Baltic cruise currency

[Daisy]

I'm off to the Baltics in the summer. What currency do they accept? Will I have to get different currencies for the 7 different countries that I am planning to visit?

[Irish Shark]

It depends on the country. What countries are you going to?

[Roland]

Originally Posted by Irish Shark

It depends on the country. What countries are you going to?

Daisy wrote she will cruise the Baltics. That means UK (GBP), Norway (NOK), Denmark (DKK), Sweden (SEK), Finland (EUR), Russia (RUB) and Estonia (EEK).
However, travellers chegues in USD will do in all countries.

[Irish Shark]

Originally Posted by Roland

Daisy wrote she will cruise the Baltics. That means UK (GBP), Norway (NOK), Denmark (DKK), Sweden (SEK), Finland (EUR), Russia (RUB) and Estonia (EEK).
However, travellers chegues in USD will do in all countries.

What about this?

11 Night Scandinavia & Baltics Cruise

Ports of Call: Southhampton, England; Gdansk (Gdynia), Poland; Stockholm, Sweden; Helsinki, Finland; Tallinn, Estonia; Copenhagen, Denmark; Oslo, Norway; Southhampton, England

[Roland]

Right IS,

If she sails the NV and not JW, it will be Poland (PLN) instead of Russia.
But still USD is the best choice.

[Irish Shark]

It depends on what you are going to do. If you explore on your own, I have yet to find a taxi, bus, tram or train that takes travellers cheques in USD.

The tiny shops almost never take them.

Also, if you do find a store that will take them, the exchange rate won't be very good. Might as well use your AMEX card.

I always bring local currency. The amount depends on what we are doing.

[Rev22:17]

Daisy,

Originally Posted by You

I'm off to the Baltics in the summer. What currency do they accept? Will I have to get different currencies for the 7 different countries that I am planning to visit?

Most European vendors accept MasterCard and Visa for purchases larger than twenty Euros (about $25 right now), but you generally will need local currency for smaller purchases and for transportation. Fortunately, currency exchanges are pretty readily available in European cities. In the past, I have found that the easist approach seems to be to convert perhaps a couple hundred U. S. dollars into the currency of the first country that I'm visiting. When I leave each country for the last time, I roll whatever I have left in each country's currency into the currency of the next country, augmenting with more "greenbacks" as necessary.

Norm.

[Irish Shark]

Originally Posted by Rev22:17

I have found that the easist approach seems to be to convert perhaps a couple hundred U. S. dollars into the currency of the first country that I'm visiting. When I leave each country for the last time, I roll whatever I have left in each country's currency into the currency of the next country, augmenting with more "greenbacks" as necessary.

I like that idea. I need Chile and Argentina Pesos. I was going to buy some of each. Now with that suggestion, I might just get a wad of Chile Pesos and change them on the ATM on the ship for the Argentina ones.

[gb52877]

We did this cruise last summer. You do have to exchange money for a few countries but the ship will let you know what to do. You can exchange it right on the ship. Depending on what excursions you do in each country they will make recommendations. A lot of countries use the Euro and some will take the dollar. Just be careful in St. Petersburg, there is a lot of fake dollars going around. They will recommend to spend the ones you receive while you are still in port just in case the are counterfeit.

[selctsys]

I never buy any currency in advance of my trip. I typically just hit one of the ATM's in my arriving airport and after departing from the ship in a port if I need more. The total cost of the transaction is competitive with any retail exchange rate and a whole lot easier.

For the Baltic trip Euros and credit cards work for many things including buying tickets on the various Tourist Buses that run in most if not all the citiies you are visiting.

I think it is a waste to keep converting money for a 6 hour visit when you can mostly get by with Euros - preferred by over the Ruble in Russia. Same in Estonia and Poland.

Bottom line, you only need Euros, Pounds, and a credit card for this this trip. Get rid of your remaining money in duty free on the way home and you'll never have to visit a single money exchange window on the whole trip!

[DammyD]

Nice one here