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Any recent advice or experiences on entering Venezuela by car from Colombia and sampling the women? Which border? Head to which city? Hire a driver and or guide? Time and travel and risks? The rewards?

Thanks in advance.

TTM.

[QUOTE=TheTallMan;2105423]Any recent advice or experiences on entering Venezuela by car from Colombia and sampling the women? Which border? Head to which city? Hire a driver and or guide? Time and travel and risks? The rewards?

Thanks in advance.

TTM.[/QUOTE]First off, you need a visa, and good luck getting one at the border, if you are an American. And, with no diplomatic relations, you are screwed if anything goes off the rails.

On the other side of the border is Tachira, with no detectable mongering scene.

[QUOTE=Haitek;2090703]I managed to open a bank account and have a payment card at the Banco Nacional de Credito. To my knowledge, it is the only bank that agrees to open an account to a foreigner with a tourist visa.

The proceedings lasted three days. The most important paper to provide to the bank is the Registro unico de Informacion fiscal (I paid 500,000 bolivars to an accountant to make this paper).[/QUOTE]The dollars you put into your account are converted into BS at the official rate, which really sucks.

[QUOTE=Sargent50;1986941]Their visa process the same day or they mail it eventually.[/QUOTE]There is no more Venezuelan embassy in the US.

[QUOTE=Explorer8939;2105595]The dollars you put into your account are converted into BS at the official rate, which really sucks.[/QUOTE]I use my local bank account only to deposit bolivars.

[QUOTE=Explorer8939;2105596]There is no more Venezuelan embassy in the US.[/QUOTE][URL]http://eeuu.embajada.gob.ve/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67&Itemid=6&lang=en[/URL]

[QUOTE=TheTallMan;2105423]Any recent advice or experiences on entering Venezuela by car from Colombia and sampling the women? Which border? Head to which city? Hire a driver and or guide? Time and travel and risks? The rewards?

Thanks in advance.

TTM.[/QUOTE]I did try to enter Venezuela from the Paraguachon border crossing last year and was not successful because the border was closed. I just talked with my cousin I heard that the border is sometimes open and sometimes they close it again. So you should be very careful first and check everything. If the border is open or not.

[QUOTE=Kazeu;2049396]I'm thinking about going to Venezuela for a quick visit. I work remotely so I'd like to bring my laptop, but I'm afraid it might get taken from my at the airport by some corrupt police or airport security. What are the chances of me going to Venezuela with a laptop and coming out with it a couple weeks later. This is assuming that I won't be showing it off to anyone, I'd only be using it in my hotel room and keeping it locked and secured in a hotel safe when not in the room.

On a related note, how is the internet access in venezuela? Is it possible to get remote work done?[/QUOTE]No problems at all and I fly to Caracas and other airport sometimes. It's not a poor country as you might have believed. Internet access is available at 1 mbps for residential costumers or you can use your cell phone. Hotels have Wifi at around 5 mbps.

Good morning gents,

I keep running into terms "bank transfers", or "acepto tranferencias bancarias", or "acepto pago movil" to pay for goods or services in Caracas. I don't understand how that works. (assuming I can get a bank account as a foreign tourist, which I know is impossibly hard) Do you have to go to the bank every time to setup a transfer per purchase, or is it done on a cellphone via app, or does "bank transfer" just equals paying by debit card? Just educating myself for a trip early next year.

It's basically a peer to peer transfer which is done online over the Bank application or mobile browser. In Canada it's similar to an interact email transfer.

I'm in Isla margarita now since yesterday and just got a bank card from someone I know but haven't done bank transfers (transferencias) as yet because the account isn't set up as yet. BTW I think it's close to impossible to get a bank card if you're a non Venezuelan. I had to find someone (male) who would lend me their card. So far it's working good but I have 5 days left so going to wait and see how it goes.

Will post a report on Margarita soon. Took me a full day to get cash and a debit card. Its not as easy as going to a money exchanger to get bolivares so make sure you know what you're getting into before coming to Venezuela. Beautiful country but lot of work needs to be done to have access to cashflow here.

[QUOTE=Wraith43;2110588]Good morning gents,

I keep running into terms "bank transfers", or "acepto tranferencias bancarias", or "acepto pago movil" to pay for goods or services in Caracas. I don't understand how that works. (assuming I can get a bank account as a foreign tourist, which I know is impossibly hard) Do you have to go to the bank every time to setup a transfer per purchase, or is it done on a cellphone via app, or does "bank transfer" just equals paying by debit card? Just educating myself for a trip early next year.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Wraith43;2110588]Good morning gents,

I keep running into terms "bank transfers", or "acepto tranferencias bancarias", or "acepto pago movil" to pay for goods or services in Caracas. I don't understand how that works. (assuming I can get a bank account as a foreign tourist, which I know is impossibly hard) Do you have to go to the bank every time to setup a transfer per purchase, or is it done on a cellphone via app, or does "bank transfer" just equals paying by debit card? Just educating myself for a trip early next year.[/QUOTE]Yes it's done with venezuelan banks web sites or their smartphobe applications. The money transfert tale usually 24h.

Today I saw that black market rate exceeded 10 k Bolivar for 1 us dollar. Crazy. I also read that the shortage of physical cash means that you can't get the black market rate (10 to 15 percent lower) in cash. Given that you can't setup a bank account with a tourist visa (no chance of bank transfers), do you think it is prudent to pay in us dollars? I realize that doing so will make me a target for price gouging, and also make me stand out even more as a foreigner which is unwise for safety reasons. Physically, it is impossible for me to blend in as a Venezuelan to begin with. However, using US dollars make transactions easier. I just want to know how happy vendors are to receive dollars for goods and services.

Thank you.

[URL]https://dolartoday.com/[/URL]

Paying in USD cash means you have to bring in that much cash into the country.

[QUOTE=Wraith43;2112171]Today I saw that black market rate exceeded 10 k Bolivar for 1 us dollar. Crazy. I also read that the shortage of physical cash means that you can't get the black market rate (10 to 15 percent lower) in cash. Given that you can't setup a bank account with a tourist visa (no chance of bank transfers), do you think it is prudent to pay in us dollars? I realize that doing so will make me a target for price gouging, and also make me stand out even more as a foreigner which is unwise for safety reasons. Physically, it is impossible for me to blend in as a Venezuelan to begin with. However, using US dollars make transactions easier. I just want to know how happy vendors are to receive dollars for goods and services.

Thank you.[/QUOTE]Places like stripclubs, escort agencies, and "spa estudios" will happily take your dollars. But if you want to go to a shopping mall and start paying and buying stuff using american currency, the vendors and shops can't take your cash openly because it's against the law. Keyword here is "openly", ask discreetly.

Also, the shortage of cash here is so bad, the few people that have bolivares are in a position to abuse and do whatever they want. Right now if you want to exchange dollars in physical bolivares bills, the rate is 50 K bolivares for 1 dollar. To make a comparision, working with bank transfers will net you a minumum of 80 K for 1 dollar, and you can get better rates.

And getting a local bank account in bolivares for a tourist is not impossible, you just have to find the right person and pay. Some warning here: I was setting up a tourist with a bank account, but unfortunately after paying over 9 million bolivares the bank people did a terrible job at it and the account was not usable. After several days of fighting (once those people have the cash on their pockets, there is little motivation for them to get things done fast) they promised to finally get it fixed this Monday. But the tourist leaves this Monday too. Damn.

[QUOTE=MaraCucho;2112536]Places like stripclubs, escort agencies, and "spa estudios" will happily take your dollars. But if you want to go to a shopping mall and start paying and buying stuff using american currency, the vendors and shops can't take your cash openly because it's against the law. Keyword here is "openly", ask discreetly.

Also, the shortage of cash here is so bad, the few people that have bolivares are in a position to abuse and do whatever they want. Right now if you want to exchange dollars in physical bolivares bills, the rate is 50 K bolivares for 1 dollar. To make a comparision, working with bank transfers will net you a minumum of 80 K for 1 dollar, and you can get better rates.

And getting a local bank account in bolivares for a tourist is not impossible, you just have to find the right person and pay. Some warning here: I was setting up a tourist with a bank account, but unfortunately after paying over 9 million bolivares the bank people did a terrible job at it and the account was not usable. After several days of fighting (once those people have the cash on their pockets, there is little motivation for them to get things done fast) they promised to finally get it fixed this Monday. But the tourist leaves this Monday too. Damn.[/QUOTE]I think it really depends on your contacts. I was getting 50 k almost 2 weeks ago when dolartoday was below 80, and I got 75 k per dollar for bolivars in effective just a few days ago, without pushing the price to hard and trying to get top dollar. Another user mentioned he was getting even more, so it is definitely possible. Even at 50 you can still manage very easily. I do most of my payments with a Venezuelan debit card, and avoid using cash as much as possible. That way $50 worth of bolo's last a long time. Since I don't take taxis really I only use efectivo for the few spa's I visit that don't accept debit card and tips for the girls, waiters at the restaurants, and the occasional helpful local.

Just a side note on costs here. It is too crazy to comprehend some days. For example I went to studio Belladonna, the other day as recommended by another user and paid 54,000 bolivars for an hour, with a very friendly chica, in a clean but small room and they accept debit cards, so only paid the tip in bolos. If anyone can actually believe I found a place in centro that charges 12,000 for half an hour, with a girl in a reasonably clean environment. Definitely low end even cheaper than the volta which is 20-25 k for 15-20 minutes. Mindnumbingly incomprehensibly cheap. In my opinion it is reasonably hygienic (in the sense that all of the spas (with the exception of Piccolo and the one in Bellomonte) are basic, minimally hygienic and no frills. Anyways Both places are cash only and at Volta I usually tip between 10-30 k depending on service and at the centro cheapy I tipped between 5-8,000. My hotel which is 3 star is charging 300 k and the other night I had a dinner of Octopus carpaccio, Greek salad, 4 sodas, and two "double" shots of fine rum (one which was 12 years old), and another that is a blend of rums between 5-25 years it cost about $8 and half of that was the two drinks.