Two frustrating things most tourists experience in Peru are having to pay fees everytime they withdraw money from an ATM, and not being able to change their large bills. This may seem too good to be true, but I have figured out a way to solve both of these issues in three easy steps!

1. Use BCP instead. Those yellow Global Net ATMs are everwhere in Peru, which makes withdrawing money convenient, but they will charge you five soles per transaction and not even tell you about it until it's too late when you get your receipt. On top of that, sometimes they only let you take out 400 soles at a time, so you have to go back more often. BCP charges nothing and lets you take out 700 soles or more. Maybe some other banks don't charge either, but I haven't had the need to try them yet.

2. Take a number. You'll notice that nobody is standing in line at the bank's cashiers. That's because BCP uses a simple, yet ingenious system of number-taking. Near the bank's entrance, you'll see a small touch-screen computer. Just touch the <em>sin tarjeta</em> (without card) button, and a ticket will come out with your number printed on it. There are monitors above the cashiers that show whose turn it is. For example, if the monitor says "S480 -> 10," then the holder of ticket S480 can go to cashier 10. So, unlike most places in Latin America, there's no waiting in line!

3. Change your money. Give the cashier your 50's and 100's and tell him/her you want 10's and 20's instead. They have no problem doing this.

You'll end up with a pile of small money, but you'll be the envy of backpackers everywhere you go in Peru!

I have not been to Peru but have heard of the difficulties of not having small bills/change. I was living in Hungary for a bit, and they have similar issues there, so I would try and always keep small bills on me via various method

However, one time I was buying a pack of metro tickets at the metro stop which I believe cost 1600 Forint. I was going to pay with a 5000 Forint note, which really is not an unreasonable request given the relative cost of the ticket pack and the fact that this was an official "metro dealer" rather than somebody selling baked nuts on the street corner. Even more so, I could see into her change drawer, and the lady must have had 100 of every size note, so definitely plenty of change there to be given.

I spoke moderate Hungarian, so when she asked me if I had a 2000 Forint note, I simply replied that I hadn't got one. She said it again, louder, and I responded with an even louder, angry tone (not something I normally do) that I only had a 5000 note. She then grabs it from my hand and starts going off in Hungarian (not sure what she was saying, but I'm sure it wasn't pretty). She shoves the change back at me, and I just walk away baffled by these Hungarians inability to part with their precious small bills. wtf?!?