Hi everybody. My husband and I are travelling to the 3 Scandinavian counties for 3 weeks in May. Since all 3 counties have their own currency we are bringing cash specific to each country to pay for street foods, local products from the market and for other small stuff. My question is - is it better to buy the different currencies in our country of origin or better to bring US dollars and do the exchange at the airport or country we will be going. I am talking about the difference in exchange rate. I appreciate all your feedback.
Posted by
Virginia, USA
6628 posts
You might not need any local currency and if you get it, you may find it hard to spend. Even sausage kiosks on the street will typically take a card.
If you find you need some cash, just take out a small amount at an ATM (”Bankomat” in Sweden)
Posted by
Virginia, USA
6628 posts
Also, you might want to read through this post:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/norway/atms-common-in-hotel-areas-in-norway-sweden-denmark-and-iceland
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
7296 posts
Neither. The best exchange rate would be by using a debit card in a bank owned ATM in the country In which the currency is used. However, given the very small amount of cash needed in any of the Scandinavian countries, any savings over obtaining that same small amount before leaving home would be minimal.
Posted by
OP
19 posts
Thank you everyone. This makes me feel better. All your comments are much appreciated.
Posted by
Portland, OR
83 posts
I see you are satisfied and I agree with all of them. My friend moved back to Sweden several years ago and hasn't used any cash. We visited all three countries and never NEEDED cash. One of our hotels did our laundry for free and I used some cash to pay a tip.