Best way to deal with large, cash-only lodging bill - Amsterdam
 

We will be staying in a place in Amsterdam for about a week in Sept. When I made the reservation, they specified payment must be "cash only." That will be a fair chunk of money, more than I'm likely to be able to withdraw at an ATM, and more than I would normally carry around for more than about 20 min., let alone the 2 weeks we'll have been on the road before staying there.

How do people usually/best deal with this situation, now that travelers' cheques are scarcely known, used, or accepted?

(tagging Netherlands, but wonder if it's not an issue elsewhere in Europe sometimes).

Will you have to pay the full amount when you arrive? If you can pay when you leave (what I would hope for for a long stay - wouldn't want to prepay so much money in case something went wrong), you can take out a few hundred Euros per day from an ATM easily. Just check with your credit union or bank before you leave for Europe to see if they have a daily limit - probably equivalent to a few hundred Euros at a time.

If you are in urban Amsterdam at all, perhaps there is an ATM close to your rental? (Check on Google Maps.) Maybe if there's an ATM right around the corner, it will be just a few steps to walk back and forth to the rental with a few hundred Euros at a time.

You might ask the landlord if they accept Paypal. But because that would cost them about 3% extra, expect them to pass that surcharge on to you.

More and more, travelers don't bother with places that insist on "cash only". I suggest you do the same. There are so many websites now for booking accommodations with the additional advantage of doing so by credit card in your own currency, I think these outlaws will eventually be out of business. Meantime, why not move on and find yourself an easier option?

We paid our deposit via xe.com, and because of some confusion it required several e-mails to set up the receiving end of the account, which in some way legitimized the transaction.

We still had to have a large amount for the rest, obtained through several trips to the ATM.

MmePerdu is right, and I never accept cash only deals.
However, if you are stuck, just use several cards...
I've got 3 debitcards and 5 creditcards, so my limit for withdrawals is time 8 in case of emergency.
Plus my wife's cards.
Btw it certainly means the owner is frauding...

We stay at a place in Rome that is cash only. We plan ahead and take out some money from your ATM every day. You didn't say how much but it's probably less than a standard hotel.

If you do withdraw money using an ATM every day until you accumulate enough money (as I have done several times for similar situations in Asia), BE SURE to carry that money in a secure passport pouch under your clothing.

It doesn't necessarily mean the owner is tax dodging. It could be that they will accept a bank transfer from a euro land, but want cash from non euro countries to be sure they get the full amount of the rental.
Not everyone accepts credit cards - it is expensive for small traders to do so.

You could ask if you can pay by bank transfer if you are prepared to bear all the costs.

I imagine that if an accommodation is full-up all the time and accepts only cash, then one cannot blame them for doing it, taxes aside. But if they aren't always full then I wonder why they don't join the current century and accept bookings from 3rd party reservation services and add on the modest cost, or do the same and accept cards themselves. Maybe it's a generational thing but the world in general is heading toward a cash-free way of doing things. My own habits are changing even at this late stage. I love my credit card air miles.

I used to carry half with me and used ATM s for the rest. No more I don't book unless I can use a credit card.

I find it almost more surprising that someone rents a place that clearly labels itself as "cash only" and afterwards wonders how he would get that amount in cash at the destination and also feels uncomfortable carrying a larger amount of cash.
Anyhow, I would not feel extremely happy but also would not be extremely worried to carry €1,000 in cash across Amsterdam. It's neither the Gaza strip nor Rio.

First of all, getting cash from a credit card is a VERY BAD idea. Between fees, interest starting immediately...should only be used in emergency.

If you have 3 ATM/debit cards from different banks, you can take out max from each one. Maybe $300 - 500 per account? If your wife has 3 others from DIFFERENT accounts, that's another #300 -500.

IF that's not enough, ask your banks for higher limits.

Hi cfc,

I would do, have done, what DebitNM suggests -- ask your bank for a one-time authorization to withdraw a large sum. I didn't have any trouble getting the authorization nor getting the cash on the day I needed it.

Also, double check that they know the one-time large withdrawal will come from Europe so that they don't put a hold on it.

Have fun as you plan!

s

I also try to avoid cash-only lodgings.

In Italy, cash transactions of €1000 or more are illegal.

I stay in small private -owner apartments in Switzerland and Germany primarily, and find that cash on the first or second day after arrival is quite usual for these small (legal) landlords. I am able to withdraw the amount over 3 days from an ATM, and the owner has never had a problem accepting payment in halves or thirds.

I find that cash on arrival is the norm in Europe, following a deposit made via paypal or a credit card upon reservation. When I have used airbnb and Flipkey it's been credit not cash, but the other websites are some kind of cash system.

Maybe the easiest way to avoid a huge cash payment on arrival is to limit apartment stays to 4 nights, that's what I have done.

OK so I'm stupid and guileless. FWIW - and yes, I know Tripadvisor is increasingly untrustworthy - the place is a B&B with 25 excellents and 2 very goods out of 27 reviews. On its website (along with medallions as registered B&B, etc.), it lists banks with banking numbers, so I'm wondering if maybe it's possible to set up a direct transfer in some form.

AFTER our stay.

It sounds like it would be. If I recall correctly, my bank charged $40 for a transfer, several years ago, plus whatever they charge to convert the currency. I'd ask on this end first, to make sure the fees are acceptable to you before you ask the B&B. I also recall that with the fees, including those on the receiver's end at a French bank, the deposit came up short. Fortunately, the owner wasn't concerned about it, but do ask about fees at their bank, too. I'm sure they'll let you know.

I suspect any bank transfer would have to be done before your stay.