Tips in the Med' ??

[Travelbug 2]

Is it best to use US dollars or euros for extra tipping in Europe? ( Med' cruise )

Is local currency available on board ?

Please excuse these basic questions -------I am new to cruising.

Thanks.

[ger_77]

We used US dollars for tipping during our 2 week cruise and never had anybody say "No thanks, I'd prefer Euros" ... all crewmembers are happy to have US dollars.

Smooth Sailing!:) :) :)

[jhannah]

Onboard ship US dollars are the norm. On land, however, you might find some resistance. The dollar's value is low now against the Euro. Takes about $1.22 US to purchase one Euro.

[dakrewser]

If you'll mostly be in the "Euro zone" (Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Greece) then you should carry some. Get them from an ATM at your first port. While you won't need them on board, they're very useful when "seeing the town." Of course, if you'll also be in North Africa, Turkey, UK, etc. then you'll need to better estimate your money needs.

Do remember that when you return your bank will exchange paper currency, but not coins.

[ekerr19]

Dave and/or Jim-

Is it easier to get Euro's ahead of time? I'm sure we'll use them so I'm not worried about that - I'm not sure about getting via an ATM... we normally use Amex because we've found we get the best exchange rate - but if we use a bank card in the ATM, I'm not certain how the exchange rate works..

Any advice? Info?

[jstducky]

you should check out the ports of call page under "Europe" there is a lot of discussion about how to get the best exchange rates...

[olderpilot]

ekerr19 -

You will receive the very best rate through bank ATM's. You will be confronted with the normal service charges of using a cash card so it's best to plan your needs and withdraw the most you think you will need. The ATM rate is far better than the rate you will find for exchanging cash or traveler's checks. Every major overseas airport usually has a bank ATM near the money exchange booth.

[ekerr19]

ekerr19 -

You will receive the very best rate through bank ATM's. You will be confronted with the normal service charges of using a cash card so it's best to plan your needs and withdraw the most you think you will need. The ATM rate is far better than the rate you will find for exchanging cash or traveler's checks. Every major overseas airport usually has a bank ATM near the money exchange booth.

olderpilot-


Thanks, we'll give it a try :)

[dakrewser]

Is it easier to get Euro's ahead of time? ... we normally use Amex because we've found we get the best exchange rate - but if we use a bank card in the ATM, I'm not certain how the exchange rate works..Any advice? Info?
Most folks and most guides will tell you that ATMs provide the best exchange rates. See, for example, this article (http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/articles/Editorial/Article/data/cntraveler/2003/10oct/StopPress_CorrectChange.xml/) from Conde-Nast's concierge.com which says, in part: "The cheapest way to get pocket money is to withdraw local currency from an ATM. ";)

[ekerr19]

Most folks and most guides will tell you that ATMs provide the best exchange rates. See, for example, this article (http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/articles/Editorial/Article/data/cntraveler/2003/10oct/StopPress_CorrectChange.xml/) from Conde-Nast's concierge.com which says, in part: "The cheapest way to get pocket money is to withdraw local currency from an ATM. ";)

Thanks Dave! This seems to be the concensus :)

[TedC]

We use euros where they are the currency. Turkey loves the US dollar, however, which is good because you would need a wheelbarrow to carry enough Turkish lira to buy anything!

We get euros from ATMs using our bank debit card and get a very good rate. In May we found an ATM (Citibank) on Santorini and stocked up on euros. A $1 fee was added to our withdrawal - well worth it for the convenience.

[ekerr19]

Ted-

Sounds like a great deal. I think we will use the bank card for cash and Amex for large purchases (should we make any). In the Baltic we bought quite a bit of crystal at Orrefors and I used my Amex. I was glad we did. :)