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TravelGuide
TRAVEL TIPS: MONEY
Orange Divider
Enjoying apertivo alongside the canal
AVERAGE PRICES Not surprisingly, prices vary considerably depending on the city. Here are some sample costs, converted to USD: Beer in Dublin: $6 Pub dinner in London: $20 Pair of shoes in Paris: $85 Pizza in Rome: $10 Club entrance in Berlin: $15 Concert ticket in Barcelona: $25 Cone of fries in Amsterdam: $4 Movie in Prague: $10 Lunch in Costa Rica: $4
OpenQuotes I usually bring a minimal amount of the foreign currency with me, but then I head straight for the ATM once I get there. CloseQuotes Katie Dallas University of Louisiana - Lafayette The Greek Isles, May 2008
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OpenQuotes I bring my debit and credit cards and cash to last me a few days. Always make sure to call your bank and tell them what countries you're going to. CloseQuotes Tim Mueller Louisiana Tech University Amsterdam, Paris and London, June 2008
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Money always brings up a lot of questions for the student traveler—how much to bring, how to bring it, how to exchange it. Below is some general information on using money abroad. DAILY BUDGET How much you'll spend depends on what you want to do. Will you be scraping by on bread and water or will you be enjoying fine dining and a daily shopping spree? If you fall somewhere in between, we recommend about $60 per day for spending money. CASH, CREDIT CARDS, OR TRAVELER'S CHECKS? ATM cards are your best bet. You get a good exchange rate at ATMs and you can take as much or as little out as you want. Remember that you will most likely pay a pretty big fee for each withdrawal (ask your bank how much, but usually it’s about $5) so you should take out enough cash to last you. Credit cards are also handy; they’re accepted at most (but not all) stores and restaurants. We don’t recommend traveler’s checks anymore, as they aren't particularly convenient.

Also, be sure to CALL YOUR BANK and/or credit card company to let them know you’ll be abroad. They sometimes cancel cards when they see unexpected overseas activity. TIPPING Tipping customs vary depending on the destination. Generally, tipping is not quite as generous abroad as it is in the U.S., but it is becoming more and more common to leave a nice tip, especially if you enjoyed the service. Your tour guide will be able to give you specific advice on tipping in the city you're in. Speaking of your tour guide, don't forget to tip him/her $3-4 per day of tour (and $1-2 per day for the bus driver).

CURRENCY EXCHANGE Most countries in the European Union use the euro, including Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Finland, and Greece (not the UK, Sweden, or Denmark). Use this currency converter to get up-to-the-minute exchange rates.