Currencies and Euros

Hi All

I know which countries are officially using Euros and which
aren't. However, I note that many of the new EU countries
and wannabe EU countries quote hotel and apartment rates in
euros.

I'd be interested in knowing in which of these countries, if
any, are Euros easily used as legal tender for purchases,
despite not being the official currency. Is it possible in
any of these countries to use euros for most things in lieu
of changing to the local currency?

Turkey
Slovenia
Hungary
Slovakia
Poland
Czech

TIA

Cheers, Alan, Australia

On Tue, 11 Apr 2006 09:51:15 +0100, Dubiously Fragrant
Muffin <deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:

>If you are spending more than a few days in a country, it's probably
>worth changing to local cash, as you wont get a good deal if you pay
>in Euros in a non-Euro country. Having said that, pretty much anywhere
>will accept the Euro!
>
>If your paying over the net in $AU, and then converting into Euro, and
>then into local currency, then it's anyones guess as to the value you
>get!

Thanks.

It will vary. Istanbul is only three nights, but I suspect
I'll do best in the bazaars in new lira. The others will be
roughly a week each.

And no, I'm not quite silly enough to try to use AU$ in
Eastern Europe or over the net. All my net pre-pays are in
either US$, € or £. Standard procedure last time was to hit
an ATM for the equivalent of $200 in local currency as soon
as I enter the country. However, It occurred to me that some
of these countries may have a dual system in practice.
Mainly because all of the hotels and apartments/villas I've
looked at are quoting in €.

One nice change since last time is that the US$ has gone
from AU$0.55 to AU$0.73 (+33%)and the £ has gone from
AU$0.35 to AU$0.42 (+20%). The € at AU$0.61 is much the
same.

You should come on down before we start rising against the
euro as well:-)

Cheers, Alan, Australia

David Horne, _the_ chancellor of the duchy of besses o' th' barn and
prestwich tesco 24h offy wrote:
> Alan S <nothere@there.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi All
>>
>> I know which countries are officially using Euros and which
>> aren't. However, I note that many of the new EU countries
>> and wannabe EU countries quote hotel and apartment rates in
>> euros.
>>
>> I'd be interested in knowing in which of these countries, if
>> any, are Euros easily used as legal tender for purchases,
>> despite not being the official currency. Is it possible in
>> any of these countries to use euros for most things in lieu
>> of changing to the local currency?
>>
>> Turkey
>> Slovenia
>> Hungary
>> Slovakia
>> Poland
>> Czech
>
> It probably depends where you are. In Bratislava, the euro is widely
> accepted anywhere a tourist is likely to spend money, but I'd guess
> it's not so widely accepted in the countryside.

prices are made in Eur to make it easier for the tourists

None of these countreis officially accept euros as a paying mean.

Slovenia is predicted to enter the Euro zone in 2008

Slovakia and Czech Republic probably in 2010

I suggest not to change any money

just use ATM cash dispensers or credit cards.

Alan S <nothere@there.com> wrote:
>
> Mainly because all of the hotels and apartments/villas I've
> looked at are quoting in ?.

That is obviously due to the fact that a foreigner wouldn't know if a
room for 200,- $unknown_currency is a bargain or not.
Some of the hotels might also offer you to charge you Euros instead of the
local currency. But like someone else wrote already, check the exchange
rate that they use. Most of the time, you're better of with the local
currency.

Depending on how you travel, when crossing the border you can change
the currencies of the neighbouring countries. If you still have left
some money from the country that you are just about to leave, change
the money there for the new one.

If you drive by car, you also can go to the last gas station and buy
fuel.

Stephan

On Tue, 11 Apr 2006 11:46:04 +0000 (UTC), robotta@gmx.net
(Stephan Robotta) wrote:

>If you drive by car, you also can go to the last gas station and buy
>fuel.
>
>Stephan

Good point.

Cheers, Alan, Australia

Alan S <nothere@there.com> wrote:
>
> I'd be interested in knowing in which of these countries, if
> any, are Euros easily used as legal tender for purchases,
> despite not being the official currency. Is it possible in
> any of these countries to use euros for most things in lieu
> of changing to the local currency?
>
> Turkey

If I'd understood just how acceptable the Euro is in Turkey, I probably
would have brought my cache of Euros along from my last trip to Italy.

For example, Side, Turkey on the Mediterranean, is a favorite resort
destination of Germans. Every place -- from the fresh orange juice
vendors on the beach to the carpet merchants in town -- had signs in
German and prices quoted in Euros with virtually no mention of Turkish
lira. The touts called out to tourists in German. Even small roadside
souvenir shops in places like Hunter's Valley, Cappadocia quoted prices
in Euros before they would quote them in Turkish lira.

In Istanbul, the merchants were more sophisticated in recognizing our
accent, and they would quote prices in US dollars from the outset. If we
successfully negotiated a sale, we'd then have to convert the amount to
Turkish lira to close the deal since we never carry much US currency.

Karen Selwyn

On Tue, 11 Apr 2006 13:17:02 +1000, Alan S wrote:

> Hungary
> Slovakia

In the area close to the Austrian border, you can pay in Euros, but the
exchange rate is not in your favor. Also, don't count on being able to use
the Euro.

--
Nick H.
niko25at "at" yahoo "dot" de

On Tue, 11 Apr 2006 08:21:19 -0400, Karen Selwyn
<kselwyntacc@erols.com> wrote:

>Alan S <nothere@there.com> wrote:
>>
>> I'd be interested in knowing in which of these countries, if
>> any, are Euros easily used as legal tender for purchases,
>> despite not being the official currency. Is it possible in
>> any of these countries to use euros for most things in lieu
>> of changing to the local currency?
>>
>> Turkey
>
>If I'd understood just how acceptable the Euro is in Turkey, I probably
>would have brought my cache of Euros along from my last trip to Italy.
>
>For example, Side, Turkey on the Mediterranean, is a favorite resort
>destination of Germans.

It's also frequented by Dutch and is a very nice place to visit.
--
Martin

Runge wrote:

> 1 Google
> 2 of course not !

Not helpful and also wrong.
It is possible to pay with Euros for some things in parts of Turkey,
Sweden, also in Dover, London and possibly other places too.

Just because it is not legal tender does not make it illegal currency.
I can accept payment in beads or custard if I want, and many retailers
in tourist spots on the edge of the eurozone have found it makes sense
to take Euros.

"nicandal" <nicandal@.uk> wrote in message
news:1144773393.730494.85370@u72g2000cwu. ...
>
> Runge wrote:
>
>> 1 Google
>> 2 of course not !
>
> Not helpful and also wrong.
> It is possible to pay with Euros for some things in parts of Turkey,
> Sweden, also in Dover, London and possibly other places too.

Almost anywhere in the UK you can use them in
a public pay phone (BT variety)

tim
..