We are taking a trip (2 tours) one month total to Easter Europe and Balkan Countries both euro and non euro countries.
How do you handle currency exchange with all these currencies ?
I have traveled as far back as the 1980’s (cash was king, no euro, exchanging at every border, American Express money orders, no ATM). Obviously we will use credit card’s whenever possible and ATMs.
Euro:Montenegro, Greece, Slovakia
Non Euro: Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Macedonia,
Albania
Euro: Montenegro, Greece, Slovakia
Non Euro: Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Macedonia, Albania
1) In a bind you can always spend Euros and Dollars so I always bring some of each; but not a lot and I dont worry about coming home with Euros as its an excuse for the next trip (interesting story about Montenegro and Euros if you are interested)..
2) If you want to carry local currency, my bank converts all but Macedonia and Albania; and when I am going to where I can get the currency at home I bring a few hundred dollars of each as starting money.
3) In each of the non-euro countries you list (and I have been to all multiple times but North Macedonia), i can not remember a shop or restaurant or hotel that did not take my credit card; thats how I pay for most things.
4) ATM's are prevalent; so that's where I turned to for cash in North Macedonia and Albania and elsewhere just to have some mad money in my pocket.
5) Most of where you are going has low cost of living and I would suspect that $20 or $30 of the local currency in your pocket would take care of most unexpected things.
6) PM me if you want some input on Serbia and Hungary in particular or for that matter any of the others except North Macedonia
Of the countries on your list that I have visited, quite a few cafes and restaurants in Croatia were cash only and a few places in Greece.
Take out small amounts of each currency from an ATM. If you have any left over, exchange at a bank for the next currency you need. You won’t get a great exchange rate, but it will avoid having lots of currency hanging over.
