Might be a stupid question, but anyway...husband and I are going on the RS Athens & Heart of Greece tour this spring as well as one of the islands for a few days. According to multiple sources, unlike most places in Europe, it's better to carry a little more cash when in Greece; that although shops and restaurants may advertise they accept credit cards, it's best to check if they will take your card or only accept cash. So...I'm not really sure how much cash we should keep on hand. We plan on having Euros on hand when we arrive, but was it easy/hard to find VISA/PLUS ATMs while on tour? Any recommendations? Thanks!
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23269 posts
At any one time I would have 50 to 100 euro on me. ATMs are everywhere. There was a period last year when the locals were making cash runs on the banks because of economic conditions and ATMs were being drained of money by the locals. That has passed.
Posted by
ID
325 posts
Check with the hotel(s) you are staying at on non-tour days. The hotel we stayed at in Santorini offered discount for cash. We also found shops and restaurants that did not take credit cards. We had no problem with finding and using ATMs in 2016. Research and prepare for cash use on ground transportation from airports to hotel, (little for metro, more for taxi or shuttles).
Posted by
Washington DC Region, USA
7049 posts
I would pay it by ear (see what happens once you're on the ground) instead of trying to estimate how much you'll need ahead of time. ATMs are all over Europe, locals need them too.
Posted by
Used to be Steilacoom, now it’s Las Vegas
2187 posts
We did this tour right around the time of one of their big financial downturns. We never had any trouble accessing an ATM either in Athens or out on the tour. There were several ATMs near the hotel where we were based. We just followed the same procedure we always do and took our max withdrawal. Then we carried 50-100€ split between the 2 of us when out on the town. Money seemed to stretch during that tour as things were inexpensive.
Posted by
OP
33 posts
Thanks, everyone! It's very helpful to have an idea of roughly how much to keep on a daily basis. Looking forward to our trip!