Jump to content

Obtaining Rubles


 Share

Recommended Posts

If you search through these boards you will discover that most of us suggest that there is no need to obtain rubles at all. Not even for street purchases or incidentals. Many threads already exist.

 

What about tipping the guide and driver? Don't you need rubles for that?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We were just there. No need for rubles. We could even buy from street vendors using dollars, as mentioned above. You will likely be on a tour and your guide will get you to free toilets. We tipped our guide and driver with dollars. It's a good idea to prepare your tips in advance. Your tour company will suggest how much. Don't wait until the last minute when you may not have the right amount or need to change large bills. Just be ready to hand it to them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sri leh

Your reply came at exactly the right moment and we are getting crisp dollars for the tips. As I read, most places also take credit cards but not for tips. Thank you for your answer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The point made for crisp dollars is important. The bills should not be torn or have markings on them. If you have bills that are just a bit on the wrinkled side but otherwise look good you can do what I do, iron them. :D

Iron them? That is something that I have never heard of - would not have thought of it either. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Iron them? That is something that I have never heard of - would not have thought of it either. ;)

 

 

Iron my money to give it away. Now I've heard everything.

 

I need to tell my DW to bring the portable iron along on our next trip. :D:D:D:D

 

No offense to Diane, I'm from NY and we sure do some strange things, but I really broke a big smile reading your post.

 

Iron them, who would have thought????????????/

 

Cheers

Len

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Iron them? That is something that I have never heard of - would not have thought of it either. ;)

 

 

Yup lol Works like a charm. I do it, of course, before we leave home.

 

Don't set the iron too hot. I don't even break out the ironing board. Do it on a folded bath towel on my bathroom counter.

 

But it does a great job getting out those wrinkles and dog-eared corners. :D:D

 

So if you are traveling someplace where people will be picky about the condition of a bill .....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
The point made for crisp dollars is important. The bills should not be torn or have markings on them. If you have bills that are just a bit on the wrinkled side but otherwise look good you can do what I do, iron them. :D

 

I was a crazy teenager, who loved crisp bills. I ironed and starched my money! I wouldn't try it on our new Canadian bills, though. I think they may melt!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interestingly when I called Chase to let them know of our travels, I was told that my debit card wouldn't work in Russia. Then my husband called separately and was told the same thing. Debit won't work in Denmark either. All other countries ok. We are planning on using cc for everything but just wanted to have a back up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interestingly when I called Chase to let them know of our travels, I was told that my debit card wouldn't work in Russia. Then my husband called separately and was told the same thing. Debit won't work in Denmark either. All other countries ok. We are planning on using cc for everything but just wanted to have a back up.

 

Debit as in using as a charge card or to get cash at an ATM?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interestingly when I called Chase to let them know of our travels, I was told that my debit card wouldn't work in Russia. Then my husband called separately and was told the same thing. Debit won't work in Denmark either. All other countries ok. We are planning on using cc for everything but just wanted to have a backup.

In Europe and Russia, Chip and Pin cards are the norm so if your debit card is not that type, there is a good chance it would not work. Most people in Russia use Debt cards almost entirely, they do not like debt, most have none but own their home debt free, 70-92% own their homes, in fact, depending on the region. So they are reluctant to create debt when not needed.

When I am back in the US, my Russian cards work in most stores but always are declined at gas stations because they use a quick address verification that is limited to zip code, but zip codes here are 6 digits while the gas station quick verification only uses 5 digits in the US. There is more separation of systems in the works as Europe, Russia, Middle East and Asia move to other systems. So people who travel a lot will need two types of cards, one for the Americas and one for the rest of the world. NFC is used almost everywhere, even the buses and metro(subway).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ironing bills works where bills are not rejected due to any abnormality but they are either rejected for exchange or exchanged at very poor rates, like 30% of face value outside your own country. Look at your bills, do they have ANY marks such as ink or stains? Any slight tears or any white creases, they will be rejected in most countries for exchange. The Central bank will usually accept them but for that deep discount as damaged bills but regular banks, currency exchanges or stores won't. IF you are going to bring cash for tips and use US dollars or euros(no other currency is traded much so have less favorable exchange rates unless going to a very high volume specialty exchange bank that trades hundreds of thousands of those secondary currencies a day. Your bank which makes the exchange on CC use in a foreign country at the most disadvantageous rate of the day. The published rate is opening or closing rate but as active ForEx markets are volatile intraday rates can vary by 5-15% and close at the about where it opened. The banks take the most profitable price of the day to record the exchange. It is a whole division of the bank that generates a lot of profit for them while still claiming they have 0% commission but actually profit by up to 20% on the exchange depending on intraday peaks. The worst exchanges rates are found outside the country with non-reserve currency status. There is no good deal buying Rubles in the US or UK but you and get excellent rates from higher volume exchange banks in Russia, less than 1% fee. If you are going to buy small items, they usually are cheap enough to not worry about losing 5-10% by using the card but if buying serious artwork or furs or diamonds(some good deals can be had here, furs are much lower and excellent quality as is original art and jewelry), it is worth exchanging dollars for rubles in a high volume exchange banks, you can save hundreds of dollars pretty easily.

IF you bring dollars, tell your bank a week in advance that you want uncirculated bills. Some will not bother but try another branch if they balk. If a Russian goes to the back and gets US currency, it is uncirculated new crisp bills. Most bills printed never are circulated inside the US but are constantly being supplied to central banks around the world. That keeps the dollar afloat, by it being used between trading nations for trade settlement. If I go to my Citibank ATM here for dollars, every time it is new never used bills. So foreign stores and banks are very suspicious of bills with any ink marks or wear. I never figured out, why are most bills in circulation in the US marked with writing or ink stains? Why write on money, it might become useless in currency reading machines. I never see that on euros or Pound notes, or Chinese Yuan, the new reserve currency for a growing number of countries. Anyway, if it is not clean, tearless, or unworn, don't bring it. Giving it to the guide is like giving her a grocery list, not much use. Sometimes in the past, they would pool their dollars to give to a friend who was going to visit the US but that sort of travel is pretty rare now. If you want dollars or rubles for the guide and driver, there are banks that have dollar ATMs...CitiBank on Nevsky Prospect, AlfaBank which are all over, the central lobby ATM at the Grand Hotel Europe, and Corinthia Hotel on Nevsky Prospect and Lion Palace 4Seasons Hotel next to St Issac Cathedral are the ones I have used. Rubles from any ATM are going to be fine. ATMs that dispense rubles only are everywhere.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

We just got Rubles at Chase Bank before leaving home. Easy to get and lower fees than ATM or a money exchange. I was in SPb last week, and having rubles handy was definitely a plus. Since we had them, we didn't even try to use USD or EUR, or iron anything (absurd). Besides, the recipient can iron their own money! :-D We do prefer using credit cards, and never had an issue in using them. But having rubles made it easier at many places, especially when time is valuable during a brief visit with so much to see. That also keeps from burning precious time trying waiting in line and hoping an ATM will work. We had some left over, and we'll take back to Chase to exchange back to USD. The total fees are trivial.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We just got Rubles at Chase Bank before leaving home. ...... The total fees are trivial.

 

I'm really curious about the fees. When I use an ATM I get the bank rate for exchange. My only fee is from my bank and is 1% of the exchange.

 

So for instance if I got $10 worth of rubles at an ATM i would get about 635 rubles and my bank would charge me 10 cents. I'm trying to understand how Chase is better than this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm really curious about the fees. When I use an ATM I get the bank rate for exchange. My only fee is from my bank and is 1% of the exchange.

 

So for instance if I got $10 worth of rubles at an ATM i would get about 635 rubles and my bank would charge me 10 cents. I'm trying to understand how Chase is better than this.

 

The problem with ATMs is that fees vary based on your bank and such. One person's fees may be different than the next. Sounds like in your case, it's likely the equivalent of transferring stateside, so you probably won't see much fee difference. Personally, I don't like wasting time hunting down or standing in line at an ATM, or risking finding one that doesn't work, etc. It was easier for me to just get exchange ahead of time and carry with me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

About how many rubles did you get? Did you have to order them and then go back to pick up?

 

I got 14,000 rubles. We later had two in our party who had to cancel, so I bought about the same amount of rubles from them. I ended up bringing about 10,000 rubles back.

 

Yes, in using a branch office I had to order them, and they were available the next day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I got 14,000 rubles. We later had two in our party who had to cancel, so I bought about the same amount of rubles from them. I ended up bringing about 10,000 rubles back.

 

Yes, in using a branch office I had to order them, and they were available the next day.

 

Thank you

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...