El Salvador currency and important money matters

As of 2001 the primary El Salvador currency is the US dollar, this makes traveling to El Salvador so easy… no need for currency exchanging!

I remember before 2001 having to exchange money to the local Salvadorean Colon, the former El Salvador currency (pictured above).

It was so time consuming and such a pain at times; you had to make the time to go to the bank to exchange US dollars into El Salvador money. All that is gone – now it’s a breeze, just make sure you have US dollars when you leave home and you’re set.

Cash

It is a good idea to always have money in small denominations and not get in the habit of carrying anything higher than $20.00 because you’ll be dealing a lot with small change. For example, if you want to take the bus, the fare is $0.35, so if you pay with a 20 dollar bill, chances are they won’t have enough to give you your change back.

Remember that nickels and dimes count in El Salvador so keep them handy! Besides, in the unfortunate event that you get your pockets picked (this is especially a risk when taking public transit) you won’t lose much, so be sure to take some precautions.

Traveller's Cheques

Traveller’s Cheques are also a good idea when traveling to El Salvador as you don’t really want to be carrying around a lot of cash when you’re out and about.

I prefer to use cash myself and keep it in a safe place and then just take some on an as-needed basis. But if you want to use Traveller’s Cheques, they can be cashed at banks and major hotels with proper ID.

Credit Cards

If I’m making any large purchases or running low on cash then I use a credit card as a back up. Al major credit cards are accepted at most establishments in El Salvador. Just be sure to keep it safe and that your credit card is never out of your sight (you never know…)

I find that credit cards are very useful for paying for hotels, car rentals and things like that, then I can keep my cash for things like meals, taxis, admissions or small purchases.

Oh, and don’t forget that fees and taxes paid at the airport MUST be made in cash. A couple of times I’ve seen people at the check out desk at the airport who want to pay with a credit card or didn’t know about these departure fees and are unable to board their flight until everything is paid.

So make sure you are aware of these departure fees and keep enough cash on hand to cover them.

I hope that this information about El Salvador currency will help you get an idea of what you need to do to prepare for your trip. If what you are looking for is not here, please send us your question, we’ll do our best to find the answer for you.