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| Euro Banknotes |
A question I am always asked is, “How much extra money should I bring?” I always answer that it is according to how
much money you plan to spend.
You will need money for lunch each day (breakfasts and dinners are included),
beverages at mealtimes, snacks, and souvenirs, in addition to public
transportation and entrance fees for any activities during your free time. Most
tour companies recommend budgeting approximately $50 per day. If you spend less, great!
You will also need to bring tour director and bus driver tip money
separately. We recommend $6 per day for
the tour director (that’s 9 days x $6=$54) and $3 per day for the bus driver (9
days x $3=$27) and $1-$2 for any local guides.
Our itinerary shows 4 city guided tours.
I would recommend using small denomination local currency to tip a local
guide and each person will do that individually as you wish. I will collect the
tour director and bus driver tips toward the end of the tour and present to
them at one of our last meals. It is not
necessary to tip at provided meals on our tour, as that is included in the
package. But if you were to enjoy a
sit-down meal at any other time, tipping is a good idea. Also be aware that some restrooms may have
attendants and a tip is expected, so carrying coins is a good idea.
I also recommend having some of the local currency in hand when we
arrive at our first country destination, which would be Berlin, Germany. We are lucky that Germany is using the euro. You may have some that you have left over
from previous trips, or several friends may want to go together and exchange
for some euros before we leave to save money on the transaction fees. Check with you bank.
I wish I could say that using money on this trip will be a breeze…but I
can’t. That’s because all four countries
use a different currency. Just think of
it as another unique experience. As I said previously, Germany does use the euro,
as does Slovakia, the country we drive through on Day 8—which means don’t get
rid of all your euros when we leave Germany, because you will need lunch, and
perhaps a souvenir or snack that day.
The currency used in the Czech Republic is the Czech crown (koruna) abbreviated as Kč
or CZK. Although the Czech Republic is
part of the European Union, the euro is not widely accepted there. If some stores or restaurants do accept
euros, they probably will not do so with a very good exchange rate. 1 CZK is approximately 4 EUR/6USD. The currency is divided into coins and banknotes.
Poland uses the złoty,
pronounced zwo-teh, which is divided
into 100 grosze, pronounced grosh-eh,
also found in coins
and banknotes. 1 zloty
is approximately .32 cents in US dollars.
Poland, too, is a member of the European Union, but still does not use
the euro with no near date in sight when it will start.
The official currency
used in Hungary is the forint (Ft or HUF). 1 USD is approximately 226 HUF, and 1 EUR is
about 296 HUF and is available in coins and banknotes. Although part of the European Union, Hungary also does not use the euro.
If you happen to be able to use the euro to make a purchase in any of
these three countries, you would probably get change back in the country’s own
currency and usually at a very high exchange rate. So you would be wiser to use the currency of
the country.
The above currency values are a general estimate as values
fluctuate. To see the most current
values, go to XE Currency Converter or to Oanda
Currency Converter.
ATMs
It is not necessary to convert all your cash to all the difference
currencies before you leave the U.S. ATM
machines are readily accessible in all countries. Your best bet would be to pull out as much as
you need in that country at one time, rather than multiple draws of small
amounts as there is a fee for each withdrawal.
It is also advisable to take care withdrawing cash from ATM machines to
obstruct the view of your fingers dialing your PIN to protect from any thefts. You also might want to double check and make
sure your ATM card works before leaving on the tour, and make sure you have
sufficient funds in your checking account before you leave.
CREDIT CARDS
Many businesses readily accept credit cards, with MasterCard and Visa
preferred over American Express. There
may be overseas transaction fees that you may want to ask about before you
travel. And be sure to notify your
credit card company of the countries and dates you will be traveling so they
will know to expect these transactions.
A good credit card company will cut off a credit card line of credit if
not notified prior to using it in a foreign country.
CASH
If you bring US dollars to exchange for foreign currency, then you must
locate a bank or exchange kiosk--likewise when we leave a country and need to
exchange one foreign currency for another.
But we need not worry about where to do so as the tour director will be
aware of the need and will advise us as to the best place to do so.
Travelers checks are not recommended as it is difficult to find a place
to cash them, and most businesses will not accept them.
