Hi All,

I think this thread may be due for an update. As a foreigner (Canadian), I’d like to share what I know and have experienced since my last trip to Venezuela, which is current dating from December 10 2018. I have been to Venezuela a multitude of times, and things are always consistently changing which is why I think such constant updates are important. Being born and raised in Canada, having completed my university (medical) studies in Canada/USA, and working in Canada/USA, my perspective is westernized.

I usually visit Venezuela (VZL) about 2-3 times a year and have been there seven times. I have local friends that usually help me, but my last visit was done mainly on my own (of course the tips and tricks of the TripAdvisor and FlyerTalk community are invaluable). If anyone has any questions or concerns, I’d be more than willing and happy to answer them directly on this message board or via PM.

*****CURRENCY EXCHANGE (How to get local currency and how to use it)*****
The local currency in VZL is the bolivar soberano (VES). It used to be the bolivar fuerte but this currency was abolished in August 2018. The official exchange rate (from USD to VES) as of today, January 6 2018, is 1$=642VES. This is the exchange rate you will get if you use your foreign credit/debit card. The black market exchange rate, as of today, is roughly 1$=850VES – this rate changes daily (use DolarToday.com or other websites to check rates). Cash is hardly used in VZL; however, it has recently been easier to procure albeit most transactions are mostly cashless. In the coming months, it should be harder and harder to procure cash as inflation continues to grow. The best and nearly only way to pay for goods, at the favorable exchange rate, is to use a local credit/debit card or local bank transfer. There are many services offering the opportunity to borrow an individual’s credit/debit card and ID. I was using a man and woman’s card/ID and was successful 80/80 times with it. There are daily debit and bank transfer limits depending on the bank you are using. If you would like more information, please PM me.

Exchanging USD to VES is done through local trustworthy contacts. I would never use someone I met on the street or didn’t know. If you want a local contact, PM me. You can Paypal/Uphold/Zelle the amount in USD, and these people will transfer you the equivalent amount in VES to your Venezuelan bank account.

*****HOTEL (Where to stay)*****
I’ll keep this unique to Caracas. If you have any questions regarding other cities, please let me know. I would say the best and most elegant place in Caracas to stay is the Hotel Renaissance Caracas La Castellana or the JW Marriott, both are Marriott chains with the former located in the affluent neighborhood of Altamira and the latter in the business district of El Rosal. The biggest change with Venezuela since my last travel update is the price of such hotels. These hotels now go for $75-80 a night; however, customer service is great and you get what you pay for. For Western standards, I would give these two hotels a solid 4 stars. I would be inclined to say the Renaissance Caracas La Castellana is a little more modern than the JW Marriott. Nevertheless, I’m pretty high maintenance and have expensive tastes when it comes to traveling, but for the budget traveler, there are other cheaper options in the city such as the Embassy Suites by Hilton Caracas, InterContinental Tamanaco, Gran Melia, or Eurobuilding to consider. Although I haven’t frequented these hotels, from talking with locals and other foreigners, the JW Marriott and Renaissance are the go-to places. Other options include 3-star hotels for about $15-30 a night. They are decent options and there are absolutely zero issues with them. One that comes to mind is the Hotel Chacao Cumberland. If you really want cheap cheap, you can find 2-3$ a night hotels in Caracas; however, they have no water and no electricity. I recommend you always communicate with the hotel before booking these “no-name” brand hotels to confirm what amenities they have, notably water + electricity. Another good option is AirBnB. You can find very nice AirBnB options in Caracas for 15-20$ a night. You can negotiate cheaper rates for longer stays to the extent of 200-300$ a month.

To note, you won't get hotel points unless you pay in USD.

*****TRANSPORTATION*****
The local rate for a taxi going from the airport to the city center is about 15$; however, the taxi service should be prearranged. Prearranging a taxi is difficult unless a trustworthy local can help you. If you need help with this, I’d be more than happy to help – please PM.

Furthermore, I would recommend an application called Nekso. It works like Uber. You write in the application where you are located and where you are going. The price pops up and you click search for driver. You get matched with a driver and there they come. You can pay in local cash, via bank transfer with your local debit card, or you can ask the driver if he accepts USD and you can pay in small denominations of 1$ at the day's exchange rate. There are also 24/7 taxis that you can call at any hour of the day and they come pick you up. They tend to be a little bit more expensive than Nekso, but are very reliable and still very very cheap for Western standards!

You can also take the metro. I took the metro in one of the more dangerous parts of Caracas (from El Valle, to Capitolio, to Agua Salud at 10PM at night with no issues).

*****SAFETY*****
I don’t necessarily think VZL is as dangerous as people make it out to be. Sure, you should be careful and not walk around with a gold Rolex and gold chain, but the same would hold true if you were walking some streets in NYC. Use common sense and you should be fine. Do not exchange dollars on the street, do not flaunt your wealth. Furthermore, I will add that I do sometimes have the flair for the dramatics – case in point I was comfortably walking around Altamira with my Gucci sunglasses, my Lacoste polo, my Rolex watch, my 7 For All Mankind distressed jeans, and Lacoste kicks. Never did I feel threatened. I was wearing the same attire when walking in the C.C. SAMBIL. Furthermore, I went to the Asamblea Nacional and Plaza Bolivar at 10PM and was dancing with the locals with my phone out taking videos. If you want, I can share with you these videos/pictures via WhatsApp. It was super fun! I also went to the “dangerous” barrio of 23 de Enero at 1AM having fun with friends there then walking outside from the 23 de Enero barrio to the metro of Agua Salud. I’m alive to tell the tail; albeit, the latter was a little bit excessive in all fairness.

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All in all, Venezuela is a beautiful place. Money goes a long way – not as much as before when it comes to the "5-star" hotels, but the rest is dirt cheap: Michelin restaurants for 15$, massages for 3$, manicure/pedicure for 1$, designer haircuts for 2$, etc… Beaches are beautiful, and Los Roques and Angel Falls are breathtaking. A potential great tourist destination…!