Exchange rate at Lima airport
 

If anyone is passing through Lima airport, I'd appreciate knowing what the USD/Soles exchange rate is.

The last time I went, the rate at the airport was better than the rate my bank offered me (and way better than what a US airport offered but no surprise there).

thanks

I don´t know about LIM airport. I habitually change the minimum amount of $ at such places - esp. US airports which are notorious beyond belief for ripoff rates.

I changed at 2.78/$ at a hole in the wall at CUS today. They inspected my $ bills for integrity, like at RGN....

Do you get the best exchange rate by changing cash at a small FX oulet or using a no fee ATM card? Seems to me the 3% Visa/MC charge is much more than the spread the FX office employs.

Your best bet is a no-fee ATM card. When I go to Peru, I take whatever amount of soles I had left from the previous trip, and just get more soles from the ATM while in Peru.

There are two places to change money in the international arrivals baggage area in the Lima airport. One charges commission but offers a fair exchange rate; the other offers a lower rate and charges no commission. Either way you're getting ripped off.

Fortunately, there is little need to change dollars at the airport. You can pay for your taxi into town with dollars, no problem. Once you're in the city you can change money easily on the street or at moneychangers, without paying a commission and with minimum buy/sell spread.

I was in Lima in early December and changed money several times. If I recall correctly the exchange rate then for selling dollars was approximately US$1.00 = S/.2.80, or perhaps S/.2.75.

Do you mean the "casas de cambio" at first floor?

At second floor, near the gates entrance, there is a bank agency, Interbank. They told me they offer... not the usual Exchange rate as within the city, but not the inconvinient expensive rate typical frome Exchange places at airports. Just check and compare.

http://www.interbank.com.pe/acercade...r_exchange.asp

This is not worth sweating over
 

There is a small exchange booth next to baggage claim that doesn't charge a commission. Change $20 there. You will get 5% less than in town, but that is only USD1. Now you have enough cash to buy a snack and a taxi into town.

If you walk outside the airport to the main road, taxis suddenly become much cheaper, half or less compared to the prices quoted in the airport.

Be careful, that is a risky proposition. Callao, where the airport is located, is a dangerous part of the city. Hailing a street cab there can lead to being relieved of your belongings, by force.

I have lived in Lima three times over the years so I know the city very well and speak good Spanish, but the Lima airport remains one of the places where I stay away from the cabs on the street. If you're stretched for cash try the "Green" taxi stand in the arrivals area. They may not be as safe as the remisses but they cost a lot less, not that much more than the street taxis, and they're generally safe.

Taxis to downtown lima costs around 40 USD, it may seem expensive, but it's better than being kidnapped and/or dying

I agree. The risk is greater when they realize you are foreign. It's far safer to take a cab from the airport countes (CMV & Mitsoo are expensive, Taxi Green is cheaper).

Just in case, I think the fare with Taxi Green is likely to be under 50 soles.

I took the Green Taxi to Miraflores a couple days ago. I paid $20 U.S.

Same here. 20 USD or 55 Soles.

I guess I should reconsider
 

I think the risk of trouble is far less when I hail a moving cab on the street instead of one lying in wait; that seems to be a universal truth. But with both Villavic and Siempre Viajando weighing in on the risk, I guess I will reconsider.

Even though it probably takes the Lima taxi driver less than ten seconds to figure out I am a foreigner, I have only been paying 25 to 30 soles for my rides into town when I hail the taxi outside the airport. I have been paying about the same for the return journey, and I might have to reassure the driver that they can drop me off outside and I will walk in. I travel light.

Let's get back on track
 

This side trip into airport taxis is actually covered in another current thread. Lets get back to changing money....

The best exchange rates in Lima are offered by the casinos. They use one price to exchange $ to soles and the same price to exchange soles to $. In my most recent time in Lima, last month, spot was 2.82 and the casinos were offering...2.82.

That being said, they are not a public utility. If you buy in and try to cash right out again, they will give you back your original currency. They are small enough that they can see that. But if you buy in, then go to dinner, or put the chips in your pocket and cash out the next day, then you can change quite a large amount. I held several thousand dollars of chips from two of the larger casinos and there were no questions when I cashed them out more than a week later. Of course I had my choice of currency when I cashed out, and they had no idea what currency I had bought in with. I did gamble of course; there might have been questions if I had not.

If you are reluctant to gamble, I would do my buy in at the cage. If you are wanting to change $ to soles, I would buy in for an odd amount, like $1300 instead of $1000, and ask for soles denominated chips. Then I would go to the bathroom, then I would leave the casino. Then I would come back when there was a different employee at the cashiers cage. Voila! The $20 that would have gone to the moneychanger is now in your pocket.