Questions before coming down from the US

Hi everyone, my wife and I have been planning on moving to Cuenca for the past couple years. However, we been getting held up for various reasons.

We are now ready to come down for an exploratory trip and to get some dental work done within the next couple months.

I have a lot of dental work that needs to be done, but I don’t know how much cash we should bring with us. (Any dentists recommended?) Which brings me to the question of using an ATM debit card there. I heard you can use a Charles Schwab debit card, but we are currently with JP Morgan Chase. Can a debit card from there be used to withdraw money from our account or should we open an account with Charles Schwab?

What is the cheapest airline to fly to Ecuador from Phoenix, AZ? Do we need to pay extra for each piece of luggage we take with us? Which airline is best to use when flying with a pet (we will be flying with our cat). Since he has never been away from home, except to the vets, and gets easily stressed out, we want to use something that has the fastest route possible. Has anyone here flown with your cat that can offer any advice? Our cat can get very loud and vocal, which would be a problem as a carry on. Did you use sedatives to sedate your cat and did that work?

We will be contacting some realtors ahead of time to rent something for 2 to 3 months. Any advice?

Don Allis: Don and Andrea,
alienseekernews@yahoo.com

City: Cuenca

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Kimberly Carroll

Congratulations on your move. Don't fly LATAM. If you must fly LATAM only use them to fly within Ecuador from city to city. The story is too long for me to post, but they were horrible on a nightmare level when one of their flights into Ecuador was delayed. It... Congratulations on your move. Don't fly LATAM. If you must fly LATAM only use them to fly within Ecuador from city to city. The story is too long for me to post, but they were horrible on a nightmare level when one of their flights into Ecuador was delayed. It set me back several days and hundreds of dollars - I only got $67 refunded to me. Then my return flight (to the states) they marked me as a 'no show' for missing a flight due to their delay and I could not board my prepaid flight without paying for the flight again (now at a higher rate). It is also next to impossible to get help from customer service (which is outsourced, so the rep's have no power to do anything). Don't fly LATAM. I agree that on your first trip you should not bring kitty. Once you make the run yourself you will learn so much and have a better idea of what you can do to make the trip easier on kitty. I also recommend sedating kitty for both days of travel. Most likely you will need to do an overnight somewhere. I travel from New Mexico to Cuenca. I prefer to fly to Quito on the first day. Stay at the Holiday Inn next to the Quito airport, which has a shuttle. This hotel is very nice. Then fly to Cuenca in the morning. You've already gotten great advice regarding your debit card. I would add that you should check what the fee is to do an international withdraw. These fees can add up quickly, typically $5 each. I bring a roll of one dollar coins with me. It is easier to get them in the states from your bank than to hunt them down in Ecuador because you will need them right away. They are used regularly in Ecuador. Because Ecuador does not print money the dollar bills deteriorate and they don't like taking them - come with the coins and you are set. Bring lots of fives, tens and twenties. They often cannot exchange larger bills. As a side note, don't over tip by tipping what you would in the States. Most locals cannot afford to tip that high and it is hurting their economy. Many taxis now only stop for foreigners to get the tip and Ecuadorians do not like that this is happening. It's makes expats a problem for them. We don't want to do that. Be prepared. I use 4x5 notecards for each flights details, each hotel, and my 'landing' place in Ecuador. It gets hectic and this way you can put your hands on important information immediately. Like someone else said, bring several copies of all documentation. Also, have copies of addresses in Spanish (if you don't speak it) to give to taxi drivers. The Spanish we speak is the States is different than Ecuadorian Spanish. I recommend Dr. Grace for dental work in Cuenca. Also know that they charge a much higher rent to expats than Ecuadorians. The best way to work with this is to take an Ecuadorian friend with you to help negotiate, but I realize that may not be possible. Best of luck to you. Let me know if you have anymore questions. Cuenca is a lovely place to live. My dad lived there for 13 years, so I got to know it well. I plan to retire there myself in a few years. Read more 0 0

Don Allis Post Author

Thank you Kimberly for all your advice and help. We will be sure to fly to Quito and stay at the Holiday Inn and the fly to Cuenca. Our cat will be traveling with us since we have no one here that we could leave him with. He is very... 0 0

Mary Wilson

Recommend Dr Pacheco as a dentist. Great service. He guarantees his work. Prices are low. Both he and his tech speak English. 1 0

Don Allis Post Author

Thank you Mary for your recommendation! -Don 0 0

Marcus Aurelius

Do not drive from Quito (9 hours), only from Guayaquil (3.5), during the day (spend the night at the airport), and hire a driver as recommended (make sure to discuss your luggage). First time here, considering a move? Don’t bring a lot of stuff. Recommend leaving your car at home... Read more 0 0

Don Allis Post Author

Thank you Marcus for your response and help! We will be traveling with our cat since we have no one here to care for him. We have had cats for 50 years and he is far different from any cat we have ever had. He is very high strung and... 0 0

Candice Conway

And here is Maarten’s email: maartensanimaltravelservices@gmail.com 0 0

Candice Conway

As far as cost for dental work, I shattered a molar here. We had an emergency visit to get it so it wasn’t cutting me. Then a root canal, and the highest grade crown. Total cost for all the visits (and it was at the edge of whether the tooth... Read more 0 0

Don Allis Post Author

Hi Candice, thank you for your response and help, it is very much appreciated. I will most definitely keep The Dental Company in mind! -Don 0 0

Ariana Castillo Jimenez

Hi and welcome (soon) to Cuenca! I'm Ariana Im a local dentist here and would be happy to help you with your dental care during your visit. I offer a full range of treatments — from general dentistry to more complex procedures — always with a gentle, patient-focused approach. Many... Read more 0 0

Alice Mendell

Don, regarding your cat. Look into using Feliway. Best wishes. 12 0

Don Allis Post Author

Hi Alice, I ordered a bottle of Feliway from Amazon to try it out ahead of time to be sure it going to do the job. We have had cats for 50 years, but our current cat, Marley, is so different that we might end up having to get sedatives... 0 0

Don Allis Post Author

Thank you Alice! 0 0

Dave Reany

This comment has been deemed inappropriate and has been subsequently removed. 1 0

Ryan James

Not everyone is on Facebook. 1 0

Dave Reany

This comment has been deemed inappropriate and has been subsequently removed. 0 0

James Marcrum

You can use any USA debit card here just as you do in the USA. Withdrawing funds may have lower daily limits but still useful. Cash is still king here but nothing bigger than $20 bills. I don’t know which airline you need to use; we did AMERUCAN when we... Read more 1 0

Don Allis Post Author

Thank you James! 0 0

Mark Smith

A debt card has to by "authorized" for foreign use by your financial institution before it will work in Ecuador. 0 0

Don Allis Post Author

Thank you Mark! I was unaware of this. That is some very helpful information! We will most likely be opening an account with Charles Schwab. 0 0

Mark Smith

DON NOT pay for a rental without seeing it in person first. You're asking to get ripped off. Stay at an Airnbnb first and go from . 3 0

Fran Timme

Debit cards can be used at most ATM’s. Charles Schwab reimburses the ATM fees, so that’s why most of us use them. Lots of dentists recommendations will be given. I personally use Dental Implaesthetic (implaesthetic@gmail.com) and find them very professional and affordable. Airlines are not cheap. We use American from... Read more 0 1

Don Allis Post Author

Thank you Fran! We will most likely open an account with Charles Schwab before coming down. When arriving in Ecuador, regardless if it Quito or Guayaquil, we want the quickest way to Cuenca since we think our cat will already be under a lot of stress. Do Quito and Guayaquil... 0 0

Fran Timme

Hello Don. Not sure what lay overs there are. We fly directly from Miami to Guayaquil. We have to spend the night at the hotel. The next morning, a private driver takes us to Cuenca. It's usually a 3 ½ hour drive. The flights to Cuenca are usually on LATAM.... 0 0

Don Allis Post Author

Thanks again Fran! How did you get a private driver and did your driver speak English? How much did they charge? 0 0

Fran Timme

Good morning. There are several private drivers. We have used quite a few different ones but we also go back to Nestor Reinoso. His prices are the same as everyone else and his company is licensed to transport passengers. A lot of them are not licensed. He speaks good English.... 0 0

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