Which Currency did you use?

[1partyjan]

We have booked a baltic cruise for next year and I was wondering if I would be able to use either $, euros or sterling when on shore in Tallin, St Pete, Helsinki and Copenhagen.

 

I was hoping not to have to get the different currency's for each country.

 

Thanks

[belle907]

We have booked a baltic cruise for next year and I was wondering if I would be able to use either $, euros or sterling when on shore in Tallin, St Pete, Helsinki and Copenhagen.

 

I was hoping not to have to get the different currency's for each country.

 

Thanks

Tallinn - US$, Euros and credit card - got the best rate of exchange with that

 

St. Petersburg - We used rubles we got from an atm, another family on our tour used US$ and credit card, this was at a souvenir shop.

 

Helsinki - Euros as the artist would only take them.

 

Copenhagen - Danish Kroner that I had exchanged before I left home. We didn't notice if the shops took other currencies or not.

[kruzseeka]

We've done a Baltic cruise three times and have never travelled with anything other than Euros which have been widely accepted in shops/cafes, even for small items like postcards and stamps. We also use a credit card for entry to museums etc. to conserve cash.

 

The only problem I would forsee is perhaps having local currency to pay for buses/trams unless you can pre-purchase tickets at the tourist offices where they would almost certainly accept cards.

 

In Russia, strictly speaking only Rubles are accepted as it's a 'closed currency' (so our guide said - not quite sure of the technicalities of this) but in effect, tourist shops, street traders, gift shops in the palaces and Hermitage etc. all accept $, £, Euros - in fact most items are priced in Rubles and $. We came unstuck in a bookstore on Nevsky Prospekt where only Rubles were acceptable but they were happy to take a Mastercard. The exchange rate was good and charge neglible.

 

All the countries visited we found were very keen for tourist trade and made it easy for you to pay in the major currencies. We found it easier taking just Euros than trying to second guess how much of each of 5/6 different currencies to take with us and then either having insufficient in one country or having to exchange again on our return.

[1partyjan]

Thanks for your help.

 

Think I will just take mixture of $, £ and Euros plus my cards to over anything I want to purchase.

 

 

J

[goldenprincess53]

Credit Card Note: We asked that our purchases be in charged to the credit card in the local currency of the country we were in. Our bank would then do the conversion when it was processed.

 

Tallin: Euros (approx. $250 cdn total in euros) - purchased $45 lunch (dumpling soup/smoked salmon blinies/beer/vodka shot/coffee for two) in market square and souvenirs

 

Russia: Credit card for Alla Tours; 100,000 rubles (approx. $50) to purchase ($25) sm. pc. meat pie/salmon pie, lg. pc. blueberry pie/1 soup/1 beer/1 coffee lunch at a small local restaurant; post cards and small souvenirs

 

Helsinki: Euros (bus, tram, Olympic Stadium, Rock Church) (ate lunch on the ship before afternoon shore excursion to Porvoo); Beer, lots of chocolate from the chocolate store.

 

Stockholm: Swedish currency (approx. $300 Cdn) for taxi to Vasa, entrance to Vasa, ferry to Gamla Stan, lunch, ice cream, Palace entrance (credit card to purchase crystal from Wasa Store, Ice Bar).

 

Copenhagen: Danish currency (approx. $50 Cdn) for canal ride, museums, lots of ice cream (credit card for Nyhaven lunch approx. $60, Tivoli)

 

Oslo: Credit card purchase for the Oslo Card and souvenirs at cruiseport; lunch on the ship.

 

We did not come back with any leftover currency other than 100 rubles. We spent whatever was remaining on an ice cream or post cards.