money for the Baltics??

[chrismch]

We're booked for this cruise next year which ports in 7 countries. What is the best way to deal with the constantly changing currency? We'll probably be buying inexpesive souvenirs and some snacks and my need funds for local transit. Should we just find the nearest ATM or is US currency broadly accepted? What might be a good base amount to get? Are items cheaper or more expensive due to the exchange rate? I've heard I will need local currency for sure in St. Petersburg. Your input iis appreciated:p

[jcrandle]

We were on a HAL baltic itinerary August, 2006 that started in Denmark, visited Estonia, St. Petersburg, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands. Of these, only Finland, Germany and NL are on the Euro. The other countries use currencies that are only accepted locally. Having said that, some merchants in markets were willing to accept US paper currency, though the exchange rate offered might be less than spectacular (they still have to pay commisions to exchange themselves).

 

Most merchants (and taxis in NL and DK) accept credit cards, with MC and Visa being more universal than AX. Forget about Diners and Discover. For public transport (busses, trains, and trams) you will need local currency, as most do not accept credit cards, only debit cards and stored value cards that are in the local currency.

 

We did use US paper currency as well as local for tips for tour guides and drivers, and they seemed to be happy to get them.

 

As to how much to get, and how to acquire it, it will probably depend on your spending habits. We don't do a lot of knick-knack buying, although DW loves looking. Another consideration is if you are taking a tour, is lunch included? Most restaurants accept credit cards, so unless you are gnoshing at a market stall, you probably won't need cash for a meal.

 

When we did not take a shore excursion (most ports) we used public transport, so we did need some local currency. We typically would exchange $40 or so at a money exchange, understanding that the rate would not be wonderful. The one thing you don't want to do is exchange back to dollars, as you pay commissions (and buy/sell rates) both ways. Several of the tourist info offices would exchange money, and it was convenient to get bus info and change money at the same time.

 

One comment about Russia is that they have some strict exchange laws, and to change rubles back to dollars, you need to show your receipt where you purchased the rubles. This is ostensibly to curtail russian mafia money laundering. We were on a Denrus Value Tour in Russia, so we needed no cash other than tips for the guide and driver, which we gave in US dollars (they seemed happy with that).

 

Oh, I almost forgot one of the most PRESSING needs for local currency. In some locations, the public toilets require local coins for admission, either via a turnstile, or a coin operated lock on a ... let's call it a port-a-potty on steriods. Since I have the worlds most efficient kidneys coupled to the least efficient bladder, my first priority is determining what coins I need to be safe. There may be other options (department stores, etc. ) but I always like to plan ahead.

 

If you are going to be in several countries that accept the euro, it does simplify things. In that case, you probably want to use your ATM card to withdraw euros at a bank that accepts your card. You will possibly be charged a fee by your bank (mine charges $1.50 per trans) but the exchange rate is usually fair, and you'll want to get as much as you think you'll need for the euro countries, but not more cash than you feel comfortable carrying.

 

One caution about cash is that europe tends to have more pickpockets than the USA. This is a positive thing, as here they shoot you, then steal the money from your dead body. You probably should consider a money belt, or for a man, at least keep your wallet in your front pocket, rather than the traditional (and easy to lift) hip pocket.

 

Finally, if I have less than $40 in local currency, I don't bother to try to convert it back, or into the next country's currency. I put in in a ziplock bag, label it by country, and look forward to taking it back on a future trip. It's always nice to have a good excuse to come back.

[chrismch]

Thanks for your post! Our cruise is Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia & Russia so it appears it will be all local currencies. Would love an idea about exchange rates - like how much would a cup of coffee cost or some other standardized item?:p

[Dbedros]

We were on the Star Princess August 23, 2006 Baltic Cruise that started and ended in Copenhagen. Prior to the cruise we bought approximately $50 in currency for each country except those where we knew we would need more. We knew we would need more in Copenhagen as we took a taxi to and from the airport, in Nynashamn where we took a taxi to and from Stockholm and in St. Petersburg to pay for our lunch both days of our private tour. This gave us sufficient funds and made paying for souvenirs, toilets, etc very convenient. While in Gdansk we would not have been able to use the toilets if we had not had the polish currency. We had booked private guides in several countries and did the others on our own. We used the left over funds as part of the payment/tip for our private guides. We found that in most countries we could use Euros if we had chosen to, but some would not accept them. We did not use any ship excursions.

 

We were able to get all of the currency from Bank America where we have an account. We ordered in online and had it within 3 days.

[jcrandle]

For currency exchange rates, http://xe.com is a nice resource. As far as equivalent costs, I felt that food and beverage costs ranged from 10 to 50 per cent higher than home (Memphis). The Scandanavian countries were highest, particularly for alcohol, as they tax it heavily.

[Balliett]

The ATMs I used in Denmark and Sweden tacked on a 3% foreign currency exchange fee which I noticed when I received my checking account statement, in addition to the 1.50 my local bank charges. ATMs may still be the way to go, though. Most Visa, MC, Amex cards tack on a 2 or 3% fee for foreign purchases also, EXCEPT Capital One. I obtained a Capital One card, with no annual fee, just for the purpose of travel to the Baltic States.

[Brucemcdou]

Hi - We were just on Jewel OTS Baltic itinerary, which included the UK, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Russia and Estonia. As noted above, you can't get money for Russia and Estonia in advance so you'll need to exchange or use an ATM when you're there if you want local currency. We toured with Denrus in St. Petersburg, and except for once when we tried to use a Euro to buy a soda from a vendor, we didn't need any Russian currency. The few tourist shops we visited in St. Petersburg took Euro or US$. In all other countries we just wandered on our own, and got each city's day pass for the bus.

 

For all other countries, we got approximately $50 in local currency in advance from Bank of America. $50 was enough for us to buy local passes, buy lunch and snacks, pay for a museum admission, etc., and that way we didn't need to spend precious time searching for an ATM. Anything large we just charged on Visa. We were staying in London for several days so we got significantly more British Pounds, plus we used ATMs in London. I don't think you even need to be a BofA customer to use their service - you can go on their website, type in the currency and the amount you want, and they'll deliver it to your house. You can also have them deliver to your nearest BofA branch if you prefer. Other banks may do this as well, but BofA makes it very convenient. (I don't work for BofA!)

[spearmint]

I also asked currency questions on these boards, and used the great responses to make up my mind. In the end, iin addition to a couple of hundred dollars US, we took 70 British pounds for our three day pre-cruise in London, which we ended up using for tips; otherwise, everywhere we went, I simply asked if credit cards were accepted. At almost every venue, they were. We took a DenRus tour for Saint Petersburg, and ship's tours for all others except Copenhagen. We bought the only souvenir at a store in Saint Petersburg, that we were in during the tour. The prices were given in Euros, and would be charged to our credit card with roubles. I will see what results from the conversion. As for Gdansk, or anywhere else, if you stop and have a beer or whatever, the bathrooms are free. By noon, I was in need of a beer and Dw a coffee in Gdansk; we had both at an ourdoor patio cafe, and use the john, gratis. No problem. I asked our Saint Petersburg guide, Ljudmilla, about a stop where we could buy souvenir books of the Hemitage when we were there, and she actually sent one of the "hawkers" with a pile of them to see us before we even left the place. Fifteen dollars cash, US bought us a book of the Hermitage and another on Saint Petersburg. (at $8 each, this was a special price for two! :D no kidding. ) We checked, and the price at stores later on was $8 each. The tour guides were all very good at telling you when there was a free toilet at a particular stop, especially if the next group of stops did not have such a service. I suspect that the amount of cash that you would need at a given stop, would depend whether or not you took a tour or decided to do the stop on your own. I had no problem with the credit card; they charge you in the currency of the country and the card company converts it. For example, in Gdansk, the beer and the coffee was 13 zlotys. Seemed reasonable to me! :D

[Dbedros]

B of A has all of the currency including Rubles. If you have an account it is easier, but you can purchase the currency without an account. The web site is easy to use and you can check the exchange rates prior to purchase.