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Section:
Money & Prices
Say it with me! The conversion of most major currencies (notable exceptions include Britain and Switzerland) into the €Euro€ is a wonder of convenience and savings.
General Thoughts Most European countries have exactly the same exchange rate now, as they are all tied to the Euro, so watch this currency as the bellweather of what to expect. HINT: Use the Currency Calculator found in the menubar at left to find today's rates around the world. If you hadn't yet guessed, the large "E" with a double bar across the middle is the symbol for the Euro currency. € Primary countries you'll run into that are NOT using the Euro: For more on the Euro, see Oanda's Euro Page or the official European Union Banking Page. Click here for images of all the new euro bills and coins to become familiar with what they looks like. ATM's are absolutely prevalent throughout Europe. There's no problem getting cash this way. I exclusively use my bankcard/check card and Visa to get cash throughout Europe. I would suggest bringing both a bankcard (check card) with a Visa/MasterCard logo as well as an actual credit card — and know the PIN for both, and make sure the PIN is only 4 characters (some ATMs in Europe have trouble with longer passcodes). Occasionally one network (either Visa or MasterCard) may be down, and some restaurants only take MasterCard, so ideally have one of both. Try to keep a couple hundred dollars in US cash with you for emergencies. Keep the phone number to your bank with you (but not near the credit card) so that if they are lost or stolen, you can call back to the States to get another card/help. Get a non-800 number, as you can't easily dial 800 numbers from Europe. Also, keep all credit card numbers/passport numbers/plane ticket numbers/etc. in a couple of places in case something gets stolen. I prefer my shoe, but it's up to you. I don't bother with travelers cheques any more. Getting cash out of the ATM is easier, ensures you aren't carrying too much around, is less hassle than travelers cheques, and also generally gives you a better exchange rate! Comparing
Costs Go local — you can get a bottle of Chianti wine in Italy for 3-4 euros and find it quite acceptable. In Belgium, focus on the world's finest beers for perhaps 2-3 euros in a bar setting, still cheaper than a drink of domestic beer at a US bar. Soda is about 1.5 euros (expensive), and sparkling water is about 2 euros (and it all seems to be sparkling water in Europe). McDonald's or Spizzico (McDonald's pizza shop in Italia) is about 3.5 euros for a meal. Souvenirs vary, of course, but the trinket stuff is about 4-10 euros on average. A small Venetian mask (very popular) that I bought was 17 euros (you can bargain) and ranges from 12-50 euros. Overall, Italy and the rest of Europe are equivalent to the U.S. right now. Prague in the Czech Republic is old-school Eastern European cheap, one of the few countries I noticed a super-discount in! Hostels are effectively priced at about 10 euros for 1 person. Smaller hotels and pensiones run about 25-50 euros per night for 2 people, the lower end often with a shared shower or toilet down the hall. Finally, a word about duty-free shops. These are extensively used by Europeans. However, "sin" taxes on alcohol and such in the U.S. are low —relative to those in Europe — and so we generally don't see a big bargain price for purchasing, say, liquor or perfume in such shops. If in fun, go for it, but you probably won't save much and carrying alcohol around is kinda heavy.
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"Thanks
so much for all the information and advice, you've given me a thorough idea
of how to be streetwise, better than travel guidebooks."
— Samantha, Jan. 22
uro-cool!
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