Get Euros now or later

[Marita40]

For an organized, orderly, and efficient person of Germanic heritage-- ie me-- Rome is both constantly challenging and enormously exhilarating. At the moment I'm in Vienna, a haven of calm after the chaos that is Rome. It is all good!

 

[Chuckanut]

For an organized, orderly, and efficient person of Germanic heritage--

Ummmm..... Last thing I heard Lufthansa just had a 4 day strike.

Lufthansa canceled 74 of a total 160 long-haul connections scheduled for Saturday, affecting about 20,000 passengers.

Maybe the Italians invaded Germany and finally won a battle

 

[audreyh1]

Trust the Italians to add an interesting and unexpected problem to your trip. They certainly help make the memories.

I don't think Rome airport is the only place. I hear there are sometimes problems at other airports and at Amsterdam Centraal.

 

[Totoro]

I don't think Rome airport is the only place. I hear there are sometimes problems at other airports and at Amsterdam Centraal.

The ATMs at Amsterdam Central can get hammered pretty hard with the large amount of traffic and tourists getting in there. Especially on the national holiday.

All other stations and a short walk further on there are plenty of ATMs though.

If you have a debit & credit card (with decent fees) on you there is hardly any need for cash though in Amsterdam.

 

[audreyh1]

The ATMs at Amsterdam Central can get hammered pretty hard with the large amount of traffic and tourists getting in there. Especially on the national holiday.

All other stations and a short walk further on there are plenty of ATMs though.

If you have a debit & credit card (with decent fees) on you there is hardly any need for cash though in Amsterdam.

That's true. In fact Amsterdam pushes going "cashless". There are quite a few restaurants and shops that accept only credit. Chip and signature cards work fine and better than cash, LOL!

You might need cash for a B&B though. That's pretty standard. Few Amsterdam B&Bs take credit.

 

[2B]

Would travelers checks in Euro's work?

NO. NO. NO. Don't get Travelers Checks. They are hard to cash and are effectively obsolete. You'll also get a terrible exchange rate buying euro travelers checks in the US. Go with a low fee debit card for euros.

 

[Totoro]

+1. The only place to use travelers checks is 20 years ago

 

[LitGal]

I've always made reservations directly through a hotel's web site or by contacting them. If something goes wrong, I'm hoping the direct contact will make it easier to correct. But we have used sites like TripAdvisor for info purposes.

A friend and I have done the same, with hotels recommended by R. Steves. The personal contact makes everything about the visit so pleasant!

 

[LitGal]

I was hoping they were playing American jazz over there.

Sometimes they do! In 2013, while a friend and I were enjoying charcuterie at a cafe on Rue Mouffetard (Left Bank, market district) some gypsies worked their up the street playing Dixieland and panhandling (or whatever it is called in Paris). The owner of our cafe came out and shooed them away, but the music was delightful!

 

[2B]

+1. The only place to use travelers checks is 20 years ago

The only time I used travelers checks was on my first trip to Europe in 1979 and it was for business. I bought a thousand or so dollars of Deutschmarks several months before my trip. I was told to make at least one currency transaction to use as a basis for my expense account.

I was really a novice and made a small conversion at a booth at the airport. It was also during a time when the dollar was falling rapidly against the mark. I kept all my receipts and bought souvenirs that weren't covered by the expense account. When I got back I converted the remaining travelers checks at the bank I bought them at. When I completed my expense report, I ended up turning a significant profit due to the currency changes that were going on. Using the ripoff airport conversion charge didn't hurt either.

 

[audreyh1]

Sometimes they do! In 2013, while a friend and I were enjoying charcuterie at a cafe on Rue Mouffetard (Left Bank, market district) some gypsies worked their up the street playing Dixieland and panhandling (or whatever it is called in Paris). The owner of our cafe came out and shooed them away, but the music was delightful!

Somehow I got the impression that Parisians like Jazz. Or at least they used to. I don't know it it's true any more.

Gypsies playing jazz? Now that I would love to see!

 

[NW-Bound]

... Still a bit of odd French nasal warbling even with a British singer, LOL!...

And I imagine that British singer as being as cute as any real French mademoiselle when she sings that.

But then, I guess it's because I am always a Francophile.

PS. Pretty women always look pretty, no matter what language they speak. But when you hear only a voice, your imagination tends to be prejudiced by the language. That's what I meant.

 

[LitGal]

Somehow I got the impression that Parisians like Jazz. Or at least they used to. I don't know it it's true any more.

Gypsies playing jazz? Now that I would love to see!

Actually, they were pretty good......and especially at working the crowd (though probably to a fault). They bordered on strange/somewhat menacing.

It was fun listening to their music, as long as one could avoid making eye contact with them.

 

[audreyh1]

Actually, they were pretty good......and especially at working the crowd (though probably to a fault). They bordered on strange/somewhat menacing.

It was fun listening to their music, as long as one could avoid making eye contact with them.

The menacing part would not be fun. Yuck!

 

[MikeP]

I always get special travel card which i load up before i go and has no costs for withdrawl of money, i never really like to walk around with big wads of cash so just leave it all on my travellers card. Feels safer that way!

 

[audreyh1]

I always get special travel card which i load up before i go and has no costs for withdrawl of money, i never really like to walk around with big wads of cash so just leave it all on my travellers card. Feels safer that way!

Which travel card?

 

[rodi]

Bumping this thread to comment that the Euro drop worked out great for our trip - We averaged an exchange rate of .9ish... Got home Saturday - just checked the rates and it looks like the euro is rising against the dollar and we came home just in time. Just wish I'd taken a big ATM withdrawal before leaving... we ended up only bringing back about 20euros.... managed our cash spending well.

 

[Chuckanut]

The Euro is spiking at the moment, up to about $1.16. Still low compared to recent years. I assume that all the panic is now turned towards the stock markets and not the Greek Euro problem.