myTobago – your questions, review and comment about Tobago

Hi, we are arriving in Tobago at around 18:40 on a Saturday, and are staying in Charlotteville. Would it be best to bring TT dollars with us from England, as from what i've read, i understand that anywhere to change money would be closed at that time?

Also, do the shops widely accept US dollars?

Thanks
Cathy

Hi Cathy

It's always best to bring some local currency with you - say £100 worth - but you'll get better exchange rates over there than over here. Mind you, there is NOWHERE in Charlotteville to change money. Scarborough is the nearest (1 hour drive away). There is a cash machine at the airport where you can draw money on your card. Personally, for the relative small costs involved, I think I would change whatever you are likely to need at home and bring it with you, if only for the convenience.

Yes, most shops will accept US$, but it will work out a lot, lot more expensive. Take/change TT$ or use your cards. Only use US$ in an emergency.

Hi Cathy,
If your getting a taxi up to Charlottville you could find having US$ useful it will be about $45 US.

While your there have lunch at Sharon & Phebs, The creole shrimp is fantastic.

Regards
Kevin

Hi Kevin

Surely it makes little sense to pay bank commision to change pounds to US dollars, and then pay a taxi driver/shop in US$ knowing that they are going to give you a low exchange rate of 6:1 on TT$ to US$. True, taxi drivers regularly quote prices in US$ becuase they make more money that way and gullable tourists fall for it.

The official taxi rate from Crown Point to Charlotteville is TT$330 - or US$55.

The only reason to take US$ rather than TT$ is if you happen to have some left over from a trip to the States.

Hi Steve,
I see your point.

Regards
Kevin

I'm an American, so I don't have to worry about paying the conversion fee from pounds to US dollars to TT dollars. I find it interesting, however, that I have occasionally received discounts for paying in U.S. dollars cash. Once we rented a car from a Tobago policeman (!) who gave us a good discount for U.S. cash. I know now that was illegal to rent from a private citizen, but I didn't then. I think it was the man's personal car. Since then, I have heard that many people in TT like to keep a bank account in $US dollars. Why, I don't know.
I rarely get a better exchange rate than 6 TT dollars to 1 US dollar. That rate has been par for the course at places like Pennysavers, where the cashiers have readily available conversion charts and seem to take the exchange in stride, even though Americans are a minority of visitors. The rate is much worse at many hotels, as little as $5.5 TT per $1US (The official rate is above $6TT). But we charge most things, so it's not worth a lot of worry.

Must admit we did not bother changing any pounds into US$ then toTT$. Followed the advice from this Forum and took just a few TT$ from the UK and then went to the Royal Bank (RBTT) and changed the pounds we had taken with us straight into TT$. Got a good exchange rate - and yes - better than UK. Also found the RBTT extremely efficient. Interesting that they have armed guards in their reception area!

Interestingly enough during the week stay, the only person to quote anything in US$ was Woody of Woodys Tours. Mind you he soon got out his calculator and performed an amazing calulation to convert into TT$.

Now there's an interesting character as well as an extremely nice person. He personally took us on a Rain Forest walk - to a trail which he knew from a boy - wow that was something.... Finished up with a Roti from a small eating place on the beach at Castara - the best we had tasted.

We had also been on one of Woodys boat trips (all day) with BBQ included. Well recommended!! The boat crew took us to a secluded beach for the BBQ where we even hand-fed Manta Rays with the fish-bits in the shallow water. (whose says you need to be a diver to see Mantas...)
(There, I told Woody I'd give him a plug somewhere on the MyTobago Forum!)

Regards Terry

Cathy,

i use my european bankcard (MAESTRO) since years in T&T as well as
i recommend to do so to all my visitors.
Close to the airport are 3 teller machines. Depending on which international banking association your bank in UK belongs to, you can withdraw cash from one of these teller machines.
Don't worry with UK or US cash, there is no real need for that.

Have a pleasant stay in Tobago !

Andreas "Andy" Kretzschmar