On 7/27/2012 8:14 AM, Sandy wrote:
Thanks guys so much for all your suggestions about tours. We have already
booked one with the cruise line but thanks to your suggestions, we will use
one of those suggested for the other two days.

Now another thing, in reading the information about the ports we will be
visiting, only one accepts dollars That being St. Petersburg. the others
either use Euros or local currency.
My question is where would be the best place to exchange dollars for either
Euros or local currency. I have been told that the ships do not give you a
good rate of exchange. I wonder should we do it at the airport where we
first. start the cruise? Would they have the other kinds of currency for
the other countries? Should we try to buy the Euros at a local bank over
here before we leave?
Thanks again for all your help.
Sandy



I was in Russia last summer.

Many of the good tour companies in St. Petersburg will accept credit
cards. Alla Tours will not put an up-charge on your credit card. Alla
Tours also offers a package for three other cities on most Baltic cruise
itineraries.

We go to the foreign desk at Wells Fargo and buy our foreign currency
there. We have our checking account with them. They look up the
conversion and that's what we get. No extra charge if we do it there.

They will take back bills, too, but not coin.

You need local currency in St. Petersburg for tipping the guides and for
the bathroom. Many restrooms in public places have a fee.

An ATM card is fine and we carry one that is not attached to our regular
bank account so that if something happens, we won't lose all of our
money and the direct deposits that we can't control. The problem with
relying on ATMs for cash is that you almost always need some before you
can find a machine. That's why we always take some of the local
currency with us. Ask for small denominations.

We will get an assortment of local currency for our Baltic cruise in the
summer of 2013.

We have just found a great deal on an Italy, Greece, Montenegro, Turkey,
Croatia, 11 day cruise and will bring Euros and whatever they use in the
other countries with us.

You get off the plane and take a cab somewhere, you need cash. With a
load of luggage in a place you've never been before, it's good to have some.



--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.