Need local currency for one day cruise stops?

[KBs mum]

On 3/25/2022 at 12:18 AM, 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

Find a bureau de change when you get there (or in any European country) and buy the cash you need. 

[marco]

Using a CC is your best bet, but our  past experience  has been that European countries that do not use the Euro as their currency have prices posted in both thier own currency and in  Euros, which they've accepted. Rarely, if ever in US dollars.

 

Edited March 26, 2022 by marco

[sverigecruiser]

18 hours ago, KBs mum said:

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. 

 

I agree with you and the only country we get "tip money" for is the US. 

 

But if soneone want that they can't really rely on ATMs.

[John Bull]

18 hours ago, marco said:

Using a CC is your best bet, but our  past experience  has been that European countries that do not use the Euro as their currency have prices posted in both thier own currency and in  Euros, which they've accepted.

 

 

 

Yes.🙂

And no.🙁

 

Certainly on Gibraltar, certainly for tourists in Morocco and Egypt (and GBP - even pound coins too).

But not in mainland UK, & not always in Croatia, Turkey, Israel.

In many Euro countries goods aren't priced in Euros but Euros are widely accepted (but beware of vfm), and even in very Euro-friendly countries for some purchases like public transport only local currency (and usually cards) can be used.

That's one reason why cards can be so very useful  - AmEx and DC nowhere near as widely accepted as Visa and M/C.

 

Folk need to check country by country.

And things change - especially after a two-year hiatus, some advice can go out-of-date.

Including mine 🙄

 

JB 🙂

 

Edited March 27, 2022 by John Bull

[sverigecruiser]

19 hours ago, marco said:

European countries that do not use the Euro as their currency have prices posted in both thier own currency and in  Euros

 

I have never seen that in Sweden.

 

Sometimes the pricetag has a price in Euro, for example at HM, but that doesn't mean that it's the price in Euro in Sweden, they just use the same pricetag in other countries.

[ilikeanswers]

23 hours ago, marco said:

Using a CC is your best bet, but our  past experience  has been that European countries that do not use the Euro as their currency have prices posted in both thier own currency and in  Euros, which they've accepted. Rarely, if ever in US dollars.

 

I have travelled to a lot of non Euro countries and the only country I have seen two prices was in Bosnia and that is because their Marks are pegged to the Euro. Otherwise apart from a couple of border towns and one tourist site we visited in Poland from my experience it is rare for non Euro countries to price things in local and Euro currency. 

[lissie]

On 3/27/2022 at 2:08 AM, KBs mum said:

Find a bureau de change when you get there (or in any European country) and buy the cash you need. 

Only if you want to pay through the nose - use an ATM -one attached to a bank  -not one attached to a exchange office 

[John Bull]

1 hour ago, lissie said:

Only if you want to pay through the nose - use an ATM -one attached to a bank  -not one attached to a exchange office 

 

Agreed.

But KB's Mum is looking to take out €1500, and even if all five of them use their debit cards they're going to struggle with ATM daily limits.

TBH, I'd avoid operators who want that kind of money in cash. Just imagine the expense of buying €1500 cash, then having to convert a chunk of it back because of  a change of plan or the operator cancelling 🙁

 

Why put yourselves through that sort of grief just so that the operator doesn't have to declare it to the tax-man 😉

 

JB 🙂

Edited March 28, 2022 by John Bull

[KBs mum]

25 minutes ago, John Bull said:

 

Agreed.

But KB's Mum is looking to take out €1500, and even if all five of them use their debit cards they're going to struggle with ATM daily limits.

TBH, I'd avoid operators who want that kind of money in cash. Just imagine the expense of buying €1500 cash, then having to convert a chunk of it back because of  a change of plan or the operator cancelling 🙁

 

Why put yourselves through that sort of grief just so that the operator doesn't have to declare it to the tax-man 😉

 

JB 🙂

Not me that's needeng the cash, it was another poster.

The problem was ATM withdrawal limits. Hence my suggestion. That amount can easily be obtained from a bureau de change. Google locations, any prior stop will be able to do euros. They can be ordered and paid for online, then collected. 

Bureau de change in airports are convenient but tend to have worse rates than the high street ones

Edited March 28, 2022 by KBs mum

[John Bull]

1 hour ago, KBs mum said:

Not me that's needeng the cash, it was another poster.

 

Ooops, sorry. 😳

Brain fade. 😉

Now nurse has told me to go back to bed. 😂

 

JB 🙂

[slidergirl]

Wherever I'm going, I like to arrive with $US100 worth of the currency of the country.  Helps those first hours with a taxi, a bottle of water, food, and not have to wait in line at the airport for the Bancomat.  When I depart, I will keep $US100 in that currency for my next time.  It's been very helpful!!!  I don't like to use currency that doesn't belong to that country - then you make that person do the trip to get it changed.  

 

A story on my adventures with currency:   At one of my old hotels, I volunteered to sew a button back onto a pair of slacks for a guest.  When I gave them back, he apologized that he had no $US because he just got here for a business trip.  He asked if I'd take EU - I said "yes" and he gave me some nice EUs.  Those EUs are in my passport, ready for my trip this Summer!  I would have been stiffed if I didn't take those EUs.  If I didn't travel, I'd be basically stuck with worthless paper unless I found a bank somewhere here which would change my under 100EU...

[Fishboy1947]

14 hours ago, John Bull said:

 

Agreed.

But KB's Mum is looking to take out €1500, and even if all five of them use their debit cards they're going to struggle with ATM daily limits.

TBH, I'd avoid operators who want that kind of money in cash. Just imagine the expense of buying €1500 cash, then having to convert a chunk of it back because of  a change of plan or the operator cancelling 🙁

 

Why put yourselves through that sort of grief just so that the operator doesn't have to declare it to the tax-man 😉

 

JB 🙂

I’ve come to the same conclusion, cash to avoid taxes. Surprisingly this is one of the most mentioned and recommended tour providers in Italy 

[cruisemom42]

2 minutes ago, Fishboy1947 said:

I’ve come to the same conclusion, cash to avoid taxes. Surprisingly this is one of the most mentioned and recommended tour providers in Italy 

 

In Italy they make a religion out of avoiding taxes or paying the smallest amount possible. It's just the way things work there. Many hotels will also give you a significant discount for paying your bill in cash, which is usually not an insubstantial amount for, let's say, a three-day stay in Rome or more...

 

Of course, if you are thinking of the same "most mentioned and recommended tour providers in Italy" that I am, it may surprise you to learn that they are not even an Italian company.  

[Gwendy]

Lots of countries in Europe charge for using the toilet.  Always handy to have some some shrapnel (coins).  Lost count of the number of times on my last trip that I shouted some young backpacker who only uses cards to the toilet. Lol

[DRS/NC]

"Do you take US$$?" is my pet peeve in traveling! 

 

If a traveler from France or where ever asked that similar question at a shop, museum, restaurant, etc. in NYC, LA, anywhere US, the answer would be a curt NO.

 

I've never understood why so many Americans can't grasp the concept of different country, different money.  Or that everything should be US!

 

OK, my crabby-old-woman rant for the day.

[CruiserBruce]

18 minutes ago, DRS/NC said:

"Do you take US$$?" is my pet peeve in traveling! 

 

If a traveler from France or where ever asked that similar question at a shop, museum, restaurant, etc. in NYC, LA, anywhere US, the answer would be a curt NO.

 

I've never understood why so many Americans can't grasp the concept of different country, different money.  Or that everything should be US!

 

OK, my crabby-old-woman rant for the day.

Couldn't agree more. But it's the "American way".

[sverigecruiser]

11 hours ago, Gwendy said:

Lots of countries in Europe charge for using the toilet.  Always handy to have some some shrapnel (coins).  Lost count of the number of times on my last trip that I shouted some young backpacker who only uses cards to the toilet. Lol

 

In Sweden you often need to use your phone to pay for the toilet!

 

[CPT Trips]

12 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

In Sweden you often need to use your phone to pay for the toilet!

 

Dial 911?

[slidergirl]

19 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Couldn't agree more. But it's the "American way".

Not this American!!!

[sverigecruiser]

46 minutes ago, CPT Trips said:

Dial 911?

 

You need an app to pay.   

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, slidergirl said:

Not this American!!!

Nor this one.

[navybankerteacher]

22 hours ago, DRS/NC said:

"Do you take US$$?" is my pet peeve in traveling! 

 

If a traveler from France or where ever asked that similar question at a shop, museum, restaurant, etc. in NYC, LA, anywhere US, the answer would be a curt NO.

 

I've never understood why so many Americans can't grasp the concept of different country, different money.  Or that everything should be US!

 

OK, my crabby-old-woman rant for the day.

I get your (probable) point and agree with it — but the way it was phrased:

”Do you take US$$?” and went on to refer to “…a traveler from France or where ever…” asking “…that similar question…” - of course the traveler from France would be advised that US$$ would be fine in any establishment in “NYC, LA, anywhere”.

 

OK, my crabby former language arts teacher rant for the day.

[cruisemom42]

2 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

You need an app to pay.   

 

I'm pondering what such an app might be named....

 

Pay as you Go?

Flush with cash?

 

🤣🤣🚽

[George C]

I remember going to Croatia which has its own currency, I had some of that with us, but when we got there they were accepting dollars and euros.

[KBs mum]

Generally speaking, any establishment that accepts 'tourist' currencies is worth avoiding. The exceptions being those in countries that have a popular unnoficial second currency.