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Post by Penny on Jul 11, 2007 11:08:58 GMT -5
About 13 countries (and some territories) of the EU changed to the Euro starting in 1999. Note Britain (except Northern Ireland) is still on the British pound. This was the most recent link however I do know Slovenia has been added recently www.iccfx.com/euro.phpThe Euro is accepted in the countries that are on the Euro currency system. the bills and coins may have the country name on them but are accepted in any country using the Euro So you don't have to exchange money if you go from one country to other. ie. France to Germany. The 1 and 2 Euro is a coin, most exchange bureaus, banks etc. will not exchange the coins, just paper money. Paper money is 5 Euro and higher. Frequent Europeans travelers add if you have better or current info. |
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Post by Becky (Berkeleytravelers) on Jul 11, 2007 11:21:31 GMT -5
Thanks Penny - this is important especially for first timers. (Note, although the UK is part of the EU, it's still on its own monetary system, and does not use euros as currency.)
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Post by Anne on Jul 11, 2007 11:51:05 GMT -5
I just read that euro has reached a new summit this morning against dollar : 1 euro = 1.3787 $ Sorry to ruin your day ...  |
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Post by GitteK on Jul 11, 2007 12:27:00 GMT -5
Penny: Sweden, Denmark and Britain stand outside the euro.
I love the euro - if at all I have any money left when I come home from Paris, I can just leave both the coins and the notes in my my special travel purse and save them for next time.
And yes, you are right - they are valid currency in all of "Euroland" (Greece, Italy, Spain, Austria, Germany, France, Netherlands etc.) - no matter where you originally got the notes/coins.
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Post by sistereurope on Jul 11, 2007 12:38:34 GMT -5
Gitte - is the exchange rate between the euro and the krone as awful as the rate between the euro and the dollar?
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Post by GitteK on Jul 11, 2007 12:55:38 GMT -5
The dkk is linked to the euro, so there are hardly any changes in the exchange rate. It is constantly around 7,50 dkk for 1 euro - sometimes 7,52 sometimes 7,48. So we don't look at it that way - instead we compare what we can get for a euro/ 7,50 dkk in the different countries.
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Post by sistereurope on Jul 11, 2007 12:59:01 GMT -5
Well, we Americans are just paying for our free-wheelin lifestyle in the 80's, when the dollar was kickin you know what against the European currencies! My husband still loves to talk about all the fabulous French food and wine he consumed for a song back in his free-wheelin days.
I remember even in the late 90's, my trips to Germany didn't feel all that painful.
I just hope that the dollar regains some strength by December (what goes up, must come down...)
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Post by Becky (Berkeleytravelers) on Jul 11, 2007 13:24:58 GMT -5
Speaking of euro coins -- you might want to keep any you brought home with you, to take the next time. (I have a small box that gets all the paper/coin euros -- also has a few stray pounds -- that we just empty when packing for the next trip.) That way, if you're doing something like walking over to the train station at CDG and need a restroom, you will be able to pay without first having to buy something you don't really need just to get some coins for "madame pipi"!
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Post by cybee on Jul 11, 2007 13:26:24 GMT -5
During the mid to late 80s and early 90s..I was busy having babies and raising wee ones! (no time to take advantage of any great exchange rate!). Now that I am more able to travel about...what happens!? Well, you are right, SisterEurope..what goes up , must come down! Um...anytime now! right? (fingers crossed!  ) |
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Post by sistereurope on Jul 11, 2007 13:31:09 GMT -5
That's a great idea Becky...I know that I usually bring some euros back, but I have no idea what I do with them once I get home!
And Cybee, yes, I sure am praying that the upward trend reverses before Dec!!
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Post by greyghost1 on Jul 11, 2007 18:03:28 GMT -5
What I find interesting is that at LHR shops, they take the euro even with the pound. Who gets the deal? Or is it just a way to you to spend those last euros as you change planes?
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Post by Becky (Berkeleytravelers) on Jul 11, 2007 18:07:07 GMT -5
Or is it just a way to you to spend those last euros as you change planes? Bingo, you win the prize! |
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Post by arrowcapet on Jul 11, 2007 21:51:14 GMT -5
LOL....I still have a card from Hotel de Suez from a stay in 1985 for my single room that was 395FF per night when the exchange rate was 9FF to the dollar. $44 a night. It leveled off to around 5.5 for most of the late 80's and early 90's to go to about $75 a night. By 2001 the rate had jumped to 90€, but we were still getting 93€ to the dollar. So the room was $84 a night. Today, that same room is 95€, but at 1.37€ to the dollar, it costs $130!!! It's just crazy.
What's more unbelievable to me is that the BP is at 2 friggin' dollars. A Big Mac extra value meal is 12 honkin' dollars in London!!!!
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Post by Becky (Berkeleytravelers) on Jul 11, 2007 22:00:23 GMT -5
Agreed, the pound is just depressing these days. It stayed around $1.50 for years, then about $1.65 for many more years, but in the last 3 or so it just has gotten totally out of hand (added to which, London is so expensive anyway . . . .)
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Post by sistereurope on Jul 12, 2007 7:27:23 GMT -5
I know - I haven't been to London since the early 90's (and thought it was expensive then)...but 2 for 1??
Oh well, I guess it's nice for our British friends. They'll just all have to come on over and visit us...we're a bargain!
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Post by terezacz on Jul 12, 2007 8:18:00 GMT -5
Hmmm ... 1 Euro = 28,50 CZK ... so I took my whole year savings yesterday and went to exchange office ... I´m broke but I have finances for my trip to Paris, hurrrrrrrayyyyyyyyy!
;D ;D ;D
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Post by mez on Jul 12, 2007 8:27:48 GMT -5
Well, it's definitely the US dollar that's dipped - even us Aussies are getting over 0.80 for our dollar.
As for the Euro and the pound - don't even ask. As depressing as the 2-for-1 USD-GBP exchange rate may be for our American friends, I have never had such a favourable rate..in fact several years ago it was about 3-to-1 AUD to GBP.
As I always say though, if you really want to go then you'll find a way. Yes, you might have to negotiate on some things, but you're travelling, and that's exciting in itself.
Mez
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Post by Anne on Jul 12, 2007 9:10:35 GMT -5
I've just read an article which says indeed that it is the dollar which has dipped : euro is high because economy is good and interest rates may rise once again, but the dollar has really gone down lately because there is a fear that the problems in the real estate sector (especially through the risky mortgages) may eventually lead to a general economic crisis .
They say that if things don't go better in the US, euro may reach 1.40 $ in 2 to 3 weeks .
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Post by sistereurope on Jul 12, 2007 9:15:45 GMT -5
well Anne the view from here doesn't look good...I just hope that we're not looking at $1.50 this winter!!!!
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Post by holger on Jul 12, 2007 14:12:26 GMT -5
 Yes, we were in Sweden , Finland , Estonia and Denmark in 2002 and the dollar was great. I just hope the bad rate holds off past our August _ September trip. Otherwise the trip will be far more than projected when planned. Oh well, need to treat this like the weather--can't really do anything but live with whatever happens and make the best of it. 
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)
Let the riot begin! LOL - 
hahahha