Travel money- Eastern Europe

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 15 Feb 2007, 23:22

Clanger 1 is going to Poland, Slovakia and the like this summer.
Each country seems to have different currency so we were wondering if anyone has any tips or ideas on the best way to access money while in Eastern Europe.
She's thinking about a money card from the post office.

Black Mamba · Post by **Black Mamba** » 15 Feb 2007, 23:38

Oh gosh I don't know the answer to that. We normally take a mixture of cash and travellers chques and have a credit card for emergencies but we're just taking currency with us to Prague next month (probable with a credit card for emergencies) (we're only going for a few days though).

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 15 Feb 2007, 23:43

What about giving her your cash and credit cards to use? I'm sure that would be suitable!!

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 15 Feb 2007, 23:45

She's not sure about taking lots of different currencies and for some reason isn't quite sure about travellers cheques.
She does have a debit card and I'm putting her on my credit card (for emergencies)

I did have her itinery, know they start in Krackow. Easy Jet flight from Newcastle.
In my day it was an Inter rail pass and tent!

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 15 Feb 2007, 23:46

Poppy wrote:What about giving her your cash and credit cards to use? I'm sure that would be suitable!!

Sure she's thought that!

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 15 Feb 2007, 23:48

SoupDragon wrote:In my day it was an Inter rail pass and tent!

And an Iron Curtain!!

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 16 Feb 2007, 00:05

I'm sure the Rough Guide type of books (try library or sneaky look in Waterstone's or Borders for free

) would be useful. The trouble with using case machines is the charge - difficult to get the balance between not having too much cash on one's person to get lost/stolen and on the other hand not having to pay a charge every time. Credit cards are fine for us older ones as we are more likely to be spending money in places that take credit cards, but the young 'uns aren't!!

PS I can understand her turning up her nose at travellers cheques - when I was her age (about [secret] years ago,) I thought they were a bit naff even then!!

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 16 Feb 2007, 00:55

not sure if its just Europe but you can get a money card from I think, American Express which you load with money and then you can withdraw from cashlines. If the card is stolen/skimmed its only the money on the card which can be stolen .... not your whole bank account which happened to a friend of BC.

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 16 Feb 2007, 00:57

Poppy wrote:PS I can understand her turning up her nose at travellers cheques - when I was her age (about [secret] years ago,) I thought they were a bit naff even then!!

Travellers cheques are even hard to cash in Spain!!!! I'd say avoid, avoid

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 16 Feb 2007, 10:17

Sandra wrote:not sure if its just Europe but you can get a money card from I think, American Express which you load with money and then you can withdraw from cashlines. If the card is stolen/skimmed its only the money on the card which can be stolen .... not your whole bank account which happened to a friend of BC.

Yeah that's the sort of thing she was thinking about.
Did a bit of research online and the charges vary. The post office one seems ok . Load it up with money before you go and use ATMs.
Think she's thinking along the lines that they'll only be in some countries a day or two and doesn't want to waste time looking for a bank to cash travellers cheques.
I was wondering if she'd be better just using her debit card but I dont think everywhere takes Visa Electron.

Slightly off topic but see Asda are soon to stop taking personal cheques when paying at the tills.
Mind getting my 1st queque book, then a guarantee card a while later, in those days you had to prove to the bank that you'd behave with it!
Â£50 limit!

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 16 Feb 2007, 10:26

Sandra wrote:not sure if its just Europe but you can get a money card from I think, American Express

But be 100% sure that ALL the countries concerned are "signed up". Plug got something like that from AmEx when he went to New Zealand only to find that it was not able to be used there .... even though he'd told them he was going there

.

teddygirl · Post by **teddygirl** » 16 Feb 2007, 10:30

Soupdragon wrote: Slightly off topic but see Asda are soon to stop taking personal cheques when paying at the tills.
Mind getting my 1st queque book, then a guarantee card a while later, in those days you had to prove to the bank that you'd behave with it!
Â£50 limit!

Think you've been eating too much duck Soupy

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 16 Feb 2007, 10:30

Cripes, I had fun with money when I went inter-railing (1992). I had a tight daily budget for food and accomodation which made me poor in the west (and destitute in Austria & Switzerland) yet spectacularly rich in the east. You gotta lotta Zlotys.

After seeing no dairy in the east, when we finally got into Germany I couldn't afford any milk.

I had enough money for a sandwich on the ferry crossing back to the UK and that was it.

However I did have a Czech army rucksack stuffed with pirate cassettes, and had wasted an entire days' budget on the new Shamen album on cd from Virgin in Berlin when it came out - and I didn't even own a cd player.

Soupy I really hope Clanger has a riot and comes back safe and well-travelled. Nothing like it.

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 16 Feb 2007, 10:34

Not every where in the UK takes AmEx.
Mr Soupy has one but hasn't used it out and about for a while because of that.

Think Visa seems to work most places.
I'm putting Clanger 1 on one of my Visa credit cards so she can use it for emergencies. Must drum that into her "emergency"!
She's off to New York in March but that seems to be covered by getting dollars

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 16 Feb 2007, 10:39

SoupDragon wrote: She's off to New York in March but that seems to be covered by getting dollars

I hear they are all the rage over there!

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 16 Feb 2007, 10:54

Dadaist wrote:
SoupDragon wrote: She's off to New York in March but that seems to be covered by getting dollars

I hear they are all the rage over there!

She was thinking of taking some hats. She heard a rumour you could buy a whole island for that over there

Jamesie · Post by **Jamesie** » 16 Feb 2007, 20:54

I've travelled through the majority of Eastern Europe. This year its Romania, Armenia and Georgia to complete every country on Russia's western front bar Moldova and Azerbaijan!!

I've always ATM'd my way about - better exchange rates to be had from the machines, even taking into account the fee - with both a VISA and Switch card in case one gets swallowed. I hear Nationwide give you free withdrawals abroad if you have an account with them.

My website crashed last year and I lost most of my photos, but I've managed to restore them all bar Poland and the Czech Republic - check out www.albagobragh.com . One day I'll get around to captioning all the photos and uploading the remaining ones, but if the summer backpackers have any questions just feel free to ask.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 16 Feb 2007, 21:08

You've been about a bit Jamesie!

How many countries have you visited in your life?

Your passport must be well tatty!

Jamesie · Post by **Jamesie** » 16 Feb 2007, 21:41

Dadaist wrote:You've been about a bit Jamesie!

How many countries have you visited in your life?

Your passport must be well tatty!

Think its roughly 50 M - there are a few I visited before I got a digital camera!

Got my current passport in 2003 and the front cover is blank - the gold stuff has worn off. Still waiting for the first corrupt border guard to make an issue of it though!

I'm trying to cover five countries a year at the moment. I'm lucky as I have very few ties and don't mind roughing it and staying in youth hostels etc - in fact I prefer that to hotels. This year its long weekends in Romania, Turkey, Morocco and the ten day trip to Georgia/Armenia.

Still got 14 days holiday left to use by the end of September as well so may end up somewhere else!

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 16 Jul 2007, 11:15

Well she's off.!
Got phone call last night to say they'd landed in Krakow and had met up with other pal
In the end she's taken £100 of Euros, £100 of zloties , her ATM card and a credit card ( mother the main cardholder )
Asked about itinerary- well, we start in Poland and end in Paris.
Want to visit Budapest, Berlin, Croatia , Bosnia etc etc.
She'll be back in August, in time to head off to the Reading festival!

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 18 Jul 2007, 23:44

Had email from Clanger 1
She's had a great time so far
But it's SO hot
They've arrived in the middle of an Eastern Europe heatwave, temp in Krackow was over 38 degrees
She was wandering around at midnight in t shirt and flip flops, napped mid afty to avoid heat.
She 'd packed thinking Poland might be a bit like Scotland

so most of her stuff now at bottom of rucksack

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 14 Aug 2007, 21:12

She's home
Had fantastic time
Some dodgy encounters but mostly friendly, helpful and interesting people

She reckons Rijeka ( Croatia ) amongst the most un- touristy place she was in
She raves about Budapest , from the fantastic hostel ( with Zen room ) to the Labarynth and then telephone museum! The attendant was so pleased to have someone come in that she appeared Droopy like in every room ( sounds like a must )
Oh and she also knows a place to eat in Paris where they are so rude it cabaret!

Funny to think the Berlin wall came down when she was pre school, and the Iron curtain still existed. Sarajevo was a war zone when she was in primary!

Post by **wangi** » 14 Aug 2007, 21:17

SoupDragon wrote:She reckons Rijeka ( Croatia ) amongst the most un- touristy place she was in

It's quite an industrial port, yeah? Had a really good holiday just north on the Istrian peninsula.

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 14 Aug 2007, 21:49

She describes pebble beach and clear seas.
Very friendly people
They communicated mostly by gesture

They were there to get flight via Easy Jet to Luton( cheaper and quicker to Paris than overland)

The Former Yugouslav cooking she describes as skin the coo. put it on plate. heat it if lucky (? haggis )

bearcub · Post by **bearcub** » 15 Aug 2007, 21:03

wangi wrote:Had a really good holiday just north on the Istrian peninsula.

I had a great holiday there about 15 years ago, when it was still 'Yugoslavia'. Stayed in Porec, and visited Pula and a village in the mountains, where the whole village laid on a (impromptu

) party for the visiting busload of tourists (all a pre-staged part of the Istrian village "experience", but great fun nevertheless).

Oh, and a day trip to Venice. All in all, a nice place to go on holiday....