Use local currency

Why it it so many people want to use $US in Eastern Europe when they only take there own (sometimes Euros if you ask) currency. $US is only good in the US ok people.

While I agree that one should always try to use local currency, I have to agree with Al that in some places, US currency was either preferred or had an equal level of acceptance. One example is our recent Turkey trip. While in Cappadocia, we were advised that US dollars were readily accepted. For some reason, in Cappadocia, small coins and bills were scarce. As a result, a restaurant couldn't break our 50-lira note in payment for a couple of sodas. Fortunately, I had some small US bills, which they gladly took. So, as an emergency backup, USD can come in handy.

I'm not sure I'd agree with that.

Until the recent rapid decline of the USD I can think of quite a few places and circumstances where USD is better than local currency. I can think of occasions where I have basically needed to bribe someone to get something done or get to the head of a queue ( I know that's wrong but sometimes that's the way things have to be done ) and USD was the only currency that these activities were conducted in.

Currently it's the EUR.

Every once in a while you can run into a problem and you need a little leverage. A 50 Dollar bill can make a lot of difference, two can move mountains.

Duane - some americans travel as americans but some of us travel as "locals"

In some countries American dollars might be more attractive and perhaps seen as more stable or better value then local currency , especially with poor people( try paying your hotel bill in American $) , countries whos own currency is in poor shape. Perhaps, places like Mexico, Morroco, and even Turkey, places that are not in the EU and do not use euro.
I do rather feel that assuming anyone in a EU country would rather have your American $ is kind of silly.It is kind of like offering them a peso now . JMO.