Hey all

Iv just crossed into Venezuela from Brasil and were at a town called Santa Elena.

After trying all 4 banks (supposely cirrus, visa etc), none of our ATM cards (UK and US) will work. We have no cash, no fuel and no food. Currently staying in a posh hotel who will take Visa which is WAY over our budget.

The machines also keep asked for another 2 digit ID code which we dont have but i was told to just enter anything as its only for locals..

Can anyone offer any ATM advice for Venezuela ?? Were a little up sh*t creak at the moment !!

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

What ever you do for surviving don´t feel bad about it!hahahaha
Have you try to ask in the bank(bank manager) how you can solve this?
Maybe a us bank like city,standart etc??? or call a 0800 in the us? UK?
I know mañana is 1 of may so all should be closed!
Good luck!
The worst would be to clean the dishes for paying your meal
Chau Teddy

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http://vientoderipio.blogspot.com/
America is a nice continent,not a country.All people who lives in this continent are americans.Discover it in peace!

Venezuela Practical Information

Some ATM rules for foreigners in Venezuela are:

1. You will have to be lightening fast on entering the information or the system will time out;
2. Sometimes you have to select "Credit Card" even if you have a debit card or other;
3. Don't take too much cash at a time. In some machines this is limited to 200,000 Bolívares per transaction. You will need to use the machine a few times to get the cash;
4. If the machine asks you for the last two digits or the first two digits of your personal identification, just type in any two digits;
5. Remember some machines could not work with your card. Try another bank if this happens;
6. Surcharges for electronic services/transactions could be expensive, take care of it;
7. Notify your Bank in advance that you plan on using your ATM card in Venezuela while you are on vacation. If your bank sees activity on your account they 'may' put a hold on your transactions.

All major credit cards (Visa, Master Card, American Express, Diner's Club...) are accepted widely in hotels, restaurants, stores and everywhere. You will be asked to show a picture ID when purchasing with them, so remember to carry it with you.

Maybe the best option is to bring all your cash in US Dollars and exchange it on the black market. There are plenty of shady money changers in airports, ask the hotel or guest house where you are staying the most convenient place to go to exchange your money, just be careful with unknow people as in any other place in the world. If you have friends or known people in Venezuela, it is a lot better to ask them for somebody interested in exchange your money because it is not difficult to find people who wants to get some USD's in cash for their personal usage.

The rates you get for one US dollar:

- Official exchange rate: 2,150 (banks, ATM's, POS, Currency Exchange Office) remember about surcharges;
- Cash on the black market: 2,300 to 3,000 (it varies a lot, deppends on amounts, demmand of season, political situation or places, rates of shady money changers in airports use to be lower).

If you get 2,500 instead of 2,100 for a dollar, you will have about 20% more spending power.

__________________
http://vientoderipio.blogspot.com/
America is a nice continent,not a country.All people who lives in this continent are americans.Discover it in peace!

I thought this was widely known. Not got any $ ? Changing those on the black market, you get a premium - good business. Some people fly to Trinidad & Tobago just to use the ATM. Howzabout standing in line and asking for a cash advance over the counter? When I got caught out, it was a weekend so I didn't get the opportunity.
Done it in Colombia, though, no problem. Maybe you could ask the hotel for a cash advance with a comission?

Can I suggest you get to Colombia post haste. At least the gas is cheap in Venezuela. It will cost you nothing to travel, only to sleep.

Good Luck Wacker!

__________________
How much does a man live, after all?
Does he live a thousand days, or one only?
For a week, or several centuries?
How long does a man spend dying?
What does it mean to say “forever”? - Pablo Neruda

PS: Ted. If you want to earn some cash and need a place to kip, wash your clothes and use the internet, you are welcome to stay in my Bogota rabbit-hutch and fix my KLR.

__________________
How much does a man live, after all?
Does he live a thousand days, or one only?
For a week, or several centuries?
How long does a man spend dying?
What does it mean to say “forever”? - Pablo Neruda

Hi - we were in the same situation in Venezuela and ended up having to get a Western Union transfer - not cheap and at the official exchange rate of 2150 bolivares to the dollar. There are some tour agents who will arrange cash advances on credit/debit cards at better rates using their offshore bank accounts especially the German "mafia" which seems to exist in Venezuela. If you are still in Santa Elena there is a German operator there who has a hotel, etc. Sorry, but can't remember any details though as we were there last October.

Basically the advice for anybody going to Venezuela is go loaded with cash dollars. Depending on how "black" the market is, you can get up to 6000 bolivares to the dollar, or so we were told!

Best advice is get into Colombia ASAP, it's a great country and no trouble getting cash from ATMs - at least we didn't have any problems. Good luck!

It's a black market money exchange system in Venezuela. If you're still in Santa Elena ride 20 minutes back to the border and across into Brazil about 200m (tell the border goons that you're just going to the Banco do Brazil and you'll be right back and they'll let you pass), withdraw Brazilian Reils cash and then go back and exchange them in the street in Santa Elena for about 1.95 VEF = 1 BRL.

You could also exchange USD but I don't think you'll get very good rates there, probably better in Caracas or other non-border city. I was told that the USD to VEF black market rate is now down to about 3.4 VEF to 1 USD.

Be careful, Venezuela is a tough country and there's allot of crime here. You couldn't give me enough money to go into Caracas.

Cheers,
Daren - currently in Valencia

PS. I noticed that the current exchange rate for COL pesos is now down to 1.76 (it was around 2 one year ago).

Stretcher monkey, you have a PM

Well, we luckily had some Reis left over from Brazil and got a good rate on the black market in Santa Elena.

Its not allot but its enough for our trip to Colombia. THANKGOD the fuel is 4p a litre

Hotels paid by credit cards and we have enough money for food for a week..

MY GOD, the food is horrendously expensive in VEnezuela... Expect to pay 2USD for a bottle of water, 4USD for a piece of cheese and 20USD for shit wine...

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Hello,
You just need to head back over the border to Pacaraima, Brazil. Use the ATM in the Banco Do Brazil. Load up on Reais and to the main corner in Santa Elena by the Plaza Bolivar. There you can exchange your Reais for Bolivars at the current black market rate of 7.2 to 8.0 to the dollar depending on how much you have to exchange.
Never use your credit card or ATM card in Venezuela. You will receive the current rate of 4.4 to the dollar and everything will be almost double in cost.
Good Luck

The advice above is correct, although a couple of years late for the long-suffering OP, who is several continents down the road by now. Bring dollars to Venezuela and change on the black market. Otherwise, bring reais from Brazil or pesos from Colombia and change them at the border; rates are somewhat better just before crossing into Venezuela than just after.

Exact rates are subject to change, and penalties for black market transactions are more severe than they were when Ted first posted, so use some discretion on the street.

Mark

Wow, blast from the past...

I did find an ATM in Cuidad Bolivar in a shopping mall that accepted my Uk bank card.

It didnt work for the yanks I was with..

Black market is deffo the way in Venezuela though.....

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.