So is it cheaper to book excursion online or wait till we get there and see what's being offered locally? Also, is it best to convert our currency to peso's before we get there or just use US cash?
I'm a little biased because I sell tours online but I would say you will almost certainly get a better deal online than once at the resort, especially if booking at your hotel. Online providers dont have an expensive tours desk to pay for in the hotel lobby, and dont have to pay someone to sit there all day. You've also got a point of contact if needed via email or a telephone number either during your stay or even when you get back home. The only exception really to get a better deal than online is if you book outside on the street, but booking on the street is rife with scammers - not all but enough to make it a risk you need not take to try and save a few dollars. The old adage applies that if they offer something that sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Online providers also have a reputation to keep if they want to remain credible, because they know that if they mess up or a customer is unsatisfied then their online reputation and future sources of business could be harmed. The company I partner with is Entertainment Plus, they have been running for 11 years and this site has been running for 9. Neither of us would be in business if we didn't pay the utmost attention to customers needs and offer a fair price. Please check out the tour prices here Many sellers in Cancun take the attitude that if they rip you off they will never see you again so it doesn't really matter. Online providers who think like that wont last long. For tours, prices are usually quoted in USD but you can always pay in pesos. Just watch out for a rip off exchange rate - another advantage of booking online.
The peso exchange question is not so simple anymore. Most likely you will get a better rate these days if you get them before you come. It gets complicated though as the rate is bouncing around pretty good. I use my BOA ATM card at the Santander banks here and there is no fee from either bank. Sunday night I got $14.21 per $1 US. Today I would be getting in the $13.40-$13.50 range as the peso picked up strength this week, which means less pesos per dollar. This is a big change in value for such a short time period. Today is not a good day to buy pesos/sell dollars, at least compared to last week. My best suggestion would be to hit bank ATM's once you arrive and there is not a better deal than FREE, which is what you get with the BOA / Santander relationship, if you happen to be a BOA customer. Non bank ATMs will eat you up on fees. There is really not a simple, short answer here. Buying at your US bank will be better in most cases than exchanging here at the Casas de Cambio. Exchanging by walking into banks can be time consuming and their limits are pretty low and you have to have your passport and a copy of the main page in many cases. To confuse it more, some hotels offer great exchange rates, Fiesta Americana being one, while others jab it to you. See, no simple answer, plus you have to predict the upward or downward movement in the market as to whether you want to buy now while the dollar is weak to the peso, or wait until before your trip and hope it rebounds. But smart exchanging is normally good for 2-3 free beers per day, as opposed to careless exchanging. I am so anal.
Thanks TJ, I think i will just keep an eye on the rate and do an exchange here at my bank before we go.
The peso took a dump over the weekend but somehow the Bank of Mexico (allegedly) did something strange. Monday was a holiday so the rates did not adjust when I hit the Santander ATM with my BOA ATM card. Same on Monday and Tuesday as it was on Friday, in spite of me expecting more pesos per dollar, like $300 MXN per $1,000 USD extra. This is an example as I was not hitting it that hard, but $.30 per $1 does not seem that big a deal. I will try it again tomorrow as if they were still playing games today I did not want to be taken by whoever made the decision to do this. I am told by my banker buddy that is was within Mexico and not a BOA call.
