Hi,
My name is Shirley and I am trying to calculate how much Euros I will need in Germany and if I can pay for some attractions with a credit card instead.
Do the Tourist Information centers and the attractions sites accept credit card payment? I am buying the Mehrtageticket in one of the attractions in Munich, the Berlin Welcome card at the TI in Berlin, the Potsdam ticket at the TI , and the Salzburg card at the TI.
Thanks in advance for any help given :)
Shirley
Credit Cards are widely accepted everywhere in Europe. You won't have a problem.
We don't anticipate any problem using credit cards in those destinations, but also do encourage you to have cash on hand, in case of emergency. Rather than exchanging a lot of euros here, you get a better deal to withdraw euros from ATMs as you go. See also Rick's money articles at http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money.
Can't comment on the others , but we bought Salzburg card from our hotel adding to the bill which we paid by card
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I'd say the same as Laura. The major attractions, tourist information centers, and larger businesses will all take your credit card without any problem. You may visit a smaller attraction or business that wants cash, so it's always good to visit an ATM and keep a small supply of cash handy (maybe 100 euros, depending on the size of your group) to cover admission, a souvenir or snacks.
Germany is still considered a cash society. I know more Germans who don't own a credit card than people who do. Big tourist attractions have adapted to international travellers and do accept credit cards. Do be prepared to have cash on hand for many other places throughout Germany.
ATMs are easy to find though so you don't have to carry around huge amounts of cash. And they give you a good exchange rate.
The only places I've run into a need for cash are small B&B's or guest houses. Otherwise, you'll do fine with your credit cards. I'll second the suggestion though to always carry some cash as it's so easy to get from the ATMs.
Pam
The easiest thing to do is to withdraw a few hundred euros from an ATM using a debit card on your first day. Then, if you need to use cash, you'll have it. If you don't use it all, you can either save it for a future trip (it's very nice to have euros upon landing), or use it to pay down your final hotel bill (putting the rest on your credit card). If you need more cash, just get it when you need it.
My experience in Germany over the past few days:
- Spanish tapas restaurant, no cc accepted
- Turkish restaurant (NOT fast food), no cc accepted
- Kaufland (very large grocery chain), no cc accepted
- Handwerker/medieval market, saw 2 stalls that accepted cc, dozens that didn't
- Deutsche Bahn, cc accepted to purchase train ticket
Again, it confirms my earlier advice that as long as you frequent places where you meet lots of other international travellers you'll be fine with your cc. As soon as you venture off the beaten path and go where you'd find predominately Germans (they are tourists in their own country as well) cash rules.
