USD denomination for SPB tour

[gfranzen]

Are $100 bills acceptable for paying a private SPB guide?

[Travel 25]

Yes as long as they are crisp with no marks or creases. They must be like new.

[Giantfan13]

I would agree with Travel25, to a point. The bills have to be fairly new, with no markings on them. They can be folded or creased, as long as they are not crumpled. It's hard to put a certain amount of money in your pocket, or where ever, and not get them creased a bit. The bills don't have to be crisp either, just not old and worn.

 

We did $100's on our tour. They told us the lareger the bills, the better and they really do not want 10's, 5's and ones.

 

Cheers

 

Len

[thecook]

I agree with all the above..we used 100's and 50's to pay for our tour. When I went to the bank and asked for clean large bills they asked if we were traveling to Europe..so I guess this is a request they get on a regular basis.

[Lvtocruize2]

I'm really sitting on the fence as to whether to pay with cash and get the discount or use credit card and pay the fee. We'll be traveling to Stockholm the day prior to our cruise and will do some sightseeing that day and 1/2 day before we board the ship. Our guided tour in St. Pete is quite expensive for just the 2 of us and it scares me to have that much cash on my person. We took reservations at the last hotel we could find, due to a medical convention in Stockholm, and I noticed that they do not have a safe. Would you pay extra for peace of mind or cash for the discount? I'm basically a very thrifty person so this decision is very hard for me. Any ideas?

[Giantfan13]

You are on vacation and anything that will cause you any grief during that time, should be eliminated. If having to travel with that much cash is going to ruin your vacation, as they say in brooklyn==fuggetaboutit.

I would opt for a credit card, and go and enjoy your trip, and have peace of mind.

 

Cheers

 

Len

[shellyc]

We paid SPB with fifty ($50) dollar bills for our Berlin Tour.

We used Alla for our St. Petersburg tour and paid with Euros...purchased before we left..

[gdayhoff]

Agree with Len----go with the credit card the worry is not worth it.

Enjoy

[Lvtocruize2]

Thanks for your opinions! Think I'll go with the CC due to the fact that I'm a bit nervous about our first trip to Europe anyway. For instance, not knowing how much Swedish SEK to get from the ATM machine at the airport to pay for cabs from downtown to Galma Stan and to the VASA museum, food, etc. We will be paying for cab from the airport to downtown hotel with CC using a recommended cab company. Can I get this $ from my local bank and how much do you think we would need for the 2 of us to see these two places? I understand you can take a ferry from Galma Stan to Vasa. What would be the cost of that? Will the ferry take credit cards or US Dollars? Can you tell I do have some anxiety about this first part of our trip :o

[Giantfan13]

Thanks for your opinions! Think I'll go with the CC due to the fact that I'm a bit nervous about our first trip to Europe anyway. For instance, not knowing how much Swedish SEK to get from the ATM machine at the airport to pay for cabs from downtown to Galma Stan and to the VASA museum, food, etc. We will be paying for cab from the airport to downtown hotel with CC using a recommended cab company. Can I get this $ from my local bank and how much do you think we would need for the 2 of us to see these two places? I understand you can take a ferry from Galma Stan to Vasa. What would be the cost of that? Will the ferry take credit cards or US Dollars? Can you tell I do have some anxiety about this first part of our trip :o

 

Before we left we opted for $50 in Swedish Krona, $50 in Danish Krona, $100 in Euro's and we did pounds also as we had a 7 day stay in London. Our goal was to charge everything possible,and only use local currency when needed. There were times, like in Helsinki, where you needed the exact currency to board a bus, so it does pay to have some local currency. In Stockholm, just about every place will take a CC, cabs, ferries, shops etc. I do think the local buses you will need local currency, if you use them. We never did taxis, but everyone has said they all will take CC. We did use the Krona in some local shops, say for some ice cream, some pastries that we bought. As I said in another post somewhere, we wanted to experience the use of local currency in each city, not try and shove American Dollars on everyone. That IS part of the experience.

Again, don't worry about these minor matters. They will all work out. If you want, try and exchange some money before you leave, say $50 worth. If you have anything left over, you can exchange it back to US Dollars when you get back. We didn't want the hassle of finding ATM's when we would rather be enjoying each port. Do it before you leave, but not for a lot of money. If you need more, then you can hit the ATM.

 

have a great time

 

Cheers

 

Len

[Lvtocruize2]

Thanks for the info, Len! Did you get the foreign currency from your local bank and if so, how long does it take them to receive the currency?

[shellyc]

Thanks for the info, Len! Did you get the foreign currency from your local bank and if so, how long does it take them to receive the currency?

 

 

I'm not Len, but I ordered Euros and it took 2 days, the Danish Kroner took 4 days from my local bank, Sovereign Bank, in NJ.

[Giantfan13]

Thanks for the info, Len! Did you get the foreign currency from your local bank and if so, how long does it take them to receive the currency?

 

I have a business account with Chase. It took overnight to have the currency we requested, and there was NO Charge for the exhange.

 

Cheers

 

Len

[Lvtocruize2]

Thanks to all of you who have eased my mind so that I can enjoy the cruise!! Surely others have been in my shoes....not having been to Europe before with all the unknowns....Now for a different?. HOW HAVE YOU HANDLED JET LAG? Any suggestions would be welcome!!

[Sauer-kraut]

Thanks to all of you who have eased my mind so that I can enjoy the cruise!! Surely others have been in my shoes....not having been to Europe before with all the unknowns....Now for a different?. HOW HAVE YOU HANDLED JET LAG? Any suggestions would be welcome!!

 

If possible (due to work schedules) try starting going to bed an hour or two earlier than usual a couple of weeks before your flight. Early to bed early to rise. Since I usually get up at 4:30 am anyways it isn't that much of a problem.

 

Also, try to sleep on the plane (gosh that is so tough!) skip the dinner if your flight leaves after 7 pm and you'll get at least a couple hours of sleep. Don't drink caffienated drinks or alcohol and just do plain water. I wear an eye mask (at least the low lighting won't bother me and if a seat mate watches the movie I won't be disturbed) and bring ear plugs to dull the drone of the engines.

 

When you arrive in Europe you'll be a bit 'out of it' but you have to fight the urge to just go lie down and take a nap! If you can stay awake until about 7 pm local time you'll be better off. Go to bed then and try to sleep through the night. You'll be up early, but you'll get turned around faster. Also, if it is sunny where you are stay in the sun, it will help reset your circadian rhythm.

 

If you feel comfortable with medications, some swear by taking an OTC sleeping aid and others take sudafed for sleeping on the flight. I am leary about that, I don't want to get less than the reccommended amount of hours proscribed by the manufacturers.

[moyaroo]

I have a business account with Chase. It took overnight to have the currency we requested, and there was NO Charge for the exhange.

 

Cheers

 

Len

For everyone watching, just remember that no fee does not always mean no cost. Whenever evaluating any change service be it your bank or the cambio on the corner. The difference between what you pay and the daily bank rate is what you are paying regardless of what they claim.:cool:

[Giantfan13]

For everyone watching, just remember that no fee does not always mean no cost. Whenever evaluating any change service be it your bank or the cambio on the corner. The difference between what you pay and the daily bank rate is what you are paying regardless of what they claim.:cool:

 

Spin it anyway you want. I still have the receipt for the going excahnge rate that particular day. I checked it on the internet also and that was what we got when exchanging the money. Some banks do it as a courtesy for their customers while others try and make a profit on everything.

Now I'm not saying Chase is the best bank around, but in this particular case, we had 'no fee's' and 'no extra cost'. It was a service for a regular customer.

 

Cheers

 

Len

[rsquare]

I'm not Len, but I ordered Euros and it took 2 days, the Danish Kroner took 4 days from my local bank, Sovereign Bank, in NJ.

 

Same experience with TD Bank in NJ; Pounds and Euros take two days, anything more exotic will take longer. Charge was minimal, based on the amount of money being exchanged, but exchange was at 6% over the Interbank rate. American Express is another option; most of their travel offices have a selection of European currency right on the premises, but they are very expensive, charging a 1% commission and exchanging at 12% over the interbank rate.

 

You can check the interbank rate for any currency at http://www.oanda.com/currency/converter/; generally, a tourist rate of 5% or 6% over interbank is normal; 12% is really outrageous. Think of the interbank rate as the wholesale price of money, usually valid for transactions of a million dollars or more. If Chase gave Giantfan13 the interbank rate, that was a major concession.

[makiramarlena]

I understand you can take a ferry from Galma Stan to Vasa. What would be the cost of that?

 

Last week the ferry cost 40 SEK per person (adult) per trip.

[Harry Cane]

In past trips I've found that you get a better rate over there and here. I'm holding off on Danish kroner until I get to Kastrup. I'm sure there'll be a currency exchange there open on a Saturday morning.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Thanks to all of you who have eased my mind so that I can enjoy the cruise!! Surely others have been in my shoes....not having been to Europe before with all the unknowns....Now for a different?. HOW HAVE YOU HANDLED JET LAG? Any suggestions would be welcome!!

 

I agree mostly with what sauer-kraut said about jetlag.

 

I have tried the "No Jetlag" product, which is homeopathic, and I think it helps a bit. It's easy to find online if you can't find it locally.

 

I also suggest, if you are absolutely beat when you arrive at your hotel, that a 1 hour nap is okay. But be aware that if you do this, you will be completely disoriented and groggy when you force yourself to wake up (you'll need an alarm or wakeup call.) Make yourself get up, take a shower, and then go out and walk. That way you can hav dinner at a normal time, do a bit of sightseeing, then come back and go to bed about 10. You WILL wake up in the middle of the night--try to go back to sleep or rest until morning.

 

On the plane, I take an OTC muscle relaxant, since I have a bit of sciatica and it pains me when I fly. This medication helps me get some sleep--even an hour or two will help with the overnight flight.