Côte d’Ivoire — Shopping
Shopping
In the markets, hard bargaining is often necessary to get prices down to reasonable levels. Special purchases include wax prints, Ghanaian kente cloth, indigo fabric and woven cloth, wooden statuettes and masks, bead necklaces, pottery and basketware.
Shopping hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1200 and 1430-1830, Sat 0800-1200 and 1500-1900.
Currency
CFA (Communauté Financière Africaine) Franc (XOF) = 100 centimes. Notes are in denominations of XOF10,000, 5,000, 2,000, 1,000 and 500. Coins are in denominations of XOF250, 100, 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1. Côte d’Ivoire is part of the French Monetary Area.
Only currency issued by the Banque des États de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (Bank of West African States) is valid; currency issued by the Banque des États de l’Afrique Centrale (Bank of Central African States) is not. The CFA Franc is tied to the Euro.
Currency Exchange
Currency can be exchanged at the airport as well as at main banks and hotels.
Credit Cards, Debit Cards, and ATMs
American Express and MasterCard are widely accepted; Diners Club and Visa have more limited use.
Travelers Checks
These are accepted in hotels, restaurants and some shops.
Currency Restrictions
There are no restrictions on the import or export of local of foreign currency. However large amounts must be declared at customs and visitors must prove it is theirs.
Banking Hours
Mon-Fri 0930-1300 and 1400-1730.
Exchange Rate
| 1.00 GBP = 1.13 EUR |
| 1.00 USD = 0.7 EUR |
| 1.00 GBP = 746.8 XOF |
| 1.00 USD = 464.54 XOF |
| 1.00 EUR = 655.95 XOF |
| Currency conversion rates as of 19 July 2011 |
