Bokhara2

Here’s a tip that will win you friends & good responses:

Use the currency of the place about which you are asking when you’re looking for recommendations for hotels, restaurants etc.

Don’t expect volunteer forum members to have to guess what $ you are taking about and then convert it into their currency. And say so. Eg: If you are asking about hotels etc.. in Australia- use “$400 AUD”. You’re looking for information - do the conversion that will make it easy for the people you’re asking. It’s just courtesy.

And use the date format of your destination country - or use the month name.

Thank you!

nyse

Very good points ~ and also mention where you are traveling from!
I so wish Fodors included “location” along with user name.

dreamon

This is certainly a courtesy to responders, and may result in more relevant information, but it's also a good idea to start thinking in the currency of the country you're about the visit and makes it familiar when you get there.

Home country of the poster is particularly important when the query relates to anything financial or legal. The classic we see often is asking about travel insurance without revealing where they live (this can sometimes come across as a bit arrogant). And I can tell you about good credit/debit card options for my country but not for any other.

The vast majority of posters on this forum are from the USA and they seem to most often fall foul of not following these courtesies. Countries like mine (Australia) which are small players on any international stage are more likely - I think - to not assume that our home country is known. To be honest, sometimes I find it irksome if posters assume that all readers have the same background as themselves.

These things give context and allow for better information.

janisj

I don't fret too awful much about currencies. But do often advise the poster to think in terms of £ or € or ¥ or whatever. The dates thing can be a big problem since most Americans place the month first and most everyone else does the day first.

Big difference between 12/6/24 and 12/6/24 - Especially if one wants a beachy holiday

suze

I agree with the spirit and intention of this post! Well said.

But there are a few places or situations when this wouldn't be quite as appropriate. I'm thinking beach resort towns in Mexico, where most of the hotels you'll see online quote room prices in USD not peso. While restaurant menu prices are in peso.

suze

Hola, me again... when I read the title of this post I thought maybe you were asking how much the vacation trip costs (ha-ha) in local currency of course

bald0ne

"I so wish Fodors included “location” along with user name."
That's not the worst idea. Sometimes I feel the need to post where I live to add some context to my responses, but at the same time, I don't want to come across as a 'sabelo todo' by doing so. I know that on TA, posters can, and do, lie about their home location. Or have. And while a regular tourist to an area may indeed have certain insights a resident may not have, it's deceitful.

Bokhara2

With currency the difference between the $ of the destination country v’s the $ of the tourist’s home country can be quite a bit. We have had a prospective tourist from the US looking for peak time accommodation in Sydney CBD for <$100.

Took multiple requests to elicit that he meant AUD. Wasted a lot of time & effort of our TA members and in the end pretty much guarantees him a shared park bench.

And yes. Janisj - 12/6/24 in Australia & most of the world is 12 June. Probably great swimming weather in the northern hemisphere- but a tad chilly except for the tropical north in my Australian neck of the woods - whereas 6 December would be too cold in the US but perfect in Australia.

janisj

I'm not at all disputing your point. I agree the differences in various 'Dollars' can be quite significant. But generally the text makes it pretty clear what country the poster is from and what currency they are talking about. We can then nudge/educate them into using the currency of the places they are visiting. Though some can be a bit stubborn about that. Many Americans are infrequent foreign travelers (most have never been out of the country) and actually don't know what currencies are used where. They are naturally going to think in terms of US$ . . . until we bring them along . . .

Bokhara2

Regrettably, the text very often does not make it clear on the Australian Forums of Fodors or TA, which is why I started this thread. Sometimes we can pick North Americans by their spelling & some terminology.
But we frequently have to drag it out of the poster. I agree on the ignorance & arrogance points - and frankly it astonishes me that people would not at least do the most basic of research .... what currency ... does the destination country require a visa .. when are the seasons .. when they first start thinking about visiting somewhere.

Still, we all have to start somewhere & sometime & we've all been First Time Travellers.