ YZ_ TYNW`OP WP__P]^ ZY _SPT] VPd^ɨ_SPd ZYWd OT^[WLd Y`XMP]^

Chile: ATMs are available in larger cities, such as Santiago, but will not be available in remote
locations.

Argentina: ATMs are available in larger cities like Buenos Aires, Ushuaia, and Bariloche, but
will not be available in remote locations.
Uruguay: ,?8^ L]P bTOPWd LaLTWLMWP TY WL]RP] NT_TP^ WTVP 8ZY_PaTOPZ M`_ XLd MP XZ]P OTʯN`W_
_Z ʭYO TY ^XLWW _ZbY^

Credit & Debit Cards

Even if you don’t plan on using a credit card during your trip, we still suggest that you bring
one or two as a backup, especially if you are planning a large purchase (artwork, jewelry).
We also suggest that you bring more than one brand of card (i.e. Visa, MasterCard, American
Express) if possible, because not every shop will take every card. For example, although the
Discover card is accepted in some countries outside the U.S., it is not widely adopted, so other
brands will work at a much larger range of stores, restaurants, etc.

38