Sitting in my favourite hilltop 'mom and pop cafe', to use Rick's phrase, in Rovinj, which I have known for years, I was happy to hear a couple of visiting Americans carrying your guidebook ask which way Venice was, 'because Rick Steves says you can see it from here'. Well, maybe from the top of the St.Eufemia tower right behind us, as you noted, but not from the old churchyard below. I was just going to say so and ask how they liked Rovinj when they asked, "Do you take credit cards?" and the owner answered, "Yes." They then ordered one small and one large espresso. When the owner later dug out an old-style Visa slip for them to sign, they did so and left. I am writing to point out that the mom and pop cafe probably lost money on the deal, as credit cards charge them a fee. Any one of the 10+ ATMs I know in Rovinj old town could have dispensed Kuna (cash) in any amount, from 100 (about $20) to 2000( about $375) in ten seconds with your bank debit card. This is a cash country, where everyone pays for daily life in crumpled notes and alloy coins. You can tip if you have cash. You can help the market ladies if you have small change. Even if you are only in Croatia for a couple of days, I think it is both smart and courteous to carry some Croatian cash. They won't be in the Euro currency zone for another two years, and other tourists, often Italian, seem surprised by polite refusals to accept Euros, which are NOT legal tender here (except for real estate transactions). They then leave the cafe in a huff. Save yourself a lot of trouble, and blend in, by getting some Croatian cash on arrival from any major bank, like PBZ or Erste where you see the ATM built into the bank front wall, as per Rick's security tip ( if it eats your card, you can go inside and tell them). Of course you can pay big bills ( e.g. your hotel, major restaurant dinner and rental car) with a credit card, but for regular cafes and daily life, please carry cash. If you are hoping to help this struggling economy, where jobs are scarce, they will also welcome any rounding up or tipping you can afford. It is still warm and sunny here, by the way, and brave souls even swim. Life in Rovinj is jaw-droppingly beautiful, especially at every unique sunset. Greetings from Rovinj - Pozdrav iz Rovinja!
Posted by
Colorado Mountains, USA
7330 posts
Times are tough for everybody, more so for some than for others, and now as before, as you point out, you have to use the money of the realm wherever you are. You could argue that if we have the funds to travel (by jet plane no less, and pay to eat in restaurants and cafes, we're wealthy, but that doesn't mean we all cave cash to spare. Rick and others have suggested that using the TI to help find and book rooms costs Mom and Pop B&B's, sobe, and zimmer a commission fee, but that's part of the cost of doing business these days. And tips are certainly appreciated, and usually well-earned, but if a business is accepting credit cards, then that's a service they're offering, and it's just a part of doing business, like having insurance, providing paid vacations for employees, and washing that coffee cup for the next customer. Kuna are cool!
Posted by
northern CA
2449 posts
I'm with you on this issue, Pozdrav.
Two examples leap to mind -- day trip to Uruguay from Buenos Aires, and day trip to Morocco from Spain.
From a financial peace of mind perspective, I'd rather lose a few dollars on the exchange transaction in order to have
local cash than worry about giving my credit card info to a seller with no ties to anything that I have ties to.
And the unspent Uruguayan pocket change is cheap, easily carried souvenir. (Unlike a big steak dinner.)