US Currency accepted?

[Ian King]

When we visited Antigua we found that we did not really need Local Dollars as all shops and restaurants displayed US Dollar Prices and took the US notes. is this the same situation in Tobago?

Thanks

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Ian

Welcome aboard!

Although its not over-common to show prices in US$, most places do accept payment in US dollars, so you can certainly do that if you wish - and if you don't mind the hit of changing Sterling to US$ and then the hit of the business giving you, at best, no more than TT$6 to US$1. Its simply a very much more expensive way of doing it.

For convenience and security at acceptable cost, I don't think you can beat paying for all major items by credit card and then drawing the small amount of actual cash you need, £100 at a time, from the local ATM/ABM machines.

[Gisela Grell]

Hi Ian,

I made the experience that almost everybody takes US$ but - as Steve said already - you will loose money. And if you pay with US$ be sure you have small notes when your outside of Scarborough or big hotels. Even 100 TT - what is about 16 US§ - will bring the smal shops in trouble with their change.
You can use most of the money machines with credit cards and will get local money from them. Also there is a bank at the airport in Crown Point which will change your money.

Enjoy your stay with TT US$ or Pounds, anyway

Cheers

[Joanne Green]

Dear Ian--

The reason that US dollars were readily accepted on Antigua is that the Eastern Caribbean Dollar is fixed against the US dollar. It never fluctuates. The TT does fluctuate, hence the best reason to use TT's rather than US.