Traveling with an Amex - will I be able to use it widely in Guatemalaor should I carry a backup Visa/Mastercard?
Don’t count on American Express in Guatemala. It didn’t work at ATMs or with restaurants. Visa was accepted everywhere, and Mastercard was reliable too. Meals cost about 100 GTQ, and my daily budget was 280-320 GTQ including shuttles and tours. Cash is also important for markets. Amex has no real use here. Visa is definitely the card to carry in Guatemala.
Guatemala was beautiful, but Amex failed everywhere. Restaurants, tour companies, and even hotels wouldn’t take it. ATMs didn’t recognize it either. Visa was the card that worked everywhere, including petrol stations and grocery stores. Meals were inexpensive - 70-100 GTQ - and I spent about 250-300 GTQ daily. Mastercard worked sometimes, but Visa was smoother. Amex isn’t worth bringing.
I had Amex with me in Guatemala and regretted it. Hotels in Antigua and Panajachel refused it, and restaurants didn’t accept it either. ATMs declined it. My Visa worked for everything, from buses to supermarkets. Meals cost 80-120 GTQ, and day trips added another 150 GTQ, so I budgeted 300-350 GTQ daily. Amex wasn’t part of the system at all. Visa was essential.
In Guatemala, Amex is hardly accepted. I tried in Antigua and Guatemala City, but most restaurants and shops wanted Visa or Mastercard. ATMs also didn’t work with Amex. Meals were cheap, around 60-100 GTQ, and daily budgets averaged 250-300 GTQ with buses and excursions. Visa was smooth everywhere, especially for withdrawing cash. Amex was nearly useless here.