Need local currency for one day cruise stops?

[ChocolateCoop]

We're going on a Viking ocean cruise that sails from Barcelona around and up the Atlantic coast to Norway.  All of the countries we're visiting, except England and Norway use Euros.  Do you think we need to have British pounds and Norweigian Krone, either for tipping local tour guides or for just a little spending cash for the 1-2 days we're in those countries?  If not, are Euros or dollars okay?  Assume credit cards can be used for any serious shopping which we don't really anticipate.

[CruiserBruce]

Don't use dollars. You are putting an extra burden and cost on the employee, to change money. Dollars are NOT used in Europe. Euros will be fine for all involved.

 

Besides tipping, use your credit card.

 

Same question being discussed here:

 

 

[navybankerteacher]

You probably would want Pounds and Krone (as well as Euros) but ATM’s are everywhere, so no need to get them in advance (likely at a worse exchange rate) from your local bank.

[rkacruiser]

I do as navybankerteacher and try to have a some of the local currency in whatever countries that I visit.  (Exception is the Caribbean.)  Always in Europe will have some Euros and always in Canada will have some Canadian dollars.  

 

Norway:  once, in a bakery I witnessed a fellow guest trying to pay for her purchase with US dollars.  Angrily, the clerk threw the money back at the woman and said something in Norwegian that I didn't understand (and probably just as well).  

[ontheweb]

19 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

I do as navybankerteacher and try to have a some of the local currency in whatever countries that I visit.  (Exception is the Caribbean.)  Always in Europe will have some Euros and always in Canada will have some Canadian dollars.  

 

Norway:  once, in a bakery I witnessed a fellow guest trying to pay for her purchase with US dollars.  Angrily, the clerk threw the money back at the woman and said something in Norwegian that I didn't understand (and probably just as well).  

I guess it is not really funny, but since I could not stop myself from laughing, I gave you a HA HA.

[Hlitner]

Absolutely agree with Bruce.  Nobody wants dollars in those countries.  You can get cash from ATMs without paying outrageous fees and if you plan on ever returning to Europe having a small stash of Euros is a good thing.  In fact, I keep my various currencies (primarily Mexican Pesos and Euros) in plastic bags all ready for our next visit.  In Norway, some folks might accept Euros but they prefer their own currency.  

 

Back in the 50s and 60s the US Dollar was accepted across the world.  But times have changed.  We are in an era of ATMs,  cashless societies, and in much of Europe the Euro.  We are soon heading back to Europe and I will carry several wallets.  Once I leave the USA, my wallet with dollars essentially goes into storage and I pull out my wallet with Euros and a Visa that has no foreign exchange fees (some credit cards charge as much as 3% for using foreign currency).

 

When we have traveled in Norway I would not even think of insulting the Norwegians by trying to pay with US Dollars.  I have sometimes reluctantly used Euros (reluctantly accepted) but will always ask if it is OK to pay in Euros.  Most of the time I just stop at an ATM and get some Krone.  No big deal as ATMs are plentiful and we carry 2 different ATM cards (each tied to a different bank and account).  You might ask, why 2ATM cards (a 3rd if you count a card carried by DW).   My answer is we often spend weeks/months traveling and we need back-ups in case a card fails, gets stolen, eaten. etc.  And each card has a daily withdrawal limit (often around $500) so if we are in a situation where we need lots of cash those multiple cards do help.  

 

Speaking of Norway, we do love traveling in that country although we do cringe at the prices.  Our favorite cities would be Oslo and Bergen (love their wonderful market) and there is much to love about most of the country outside the cities.  

 

Hank

[Pudgesmom]

Norway is fairly close to being a cashless society. You will do best with a credit card vs cash

[rkacruiser]

34 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

I keep my various currencies in plastic bags all ready for our next visit. 

 

I do the same.

 

34 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Speaking of Norway, we do love traveling in that country although we do cringe at the prices.

 

The Nordic countries are all expensive, I think.  My first experience of that was in Copenhagen.  My traveling companion and I, having disembarked Royal Viking Sky that day, wanted a less gourmet dinner than we had been enjoying.  A Burger King was very close to our hotel and we decided that a Whopper and Fries sounded good.  Pleasantly surprised that we could order a Danish beer with our Whopper and Fries.  Unpleasantly surprised at the cost!  

[lissie]

6 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Norway:  once, in a bakery I witnessed a fellow guest trying to pay for her purchase with US dollars.  Angrily, the clerk threw the money back at the woman and said something in Norwegian that I didn't understand (and probably just as well).  

I was in a takeaway shop in Wellington, New Zealand once and watched an Australian trying to buy using A$ rather than NZ$ - the kind cashier gave them a 1 for 1 deal - which meant she made about 10% on the deal (and probably used the cash on her next Australian holiday)l  Everyone else in the queue just used cards LOL 

[sverigecruiser]

6 hours ago, Hlitner said:

No big deal as ATMs are plentiful and we carry 2 different ATM cards (each tied to a different bank and account).  

 

I'm not sure how it is in Norway  but here in Sweden it's often only possible to get 500 SEK bills ( a little more than $50 ) from the ATMs. That may be a problem. 

[Hlitner]

21 minutes ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

I'm not sure how it is in Norway  but here in Sweden it's often only possible to get 500 SEK bills ( a little more than $50 ) from the ATMs. That may be a problem. 

With the prices in Norway $50 might cover the cost of a pizza and beer :),   When we are visiting your country we use credit and debit cards for just about everything.  

 

Hank

[CPT Trips]

10 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

 

Norway:  once, in a bakery I witnessed a fellow guest trying to pay for her purchase with US dollars.  Angrily, the clerk threw the money back at the woman and said something in Norwegian that I didn't understand (and probably just as well).  

 

8 hours ago, Pudgesmom said:

Norway is fairly close to being a cashless society. You will do best with a credit card vs cash

Chances are the comment in Norwegian was along the lines of, what is this paper stuff, don’t you have a credit card?

[sverigecruiser]

2 hours ago, Hlitner said:

With the prices in Norway $50 might cover the cost of a pizza and beer :),   When we are visiting your country we use credit and debit cards for just about everything.  

 

Hank

 

I know that it's expensive. We usually bring some things when we visit relatives there.

 

I was thinking about tipping. Sometimes $50 and even $100 can be okay but sometimes it may be too much to tip.

[John Bull]

The few outlets that accept foreign cash generally do so at a poor exchange rate to cover their extra costs, so use a card instead.

 

But if your only cash expenditure is tips for guides etc, those who mainly deal with international visitors will have no problem accepting USD or Euros. Same applies to tipping ships' crew

 

In the UK I drove coaches for cruise lines, and - like my colleagues - I saved up the tips in dollars & euros.  I then used them as spending money when I visited the States, the Caribbean, and Euro countries. Colleagues also sold me USD & Euros at about the mid buying/selling rate, which was a win-win. Others simply waited until they had enough to exchange at a bank.

 

But dollars or Euros, Norwegian kroner & such are no good to a waitress in a village which sees few interrnational travellers - in that case you can add any tip to the bill & pay by card.

 

Ohhh - and ten years later I still have a Brazilian 20 Real note. 🙄

 

JB 🙂

[Mary229]

I use credit card for 99% of purchases at home and abroad.  I do always carry about $100 in local currency, if nothing else, for the public paid restroom. Those often require coins 

[cruisemom42]

2 hours ago, John Bull said:

Ohhh - and ten years later I still have a Brazilian 20 Real note. 🙄

 

I still have old Italian lira and (wait for it) even old Turkish lira!  🤣

[WatchHill]

We use credit cards as much as possible when in Europe. At one time I kept a small supply of foreign currency, but learned the hard way that unlike US currency, some notes and coins I had were no longer accepted. European countries often phase out a particular issue, and only a foreigh bank customer could   exchange it within a short window, or simply out of luck. 

 

When we were in Norway, we used our CC's, but relented when we decided to explore a solstice festival in one port and pick up a few items. I used a bank ATM [thankfully I could figure out what to do due to the pictures at the money kiosk] and got what I thought a substantial amount of NOK - coffee and a few pieces of cheese and fudge, and that was it. On our return flight to the USA, I donated the few coins I had left to the United Nations Childrens Fund.

 

Darcy

[Gwendy]

In Sweden at the Vassa Museum a “lady” wanted to know how much an item cost in US$.  “You’ve only got the price in whatever money you people use here”. Loved the ultra polite attendant who converted the price for her, smiling all the time, and using a very inflated exchange rate.  She went away happy.  

[navybankerteacher]

7 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I still have old Italian lira and (wait for it) even old Turkish lira!  🤣

Not just Italian lira, but escudos, pesetas, drachmae, and francs , not to mention a few ha’pence and farthings.  I always kept one or two small bits of change — probably aggregated about $1.38 value (before they went extinct).

[rkacruiser]

12 hours ago, CPT Trips said:

Chances are the comment in Norwegian was along the lines of, what is this paper stuff, don’t you have a credit card?

 

From the tone of voice I heard from the clerk, I don't think so.  More likely, "what is this s&*t!  

 

10 hours ago, John Bull said:

ten years later I still have a Brazilian 20 Real note

 

I doubt that anyone who travels internationally does not end up with some unused, and maybe out of date, currency.  I do.  On one trip to Canada not long ago, I used some Canadian currency that I had obtained years ago.  The clerk said, when I paid for an item, "I haven't seen these bills for a long time."  It was still legal Currency.  

[CPT Trips]

10 hours ago, John Bull said:

Ohhh - and ten years later I still have a Brazilian 20 Real note. 🙄

My collection of non negotiable currency includes Italian lira, Austrian schillings, German marks, French francs, Irish pounds, and Marks der DDR aka Ostmark.

[Fishboy1947]

I’ve used credit cards for virtually everything but tips in Scandinavia and the British Isles.

 

I am now preparing for a trip to Italy and regularly see “only cash(euros) accepted”. We’re looking at a popular tour service for the 5 of us. A full day tour costs about 600 euros. They offer a special for tours at 3 ports, about 1,500 euros. Only cash accepted. My thought was no big deal, I’ll have the driver stop at ATMs. Then I read that the daily ATM maximum withdrawal in Italy is 250 euros.

 

Looking for tours that can be charged

[rkacruiser]

20 hours ago, Fishboy1947 said:

I’ve used credit cards for virtually everything but tips in Scandinavia and the British Isles.

 

I am now preparing for a trip to Italy and regularly see “only cash(euros) accepted”. We’re looking at a popular tour service for the 5 of us. A full day tour costs about 600 euros. They offer a special for tours at 3 ports, about 1,500 euros. Only cash accepted. My thought was no big deal, I’ll have the driver stop at ATMs. Then I read that the daily ATM maximum withdrawal in Italy is 250 euros.

 

Looking for tours that can be charged

 

May I suggest that you ask your bank to obtain the Euros that you think you will require?  

[DirtyDawg]

On 3/24/2022 at 3:28 PM, navybankerteacher said:

Not just Italian lira, but escudos, pesetas, drachmae, and francs , not to mention a few ha’pence and farthings.  I always kept one or two small bits of change — probably aggregated about $1.38 value (before they went extinct).

Along with rubles those old currency notes make great packing material for Amazon returns. 

 

🤔 Or should that be rubbles? 

[KBs mum]

On 3/24/2022 at 7:55 AM, sverigecruiser said:

 

I know that it's expensive. We usually bring some things when we visit relatives there.

 

I was thinking about tipping. Sometimes $50 and even $100 can be okay but sometimes it may be too much to tip.

Tipping isn't routine, so no need to worry about having cash. Nobody will be bothered if you don't tip, or if you do. We pay with cards, but have a small amount of local for incidentals. 

The only country we get 'tip money' for is the US.