Currency - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

mikeb88 · 03-25-2008, 11:59 AM

What should i do regarding currency when travelling through different countires, i will be visiting in order:
CZECH
HUNGARY
CROATIA
BOSNIA
SERBIA
BULGARIA
GREECE

i have no idea how much il be spending in each country, could i take my visa card and withdrawn money from an ATM?? would i be charged for this. I ideally don't want to be carrying all my money (cash) on me for the whole trip (approx 1 month). So it worth getting the currencies before hand or finding a place when in the country to convert the money!! help needed

**expatben** · 03-25-2008, 01:08 PM

They have exchange places everywhere. I say get the currency you think you'll need and then if you have any spare get it changed in the country you're in.

**aliz** · 03-25-2008, 01:20 PM

are you from USA? you should be able to change US dollars in any of those countries. maybe you could change it all to euros first, but there shouldn't be a problem with US dollars.

**ajb3000** · 03-25-2008, 03:01 PM

There are plenty of ATMs in all those countries, so check with your bank that you can use your card to withdraw cash abroad and if so, just keep a couple of hundred dollars as emergency cash and otherwise use your card.

**MeTurk** · 03-25-2008, 03:53 PM

Credit card is the most expensive way of withdrawing money from an atm. A standard atm card (Link and plus are common all over Europe) may be cheaper.

**Elizabeth** · 03-25-2008, 05:31 PM

As said before ATMs are plentiful. Your bank will probably charge you a fee for using an ATM thats not theirs plus the foreign currency fee, which is something like 3 percent at my bank, but it varies bank to bank and state to state. My strategy is to get as much money as you think you'll need for the time you're in that country. Or if you're there more than say, one week, I'll make a weekly withdrawl. I generally never carry more than 100 USD cash on me in local currency so if I get mugged or something I don't lose that much. I don't have a backup stash of 100 in dollars or euros...but then again one day I may be sorry.

**marc873** · 03-25-2008, 06:08 PM

If your ATM rate is too high, you could always consider a Paypal debit card. Transfer funds online from your banking acct. to Paypal acct... Paypals international charges are extremely low....

**mollymore** · 03-25-2008, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marc873

If your ATM rate is too high, you could always consider a Paypal debit card. Transfer funds online from your banking acct. to Paypal acct... Paypals international charges are extremely low....

Interesting, I'm going to look into that, thanks =)

Molly

**ajb3000** · 03-26-2008, 03:13 AM

I got caught short once when my bank blocked my card for "possibly fraudulant usage" despite me telling them I was going abroad, so in situations like that it's nice to have a backup to tide you over for a few days. Or in case you end up in a village with no ATM which has happened to me a few times.

mikeb88 · 03-26-2008, 04:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aliz

are you from USA? you should be able to change US dollars in any of those countries. maybe you could change it all to euros first, but there shouldn't be a problem with US dollars.

no i'm coming from the UK, so i will have sterling. I know Greece use euros, but are the accepted in other countries mentioned. I think il take my back up funds in euros

**ajb3000** · 03-26-2008, 04:45 AM

Ah, if you're coming from the UK then yes Euros are best. They would be the easiest to change throughout the region and the Bosnian Mark has a fixed exchange rate to the Euro anyway (so Euros can also be used to buy goods from a lot of places).

**mbo108** · 03-26-2008, 05:07 AM

Croatia uses the Kuna and the Czech Republic uses the Koruna. I visited both last summer and used my ATM card to withdraw local currency.

**MeTurk** · 03-26-2008, 06:51 AM

Some of those countrys are joining the Euro next year and I've found that they will accept euros, even coins.