Currency for multiple countries

We've taken both these tours and always paid with cash, though it has been more than a few years and now some places may prefer contactless payments. We would get smaller amounts of cash in a new country and plan to go to the last nights restaurant with less cash than needed. I would step out when we got the bill and get what I needed to pay the bill and have little to no cash left. I never had a problem doing this. At the time, and I assume they still do, on the days going into a new country the dinner was always a group meal so that not having the correct cash for supper was not an issue.

Why not use a credit card for everything? A card with no foreign transaction fees. Double check that your debit card doesn't have a foreign transaction fee.

So, if you start in Czechia and have Koruna left over, exchange whatever you have left for Zloty when you get to Poland, then change leftover Zloty for Forints in Hungary, and so forth. Yes you'll get hosed on the poor exchange rates and commissions, but better than having a pile of different currencies you cant use. You really shouldn't need much.

I would encourage you to pay via cc as much as possible. Lately, I've been seeing cc accepted for any amount, though very occasionally, a merchant will want cash under a specified amount. I would withdraw as you need it and you may find you need very little, especially on a tour. Usually a couple days before we leave a country we work on spending any currency we have.

My guide for Eastern (now Central) Europe tour gave us tips at the welcome meeting and a handout that listed the things you might need cash for (meals, entrance fees, etc.). He also suggested what day you might want to get rid of your remaining currency before switching countries. My tour was many years ago before the increase in use of cards and contactless payments, and Croatia didn't use the Euro as they do now. I suspect it's much easier to use cards than it was back then. If you're going to Prague early, you might need more cash than you will in the other places, but I'd wait to get it there from an ATM. Make sure your ATM/debit card doesn't charge a large foreign transaction fee.

To help others not familiar with this tour, the countries are:

(Best of Central)
- Czech Republic (koruna)
- Poland (zloty)
- Slovakia (Euro)
- Hungary (forint)
- Croatia (Euro)
- Slovenia (Euro)

(Adriatic)
- Slovenia (Euro)
- Croatia (Euro)
- Bosnia-Herzegovina (Konvertibilna marka)

I used Stan's method 12 years ago in Hungary, Czechia, and Poland. For Slovakia and Austria I had Euros which I took home to use on the next trip. I'd do the same today, but using smaller amounts since credit cards are easier to use now.

I too used the method Stan mentioned before the Euro when each country had its own currency. There was a currency exchange at every border just after passing through immigration.

Your Rick Steves tour guide will assist you in determining how to do this. If you arrive early in Czech Republic, you would only need to have koruna on hand. Remember, only bills can be exchanged in each subsequent country.

Unless keeping the currency will make a nice souvenir, dump it at the border. You will have many options to do the exchange, and yes it will cost you money. That's the cost of having money.

Tip: at the last supermarket visit you will do during your stay in Germany pay with rest of Euro you have, the remaining amount you can pay by card.
Maybe this works too in other countries.

Scandinavia is nearly card only.

We're used up the last cash on a final restaurant meal and then paid the balance with a credit card. Most places have been really friendly about it.

I took the Central (Eastern) Europe tour last summer. My experience was similar to CL. The guide gave recommendations of how much cash you might need in each place, and even pointed out the best ATMs to use in the neighborhood of the hotel. His recommendation usually assumed you would pay for meals with cash, though, and we used credit cards as much as possible. So we generally withdrew the equivalent of $50-75 in the local currency in each country. That was enough for small purposes (drinks, gelato, etc) and we tried to use it up before leaving the currency area. I particularly enjoyed buying different snacks/candy at the rest stops/convenience stores along the way. But credit cards were widely accepted and there were very few times when cash was absolutely needed. We noticed the merchants in Rovinj were less willing to take cards for small purchases, so we used up our euros there.
Our bus driver also had a little box on the bus near the beverage cooler for “spare change”. You are NOT required to tip him individually. However, I didn’t mind dropping my extra small coins into his box, because you generally can’t exchange coins, and it amounted to a couple of dollars that I have no use for in the U.S. and no doubt he would be able to use them in his travels.

Edited to add: coins were frequently needed for public restrooms. An inexpensive but important need! A few restrooms took credit cards but that wasn’t the norm.

The biggest money-related challenge I've had in Europe (excluding my propensity to lose credit cards along the way) is having the right money for a pay toilet or a snack when a cross-border bus makes a rest stop in the new country. That wouldn't be an issue on a tour, because I'm sure the tour would somehow manage to help its clients in that situation. But on a public bus, you are on your own. I think I once grossly overpaid with euros (which the toilet attendant did not want) because I had no local currency yet.

you will also see boxes in most airports for people to get rid of excess local money, because once you're home you can usually exchange the paper money but no one wants coins. They used to collect this money on planes as well.

As noted, always have some local coins for bathrooms since they have largely changed over to a pay system.

This is all great information. I will probably get some cash in most of the countries but will see what the card situation is in each place. It does seem that cards are becoming more accepted and sometimes preferred, every year. I know tipping isn't required, but if one wants to tip, it would probably need to be in cash. I am always uncomfortable without a little cash.

I am overwhelmed at how helpful the Rick Steves community is. Thank you for your comments and suggestions!!

I'd say just send money, but there's no telling what currency you would use ...

If you only have a small amount of currency left, or coins, know that most international airports have a currency donation bin that they distribute to a variety of causes. They can handle any currency and denomination.
I have seen them noted on some airport online maps if you want to check ahead of time for your departure airport.