We'll be flying on a consolidated charter from DFW to PVR in late July for a son's wedding. Both the bride and I will use our passports for ID, but are curious about what other measures we should take or avoid. I hope to convince her that carry-on will provide adequate clothing for the week (I succeeded in getting her to KOA for TWO weeks in c/o only), but what other suggestions do y'all have regarding:

security on either end?
jewelry & cameras?
exchanging cash here vs. there?
other tidbits we should oughta know?

All responses appreciated, especially from the TSA folk!

Use an ATM machine to get cash in PVR... Avoid the currency exchange places and stick to plastic and your ATM card. Carry a bit of US$ on you in case of an emergency.

Also take out a travel insurance policy. I suggest Protect Assist or Pack N Go which a company, Travel Guard sells. Being on a charter, just make sure the company you are using is financially solvent as most insurance companies will not insure certain aspects of a trip when using insolvent carriers (i.e. United as an example of a scheduled carrier, but there are many charter companies in bankruptcy reorganiation).

SDF_Traveler

Thanks; will take your advice.

You really don't need to exchange money. U.S. dollars are widely accepted. It's pretty much $1 USD for 10 pesos. On my three prior trips to PVR, I've never exchanged money. Take lots of dollar bills for tips, etc.

While widely accepted, $1 USD per 10 peso's is basically a 'tourist' exchange rate. I've always found to do better on my credit card, especially for larger purchases and hotel stays which gets a better exchange rate. If local cash is needed, same goes with using an ATM card. Using your credit card will also provide you with some added protection if something goes wrong after a purchase. The bank rate is currently about $1 to 11.5 pesos...

I travel abroad several times a month and never use currency exchanges, or pay in US$, as the 'tourist rate' isn't great. Mexico is better than other places when it comes to the US$, primarily because there is a demand for hard currency (and there are lots of American tourists). In my view, using an ATM card and getting cash when needed (and only carrying what you need) is much safer from a security standpoint. Do take some US$ down though.

If you do decide to take a lot of US$ down, don't carry it all with you while you're out and about; make good use of the safe at your hotel and only take what you need. Same applies to plastic / ATM cards & any other valuables - lock em' up in the safe.

SDF_Traveler

I agree that using an ATM for needed cash is your best bet, but you must be careful about WHAT ATMs you use:
The bank-affiliated ones are generally safe, the one in the Farmacia Guadalajara is good; the one at PVNet in South Side is safe; any well lit inside unit in a larger store, and any secure unit should be OK (ie, it requires your ATM slid through to open the door, and the doors are in working order).

You should avoid using your Credit Cards unless absolutely neccessary; any items you can arrange to be billed ahead of time on your card like the room, a car, etc, would be wise to do so you can monitor the card activity before leaving.
PV has an ongoing problem with cloning, running the card through a tiny scanner in the pocket on the way to charging it with legitimate charges; this lifts the mag strip data and creates a new card pronto that is used and billed to you.
Yes, you can get the charges reversed and the card cancelled and replaced, but ID theft is a nightmare no one wants to tackle, trust me I know...

I would bring only a few hundred dollars in US currency for emergency usage.
Although some places will take US dollars, the exchange rate is not very good, and they are stuck with going to the bank and standing in endless lines to exchange them-it's not like when the inflation rate was high and US$ had value to them.

Invest in a security pocket or have a pocket it is very hard to pick from if you are carrying an old-fashioned wallet (never a back pocket).
Theft is rarer in PV than some areas, but the summer brings National vacationers and more theft is prevalent during that timeframe unfortunately...

PS don't forget to call your Bank, Credit Card Cos and any other relevant financial institutions and let them know you will be out of the country and using the card in question- having your cash flow suddenly dry up because they think it's stolen and your not returning their messages on your home phone system is a BAD THING...

Good Luck and enjoy a very nice place to visit,
Seaneen

Thanks for your suggestions. Since the resort is an all-inclusive thing and we don't plan to rent a car, our out-of-pocket expenses should be limited to incidentals and souvenirs, so I hope we'll not have a big need for credit or ATM services.

I think our plan will be to carry a modest amount of $US in cash and contact the resort about using Travelers Checks or an on-site ATM for exchange purposes. If there's a slight differential in exchange rate to official rate, we'll call that "insurance". Thanks for the reminder on notifying bank & credit cards; although we'll hold them for urgent needs, it'd be then that we'd want to be sure of availability.

'Throwaway' wallets with minimal cash, expired ID and cancelled credit cards seem a good idea, and we do use security pockets for the real stuff.

Again, thanks to all; I'm looking forward to this trip, but wonder why they couldn't have chosen Hawai'i ...

I would strongly advice you to opt on having the extra cash in your checking account, and withdraw the amount you expect to spend on incidentals, more or less, from the Banamex ATM right near the taxi exit door at the Airport- it also tends to have the best rate in PV, and a modest $1.50 svc charge, as well as being a safe ATM.

The reason I say this?
*********Traveller's checks are moderately to EXTREMELY hard to cash in PV!!********

You have at least four major problems:

-VERY FEW hotels are willing to cash them these days, and during limited hours/days at those that do that are rarely posted and usually not accurate if they are.

-You cannot accurately predict ahead of time WHICH hotel will accept them for cashing- it can be the whim of the manager or some other impossible equation, but many people have been blown off by their hotels on this issue recently. Even if your hotel tells you they do so via phone or email, that really means little on the ground- hate to say it, but the left hand/righ hand problem in rife in many tourist-oriented businesses bigger than 1/2 a dozen people in PV...

-IF you ARE at a hotel that will cash them, and especially if you cannot and end up at BanaMex et al, your Traveller's Checks must EXACTLY MATCH THE ID YOU PROVIDE- and I mean literally every capital, word, comma, period, space --EXACTLY-- before the teller will even ask the manager to OK it!

-And the lines to either exchange US $ or cash Traveller's Checks are horrendous- plan at least an hour, and as much as 3 or more to get to the front of the line for these types of transactions- and Mexican bank hours are MUCH more limited than we are used to (try and find out ahead of time what the hours are if you do bring TCs, as I do not have that information available to give you).


**This is absolutely true and I trust the source of an expat living in PV that wanted visitors to be aware:
A honeymooning couple in the last month brought all their available cash and credit of $2000 in TCs to PV, their passports had their full legal names and the TCs had a shorter version- they were told by their hotel they did not cash TCs, and when they went to a bank in town they were refused due to the mis-match/non-valid TCs as far as Mexican banking authorities were concerned...the ex-pat was in the bank at the same time and knew they were out of luck; he told them to try calling home collect and having someone either deposit money in their checking account they could withdraw via ATM or have cash wired to the local bank in PV using their exact passport name(s).**


Honestly, TCs are a dying breed these days- yes, the larger and older hotels in many countries are willing to still cater to their customers, but in places like PV with mostly TimeShare and AI Resorts with a heavy turnover they really are not concerned with the type of old-school customer service that would have them honoring the old style of doing business- many of them just haven't been around long enough for it to have EVER been something they did for guests...


I do have some questions for you:
-Is the AI in Nuevo Vallarta, or the Hotel Zone near PV?
-Is your transportation to/from the Airport already arranged/paid for?

The answers to this will determine how much your taxi costs are likely to be, and I can be somewhat helpful in estimating some of those expenses as we JUST returned ourselves.

Best,
S

The only spanner in the works I see is the need for the wedding clothing...unless you can squeeze all the regular clothing into the bottom and have a roll-aboard with a built-in garment bag, and the stuff is lightweight/volume AND doesn't get destroyed by tight packing, you will have to have at least one of the rolling bags checked and carry on a garment bag instead...

-Security leaving PVR is light for non-selectees- but they had a huge security line to get to the International Level on a Sat PM, when a very large number of flights are departing, and it did not move too fast.
They check your id/docs, ran carry-ons through the xray & you walk through the WTMD- BTW a metal zipper and snap AND an underwire bra AND metal buckles on my shoes did not trigger the walk-through...

This is up the stairs, and AFTER you do check-in.

There were an oddly high number of people getting bags searched at check-in before being allowed to give them to the clerks; I do not know what their protocol is for selection, but it was very intense and detailed, and FULLY BY HAND.

Charters generally go out of their own gate, 7 I believe, but I suspect Security is similar to gates 1-6:
Selected pax were pulled to one side by the only staffer for this, all their carry-on items and everything in any pockets or that they were wearing were placed onto a table, and each and every pocket, slot, pouch, corner, etc of bags were hand searched very thoroughly, with every single item pulled out and carefully and closely examined by the staffer before moving on to the next item; after he finished with everything on the table, and before letting the person touch anything, he then wanded them very thoroughly all over and patted pockets, etc as well regardless of any beep or not.

I suspect visitors to high security prisons go through much less hassle to get in!

-Depending on your resort amenities, you could likely lock up jewelry and cameras in a lockbox at the front desk, assuming it is one of the bigger nicer facilities.

As far as wearing nice jewelry, most National women dress up alot and so wearing jewelry is not uncommon- the snatch-type thefts are not likely really, as long as you are careful about not ending up in a dark/run down area after dark with bright baubles on and no one else around for back-up.
Also, drinking alot or appearing visibly intoxicated equals a mark for most of the criminals that frequent PV, so moderation is a good thing...

-Traveling with/using/carrying camera is pretty common since it is a very picture-perfect town and bay.
I wouldn't recommend carrying an obviously very expensive or large camera around loose or leaving it out on a tabletop or something, but just putting it in a non-camera-labeled bag you cannot see the contents of worked just fine for us, and the thing is a new fancy digital at well over $500.
I don't think anyone even noticed it, unless to look and see what he was pointing it at.

Other stuff....
-The buses are not nearly as crazy as many pronounce, with most drivers pretty smooth at the job, and they are about equivilant to a US school bus as regards condition, but with harder seats.
There are signs over the windshield or wedged on it or written on it stating the bus' destination. and you must flag the bus to tell them you want to be picked up.
Getting dropped at your stop can be tricky, as I have yet to figure out WHERE the bell/buzzer is on those buses that have one and many do not. I would tell the driver when you board where you need to be dropped off, and try sitting or standing in the first few rows so you can remind him when you get closer.
Only small change can be made by the drivers, and the fare from-to anywhere in PV is 4p per person.
From PV's SS Terminal to south down HWY 200 to anywhere as far as Boca de Tomatlan is 4.5p per person.
North of PV to Nuevo or Bucerias requires catching one of those marked buses, since they leave the state of Jalisco and enter Nayarit state-
Here is a quote from an endlessly useful website:
"ATM (Autostransportes Medina de Puerto Vallarta) leaves it's terminal at Brazil #1410 (at the south side of the Sports Stadium), every 7 min. to Punta de Mita and every 10 min. to Nuevo Vallarta. See Map. The busses stop across from Plaza Las Glorias (in front of Tarantino's) in front of Sam's and the airport. The Nuevo Vallarta bus goes to all the hotels in Nuevo.
Fares are Bucer�as - 9 pesos, Nuevo Vallarta & Valle de Banderas - 10 pesos, Destiladeras Beach - 14 pesos and Punta Mita (El Anclote Beach)- 18 pesos.
They also have service to Sayulita, San Francisco (San Pancho) and Rinc�n de Guayabitos. "

He also has current and detailed maps of the PV zones that are very helpful in getting oriented, un-losing yourself, and helping the cabbies find a place they are not familiar with if you know what street it is on.

And here is the webaddress:
http://www.vallarta-info.com/puertovallartainsider.html

-Taxis are in flux on rates, as gas prices are climbing down there too and there is some confusion over the edges of some zones, and what to charge for a fair fare:
Rates are usually by zone, with Conchas Chinas one zone or two since it is spread out, South Side/Zona Romantica one zone, North of the River Cuale/Centro one zone, Hotel Zone (basically from the Holiday Inn to before the Maritime Terminal) one zone, the Marina/Airport one zone.
Not sure what the current fare between Centro and Nuevo Vallarta is, but I can bet it is more than 130p one way, as all the other fares have been climbing.

All taxis leaving from the AIrport and from the inside gate at the Maritime Terminal are Federal taxis, and they charge a very high price indeed- you're pretty much out of luck at the airport, but you can walk out the sidewalk to the main road at the Maritime Terminal and flag a taxi for a fraction of the fare.

Currently, it seems around 30p within a zone, and between 10-30p more for each additional zone are the norm.

*ALWAYS ask Cuanto Cuesto (how much) and give them your destination BEFORE entering the cab- if you do not like the rate you can say no or offer a lower amount and see it they say OK. There are usually ALOT of taxis around most destination-type areas, the main roads, and at the hotels themselves. If the desk calls a taxi for you, it should be at the posted rates they display, but still ask before getting in.
*Plan to have within 5 pesos of the fare ready rather than expect change as many do not have the ability to make change for much of anything (if you hand the guy a 100p note for a 30 or even 60p fare they likely will not have change for you, for example).
-*If they stall on your small change just sit and wait in the back seat until they hand it over (this only happens every once in a while- most of the cabbies are nice and honest).

-The summer rains started at least 3 weeks early this week, and the weather has been wonky all year so far- this means the generally daily or every-other-day afternoon lightning/thunderstorms and light to moderate rain that accompanies them may also be on an accelerated schedule during your visit- and the later in the rainy season the heavier the rain, crazier the lightning, and longer it falls some days- October is generally the wildest, right before the season ends.
The advantage to this is that the rains clear out nearly all the day's humidity and it feels GREAT afterwards...
The term gully-washer is very apt for PV, and the really high curbs you see in town and all the cobblestoned streets are there for a reason- and some days they are just not deep enough to contain the water even then!
Rainfall in the mountains that surround PV is much much heavier than in PV, and all the creeks and rivers that flow downhill and empty into the bay at many points can rapidly become raging torrents, often without any rain having fallen at the downhill points to warn you about the coming water...
If you are planning any activities that involve, oh, say, ATV trips, El Eden-like visits, Canopy Tours, or driving/touring into the mountains be aware of this weather and decide accordingly.
Also, the coast road between SouthSIde of PV and Boca de Tomatlan is narrow, twisting, and runs above sea level but literally along the base of the mountains themselves- lots of waterfalls and overflow are normal, and some areas are marked falling-rock zones.

-If you are planning on doing any water tours, avoid Vallarta Adventures if you have other smaller options- I could not believe the crowded conditions on most of their boats, and they have a pretty low level of safety observed during water activities.
One exception is their day in Las Caletas, which was not very crowded and a pleasant experience.

-And one last thing:
If it is at all possible, plan and reserve dinner at Barcelona Tapas at 31 de Octubre & Matamoros in Centro. There are about 70 stairs up from the street, so keep this in mind, and reservations are highly recommended at 222-0510.
This place is a rooftop restaurant serving Spanish dishes to share, with spectacular views of the town, bay, and sunset, and the food is so incredibly good I can't even explain!
And, we paid less for an appetizer/breads/4 tapas/2 desert meal (409p) than at alot of reasonably priced good-food restaurants with just a salad and entree meal.

I've apparently got some homework to do! Thanks for tip on TC's; that coulda been trouble. ^

I believe all transport is paid but will have to check.

The AI is Riu Jalisco, 1.5 mi from Nuevo Vallarta, 8 mi from airport, near Flamingos Golf.

Been reading troubling trip reports on travel sites regarding room theft, even from room safes. Rethinking cash, camera and jewelry for the trip.

Wedding clothing for me should be just nice linen trousers and shirt; dress for my wife. The kids (!) will be more formal, but, hey, I'm on vacation!

Will PM once I've done that homework.

Many thanks,
Jim