Czech Republic uses Krona or some such currency rather than Euros. We are only spending four nights and the hotels are asking for Euro. The question is, can I get by without bying Kronas from the ATM machine? Do merchants take Euros? Can I give restaurants my Visa card and pay Euro for sights and other miscellaneous stuff? I hate to be stuck with Kronas at the end of four days as I am sure they will be tough to cash in for Euro. If I do need to buy Kronas, how many for 4 1/2 days without paying hotels would be good to withdraw?
Posted by
Seattle
4637 posts
It is not at all tough to change your koruna back into Euro. Almost every bank will do it. True, with every exchange you are losing a little. So it's good to estimate approximate amount you would need. Estimate how many dollars you would need when you visit some touristy american city. Multiply by twenty and that's the approximate amount in koruna what you would need in Prague.
Posted by
Chicago, IL, USA
473 posts
A great way to use up the last of your local currency is to pay your hotel bill partially with your remaining currency and partially with a credit card. I've never had a hotel refuse to do this. Of course, this plan assumes that you didn't withdraw gobs of local currency and that the hotel takes credit cards. BTW, four nights in a country definitely makes it worthwhile to get some of the local currency. Too many hassles without it.
Posted by
Florida
186 posts
In just a few posts, you've gotten some of the best advice. You're definitely going to get better bang for your buck using Kronas in Czech Republic, espcially in Prague. When you see the Euro or USD exchange rates posted on merchants' windows and currency exchange grids, it won't take you long to figure that out. Pay for as much as you can in Kronas. An additional part of my reasoning was that I wouldn't get hit with another foreign transaction fee on my credit card.
The recommendation of multiplying estimated dollar expenditure x 20 is a good one. And, paying for accomodations partly with Kronas works, too. We paid completely in Kronas, but proprietor would have taken credit cards, too.
Have you chosen your accomodations yet? We had a great apartment, and quite inexpensive when compared to hotels. About 5-7 min. walk to Old Town and grocery stores a block in either direction. Shoot me a PM if you're interested.