South America - Currency in Columbia

As I found, in many Latin American countries you can easily get around with US dollars without bothering with currency exchange. How is the situation in Columbia? For instance, would taxi drivers accept dollars or they insist on Colombian pesos?

Thanks you.

You might be successful - but honestly I've never tried, and in general, you probably won't be able to.

And also, it's spelled Colombia (pet peeve of mine :))...

How is the situation in Columbia?

Absolutely terrible. I have never been able to pay a cabbie with pesos when heading downtown from the campus in Morningside Heights!


For instance, would taxi drivers accept dollars or they insist on Colombian pesos?

As for Colombia, you'd have to ask around to find a taxista that would accept dollars. In general, it's a no. And if you managed to find an enterprising capitalist I'm sure you would get screwed on the exchange rate. Probably it would flag you as a clueless tourist worthy of a very circuitous meter-juicing route.

(General comment - Colombian taxistas are for the most part honest. Reports of longhauling tourists are pretty rare. Unlike in Las Vegas!)

General comment - Colombian taxistas are for the most part honest. Reports of longhauling tourists are pretty rare. Unlike in Las Vegas!I would agree with you.

However, most of my rides have been to/from residential areas (as opposed to tourist stops or the airport) and I think I have always had a native Colombian riding with me.

I can only personally speak to Medellin, but what I've experienced and read online from other travelers mirrors the responses here. USD is rarely accepted by almost any type of business, and if they do you'll probably do much worse on the exchange than if you just visit an ATM and take out COP.

Credit Cards in general are a toss up based on what I've read -- they're not as ubiquitous as other areas of the world. I only even attempted to use them at more upscale places (hotel, major malls, etc). Everywhere else I used cash only - taxis, restaurants, etc.

You will need to exchange your USD for Colombian Pesos. I've lived in BOG 7 years and can only use pesos & credit cards. Money exchange stores are everywhere. It is better to exchange at the airport vs. hotel. Have fun!

It is better to exchange at the airport vs. hotel.

Where are the ATMs at BOG? I'll be flying in long haul, arriving in the evening. It'll be my first time in BOG.

I agree too. Colombia is not one of those "everybody takes dollars" places. Use local currency.

Where are the ATMs at BOG? I'll be flying in long haul, arriving in the evening. It'll be my first time in BOG.

When you arrive, go up the escalator to the departures section. You should see a bank with an ATM just up there. When I asked people never heard of an "ATM" so remember cajero automático

(I just arrived back from a weekend trip to BOG)

When you arrive, go up the escalator to the departures section. You should see a bank with an ATM just up there. When I asked people never heard of an "ATM" so remember cajero automáticoIs this after you've cleared customs/immigration? Or do you follow signs for transit pax to find the escalator up?

Columbia University in Manhattan, or Colombia :-)

I'm not aware of any South American country where you can freely use U.S. currency in shops, etc. outside of, perhaps, resorts, cruise ships and airports. We're in Brazil and could not get by very long at all without Brazilian Reais. The few places that do take U.S. dollars may give a lousy exchange rate. A taxi driver who happens to know the exchange rate may accept a U.S. bill if it's in their favor, but certainly won't have change for you. I used my U.S.-issued Citibank ATM/debit card to get money from ATMs. I get a slightly better rate at the one Citibank in town, but have used it at many other banks and other locations (there should be a sumbol showing your credit or debit card, or the network it's in, such as Cirus).

Typically, you get a better exchange rate at cambios in town vs. the airport or a hotel, but whether they'd be better than your ATM, I don't know.