Krone, krona currency

We found that some large, retail establishments; e.g., supermarkets, would take other currencies, albeit at a rate set by themselves and probably not very good. There might have been some policy of not accepting coins - - can't remember. I would consider it an emergency measure and not one to rely on for an entire trip. If you have only small amounts of euro, you could get rid of them that way, or just keep them for your next trip into the eurozone.

IF the Euro is accepted it will be at a poor exchange rate. It is always best to use the local currency. It is always difficult for a local merchant to accept someone else's currency. What do they do with it? Would your local Starbuck accept Euro? If so, then that is where you should be using your Euro.

The only time I didn't have local currency (Austrian Shillings) and had to pay in another currency (German Mark) was for dinner in Salzburg in 2000 (before the euro). Not only did they give me a poor exchange rate for my German Mark, they did not just convert the bill at that rate, they took a larger German note (20 Mark, I believe), converted it at their rate, then subtracted the bill and gave me change in Shilling. So I paid a poor exchange rate on more than the bill.

With rare exceptions, currency is not interchangeable in different countries. You need to use the currency of that nation. If any store did take a different currency, it would be under protest and at a grossly inflated exchange rate. After all, you are asking someone to figure out what your currency is worth in their currency, and then take the time to exchange it somewhere and pay that bank's exchange fees.

One of the rare exceptions is on the Baltic ferries. They serve multiple nationalities and will typically accept several currencies as standard practice.

Unfortunately, what you have been told above is accurate. Not only can't you use euros in Denmark or Sweden, but you can't use Danish currency in Sweden or vice versa.

Of course, there will be some exceptions, but that's what they are - exceptions, not something you can count on or expect. And if alternate currencies are accepted, the merchant sets the rate, and you get change in local currency.

So, leave the euros at home, unless you're connecting flights in a euro country. Before leaving your first Scandinavian country, try to spend all of their currency (you can use it to pay down your hotel bill, then put the rest on a credit card). Or exchange it for the second country's currency before leaving (this way, you get rid of coins, which are otherwise hard to exchange, and you have some ready cash for your second country).

I am always a bit surprised by these assumptions, that you can just use other currencies in different countries.
The only exceptions are ferries BETWEEN countries, where you can usually use the currencies of the countries the ferries connects.

Also keep in mind that Denmark and Sweden are on their way to becomming virtually cash less societies, cards are the norm in most places. I live in Copenhagen and i can't remember the last time i withdrew cash at an ATM, i use my card for everything, even the smallest amounts. Some places in Sweden have even begun to accept cards only, a practice thats is still illegal in Denmark (cash are legal tender and have to be accepted). So chances are you won't even need cash on your trip.

On the subject of currency versus cards I am getting very conflicting answers about using credit cards with chips while in Denmark. A Danish friend tells me I MUST have the 4-digit PIN while another recent traveler tells me I don't need it. I had new cards issued to ensure they would have the chip but I was not given a 4-digit PIN by my bank. Also, I have a bank card (debit card) which I use in the ATM machines here in the US but it does not have a chip. Will it work in the ATM machines in Denmark without a chip? I did on my last trip in 2004 but that was a long time ago and much has changed.

My recent experience traveling in Sweden, Denmark and Norway was as exactly as Morten described. Cards are accepted everywhere. ON one occasion, I tried to pay with cash and the clerk asked me (in perfect English, BTW) "Don't you have a card?"

I went with my Capital One chip and signature card. It worked almost flawlessly. (the exception being at the ticket kiosk on the Stockholm Metro. They required a PIN.) Insert card into reader and wait for the receipt to print. Sign the receipt and you are done.

I used a debit card without a chip for ATM withdrawals. No problems. Debt card also solved issue in Stockholm Metro where machine required a PIN.

It was strange to travel in a place where the local preference was to pay by card. Kind of contrary to long-held Rick Steves advice, that still seems to apply elsewhere in Europe.

I just returned yesterday from 19 days in Scandinavia.
The region has essentially cashless societies as people use credit cards for everything. It's best to use a credit card with a 4 digit pin number. You could use an ATM card, but you'll lose some "rights" that come with a credit card legally.
Just make sure you have substantial credit lines/balances, as it's a very expensive place to travel.

Just keep the currency, it's like throwing coins in the Trevi Fountain; you'll return.

Regarding use of credit cards, yes they are accepted virtually everywhere except an occasional street vendor. We were in 10 different countries last year including Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and others in the EU and used little cash. I was told if I had a US-issued credit card that has the “chip" (used in Europe) with a PIN, in lieu of the magnetic strip, I could use the card in automated (un-manned) kiosks for transit fares, etc. So I obtained such a card, with "assurance" from the issuer that the card would be universally accepted outside the US. My chip card usually wouldn't work in automated kiosks. I called the entity that issued the card and received no help whatsoever. Fortunately, I could find a kiosk that would accept cash--another reason for having cash on hand, particularly if you're purchasing transportation passes/tickets or using luggage storage facilities. The non-acceptance of my "chip and PIN" card was in Norway, Sweden, Germany and Italy Interestingly, the chip and PIN worked flawlessly at ATMs where there was a horrifically high charge for each use.