using big bills

It kind of depends on where you are and what time of day it is. If a small store just opened, they really do not want to change a 50 or 100€ bill. If it is a big grocery store or busy restaurant, they should have no problem. I do not use the 200 or 500 € bills at all, unless it is to pay a very large bill. One does not get them too often. Buses will never take bills over 20 €.

This is a bigger problem than people realize - and not one frequently discussed here, so thanks for the question.

ATMs frequently dispense in 100s and 20s. So, to begin with, I often request odd amounts - 180 instead of 200 to at least get four 20s.

But I have a hard time breaking big bills, especially when I use my credit card for hotels and meals. Big grocery stories are better able to change more money. So that's where I'll buy my bottled water and the evening's wine.

I don't waste any opportunity to use my biggest bills in the biggest places. I've sometimes fallen on the mercy of TIs, the many money exchangers (you'll see them) and banks to break 100s, but with mixed success.

I use the biggest bills I have for the official attractions - museums, etc. - and carry on with the smaller bills I receive in change.

This issue is a travel strategy all its own, so I'll be interested to see what other suggestions you get. Thanks again for posting this question!

Wells Fargo charges me $5 each time I use an ATM and $3 when I go into an affiliated bank (read probably all major banks). They do not charge me a conversion fee unless I use my credit card and then it is 3%. That said you will need some English Pounds when you land at Heathrow so get 100pounds. Doesn't really matter what size bills the machine spits out at you in England. If you are going to be there for a full week go into a bank and get how ever much you think you will need but not so much you'll have to convert it to Euros. (FYI you can get put in Pounds and get out Euros from the ATM located inside after you clear security if you are taking the EUROSTAR to Paris.) First thing in the morning or for very small purchases represent the only times I've had problems with large bills in France and Switzerland. Italy can be a problem. Get your money inside a bank and ask for small bills. Mime if you have to! (I carry a hefty amount of lower denomination Euros in my money belt prior to driving into Italy just to save the hassle.)

This is absolutely a valid travel issue! I have found personally that no one really wants to accept anything over a 20 Euro Bill. Now I purchase Euros at home so that I can specify the denominations.

Also, I have had merchants refuse to take my credit card on small purchases, they insisted on cash instead.

Bonne chance!

I will also support that merchants, for small transactions, will not take credit cards (they pay a fee) and dislike large bills, and even prefer near exact change, as opposed to breaking a bill. That said, since Europe in general is still more of a cash society, nearly any larger merchant (supermarket, department store, busy restaurant, Museum) will have no problem breaking a 50 Euro, maybe even a 100 euro note. Since I tend to use cash for all but the largest expenses, I always take advantage of the opportunity to break a large bill. Given that you will likely have two meals in restaurants, hit a museum or two, maybe a run to the supermarket each day, thats five 50's broken, leaving lots of smaller bills and change. What can be trickier is getting rid of change, especially if you accumulate those 1 and 2 euro cent coins.

I cannot remember any problem with cashing 20s or 50s Euro notes. We are selective where and when we cash them. For example would not pay for a 2E item with a 50. Always use the large bills in larger establishments like restaurants, grocery stores, etc. Street vendors like exact change or close to it. With a little planning you should not have any problem.

We had a problem in the Louvre in Paris paying for soething with a large bill. I do not remember its value, but we had to go to an echange bureau and get it changed for smaller ones so we could pay teh entrance fee.

I heard someone call Italy "the land of no change." It's so true.

I only had a problem once, on our first morning in Florence when we hadn't a chance to break enough money and didn't have any coin yet. The attendant at the public toilet near the Piazza Michelangelo told me couldn't break my five Euro bill to pay the 1E fee! Now, I knew he wouldn't do it, but still, I was SO amused because I just saw a stream of people walk in and hand him one Euro each..He had enough to break a hundred if he wanted to.. Ah, Italy. That's why you travel...

Anyway, ditto Doug & Frank. Always think and plan for how to break bills with every purchase. It's not too hard, just something you don't worry about here. If my bill covers 75% of the cost, I presume I'm safe. If it's 50% I ask but never have a problem. Less than 50% then give it a try if you need to, especially at a supermarket or if it's late in the day. Use your judgement, don't be afraid to ask if it's OK. They appreciate your courtesy. It also has the added benefit of protecting you from a scam, but that's not why I do it. Try to break a 5 or 10 for cappuccinos, depending on your total order and time of day and 20E for gelato. The hundreds and 50s are best used for meals and lodging.

Remember you will want to collect coin to light candles in churches. Kinda fun for heathens, and to reciprocate for generously sharing their art and their space with us. Also useful for tipping for order cappuccino--which we don't always do.

On the trip that we bought Euros ahead of time we made our lives easy by getting small denominations while we were at it, but that won't work for you. (Not advised--too much trouble and money. Use ATMs. But we had to pay for eight days of accomodations in cash up front.)

Exact change for treet vendor from Senegal selling the "Coach" bag. Exact change if you've just bargained for merchandise from street vendor.

Linda writes:

"I heard someone call Italy 'the land of no change.' It's so true."

I suppose things have changed somewhat since the introduction of the Euro, but I remember visiting Italy a number of years ago, when the Lira was still the currency. It was often a real problem getting change. In fact, the government was not printing enough banknotes either, and sometimes you would get small change in the form of banknotes that were not actually issued by the government, but by some Italian bank. Wierd!

I have found that Europeans expect exact change - especially when buying small things (bread, a subway token) and they'll patiently wait until you come up with exact change. I love (LOVE) the 2 Euro coin - all euro coins are great! Bring a change purse and learn the coinage. I spend all year picking through my parents, sisters, boss's - anyone's coin jars and picking out all their euros (obviously I am a bad relative/friend/employee). On my upcoming trip I am visiting Czech Republic and Poland - so, no euros but I am looking forward to learning a new currency.

Talk about change...back in the lira days we routinely received sourballs and phone tokens for change. We were told the tourists had absconded with the real stuff. Petty perhaps now, but back in the day when we really did do Europe on $5 a day, those sourballs were not what we wanted to see. And gettone(sp?) were even more useless as they tasted terrible.