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Smaller European currency outlets starting to turn away US dollar

The U.S. dollar's value is dropping so fast against the euro that small currency outlets in Amsterdam are turning away tourists seeking to sell their dollars for local money while on vacation in the Netherlands.

"Our dollar is worth maybe zero over here," said Mary Kelly, an American tourist from Indianapolis, Indiana, in front of the Anne Frank house. "It's hard to find a place to exchange. We have to go downtown, to the central station or post office."

That's because the smaller currency exchanges -- despite buy/sell spreads that make it easier for them to make money by exchanging small amounts of currency -- don't want to be caught holding dollars that could be worth less by the time they can sell them.

The dollar hovered near record lows on Monday, with one euro worth around $1.58 versus $1.47 a month ago.

(Reporting by Svebor Kranjc, writing by Reed Stevenson)

Posted by
416 posts

We also ran into this in Italy this past week in Brescia--at a bank no less. Luckily one across the street was willing to do it.

Posted by
2779 posts

Kent, I know. I must spend my vaccation in a dollar-based country this year! Dubai just extended their peg of the Dirham with the dollar so that shopping there gets EVEN cheaper than it's already been. So maybe this time it's gonna be a genuine Tag Heuer ;-)

Posted by
12315 posts

Sounds like another reason to use an ATM rather than try to change currency. Changing currency is an expensive hassle at best.

Posted by
334 posts

Thanks for this info. We leave in 7 weeks and I'm hoping (without much expectation) that things will at least stablize. We always use ATMs, but take dollars for backup - maybe not necessarily a workable option right now. We've quit using traveler's checks, but I wonder if traveler's checks in Euros (available at AAA without a fee) would be a better backup (say 200 Euros). Any thoughts out there.

Posted by
47 posts

I'm as anti-American and pro-European as an American can get, but this story is just ridiculous. (I did see it before you posted it here, it was in the mainstream news.) Yeah, the dollar is worth less than before, but it's nowhere close to zero, and considering how widespread it is it's not going to die off anytime soon.

Anyway, I don't see the point in bringing any American money with you. I have to make a short trip down to NYC before I'm off to Euro-land so I bring about $20-40 in case I want to grab something along the way before boarding and when I get home, but otherwise I use an ATM card and credit card (Capital One) in Europe. No hassle and the cheapest way to go.