Don,t fall for the price is XX dollars scam. It works like this, tourist to seller, how much is ? , Seller replies XX dollars. Tourist usually from the US hands over US dollars. When the price quoted was actually in EC. seller did not lie, just knows most US tourists think there is only one type of Dollar.

Thanks.

But I ain't American ;) Plus I'm cheap lol

From one cheap Torontonian to another, I understand where you're coming from. If you haven't already converted CDN to US then I would take CDN and exchange it at the bank in Antigua. It saves you converting currency twice. With that being said I would still carry some US depending on how you intend to get where you're staying from the airport. If taking a taxi from the airport you'll want to pay in US as they won't accept CDN or credit. Credit is accepted at most restaurants, bars and grocery stores. If paying by credit then make sure to ask which currency is on the receipt as prices may be in EC when ordering but get converted to US when paying by credit. It seems confusing but really isn't once you get into the flow of things.

Hey all,

Just returned from a week in Antigua, and am now in a position to answer my own questions!

The variation between EC (or XCD if you're a banker) and USD was quite interesting - if you're frugal like me, it's best to memorize exchange rates and do some quick mental math before deciding how to pay. I noticed that at some beach bars, I was quoted a much higher rate in USD (example: 6 EC for a beer vs. 3 USD). Whereas at more established restaurants, I could have sworn the USD quote was a better option.

In any case, if you're not bothered, just know that everyone will accept both. Plus, most restaurants (even the smaller ones on the beach) accept Visa and MasterCard at minimum. The higher-end ones will also take Amex, though acceptance was pretty slim.

Finally, overall, food is expensive on the island. You won't escape without paying at least 20 USD for a main dish and a drink (alcoholic or not) and it goes up from there.

Cheers!

Awesome, thanks for the information. Hubby and I were just discussing what credit cards we were gonna bring, but it sounds like it may be a good idea to leave our AMEX cards at home then.

Thanks for the info. Btw, this US tourist is well aware that there are many many different currencies around the world

I now always bring Ec money.If you buy something with Us they give you the change in EC.

Got some money from the bank and they charged me £13 ! Maybe cheaper to use the card machine?advice.

@Sunlover,

Either change your money at the bank down here firstly, or use the ATM, it will almost certainly be cheaper than getting the money in the UK.

robbitdigital79, so how much did you end up spending on meals on avg per day? Restaurants you'd recommend? We are a family of 4 and will be there in March (can't wait, so sick of all this snow) it's my bday while we are away and I'm trying to decide on a really nice restaurant to dine at to celebrate, currently looking at Carmichael's but some reviews are saying it's overated?

Should mention we are staying in a villa at Jolly Harbour