"Some practicalities" Top 5 Page for this destination Antigua Guatemala Favorite Tip by toonsarah

Favorite thing: However long you spend marvelling at La Antigua’s colonial architecture, poking around her ruins, shopping at her market stalls and eating in her restaurants, sooner or later the practicalities of life will intrude. Here are some tips for just those moments:
Money exchange
Although many places accept US$, you’ll need some Quetzales for purchases in places that cater mainly to locals (such as market stalls), and we also found that we got a better price when using them, so we decided to change some of our dollar bills. We were surprised not to see any dedicated Bureaux de Change around such a tourist-focused city. Instead the best place to change money proved to be the banks. There are a couple just a stone’s throw from each other – one on the corner of 5a Avenida Norte as it opens into the Parque Central, and the other a few doors along on the west side of the square. We used the latter as the queues were much shorter. We had to change a minimum of $100, and there was a flat fee of 12 Q regardless of the amount changed, so if you know you’ll be needing more it’s best to change it all at once.
Post Office
Unlike some other places, stamps can’t be purchased in regular shops alongside the postcards you’ll be sending, but only in the post office. This is located opposite the market on the corner of 4a Calle Poniente and Calle Santa Lucia. It is open Monday to Friday 8.30 – 17.30, and Saturday mornings only. A stamp for a postcard to Europe cost 8 Q (November 2010 price).
Internet
We were lucky and had free internet access at our hotel, the Posada de Don Rodrigo, as do many in Antigua. But if you need access and have a wifi-enabled phone or laptop you can get free access in a few places. One is the Bagel Barn in 5a Calle Poniente (a couple of blocks west of Parque Central), and although we didn’t actually go inside, we found that we could log on to their network when we stopped for a delicious orange juice at the Black Cat hostel and café opposite!