progol

I know I've read that most places prefer cash, so I'm planning to transfer enough cash so that I can access it from the ATM.

Are ATMs readily available in most places in Crete, Santorini & Naxos?

I'm trying to figure out how much I need to transfer, though, and wondering if I should just assume I'm paying in cash or are there places that will take a credit card?

Does it change from island to island, in particular, the 3 I'm visiting (see above)?

Do larger or more expensive hotels accept cash? For instance, can I pay the Delfini hotel (Oia) cash or pay by card (my most expensive hotel)? Is it tacky to email and ask her (Rena) or do I just see what happens when I get there?

What about meals? Should we just carry enough cash to pay or is a card acceptable in most places?

3 more days to go! Wow!

Paule

Alec

On all tourist islands, as yours are, cards are readily accepted just about anywhere. And ATMs are also plentiful in towns. The only time you need to pay cash is when catching a bus, taxi (mostly), a few drinks or small purchases (say less than 10 euro). Most restaurants take cards.

ira

Hey P,

>I've read that most places prefer cash, so I'm planning to transfer enough cash so that I can access it from the ATM.<

Why do you care what "most places prefer"?

Charge whatever is chargeable, <i>make sure that it is in Euros</i>, and pay cash for small amounts.

Enjoy your visit.

ira

>can I pay the Delfini hotel (Oia) cash .....Is it tacky to email and ask ...

Most likely. No it is not tacky. This is a business arrangement, not a social call,

>What about meals? Should we just carry enough cash to pay or is a card acceptable in most places?<

Yes and yes. You don't want to be without a reasonable amount of walking around money, but you should be paying most of your bills with a CC.

qwovadis

my capitalone.com Ventur Visa no foreign fee card taken

widely and gets me double FF miles and the ability to

dispute anything. ATM local currency from big bank ATMs

for best rate small amts of local money...

works fine for me I do not travel with wads of cash

or debit card to risky for "skimming" and theft...

Happy Planning!

qwovadis

Most of the folks that want cash are scammers/tax cheats

why Greece is currently defaulting so always CC for me

as much as possible.

insuremytrip.com very wise things are very unstable there

currently lots of public sectors striking this week.

qwovadis

www.otel.com Istanbul based gets me great deals Greece/Turkey

discounts on facebook cash back and takes Credit Card...

VERY risky to wire money have seen people lose thousands...

qwovadis

www.booking.com another very reputable site with honest reviews

unlike all the bogus ones on TripAdvertizer

yiassas

>>>>Most of the folks that want cash are scammers/tax cheats<<<<
Not entirely true. While in many of the heavily tourist places you will find you can pay for many meals by card it will be different away from them. In smaller villages or non tourist places you will be struggling to find anywhere that takes card payments, nothing to do with tax evasion, the fact is they just don't have the facility set up for them. The merchant charge is quite high in Greece & card usage among Greeks outside the cities is still uncommon.
Yes, use your card wherever they are accepted, but always have some cash available for places they're not.

clausar

qwovadis
what makes you so sure that Greece will default?
Have seen you posting this everyday...
As a Greek my hope ,is that my country will NOT default, despite of all speculations !!! and i think at the end we will make it.

yiassas
very well put !!!

progol

Thanks for the commentary! Very interesting to follow.

But I'm reassured that I won't be needing to run to the bank every 5 minutes. At least some of the hotels we'll be able to pay by credit card, so I won't stress it anymore.

Paule

TexasAggie

We've traveled to Greece three times, most recently this past May. As you will be visiting islands that are quite touristed, you should have no problems using your CC for your hotels and most meals at restaurants. For coffee and snacks and small souvenirs, you will need cash. If you plan to venture far from the beaten path, I'd suggest keeping enough cash on you for a meal and gasoline. Small town restaurants and gas stations may not accept CCs though this is not to be a pain to tourists or cheat on taxes; they just aren't set up to accept CCs. Have a lovely trip!

TexasAggie

P.S. Greece is our favorite country in Europe to visit. Enjoy every minute of your trip and eat as much wonderful Greek food as you can

yestravel

I care what the merchant prefers. Many small businesses r struggling to stay afloat in the current economy. Paying cash allows them to make a touch more money by not having to pay the credit card surcharge.

BigRuss

Qwovadis: don't misrepresent. You do not get a single "mile" on the Cap One Venture Visa. I have the card too.

The Cap One card gives POINTS, not miles. You get two points per dollar spent in charges on the card. You redeem points at 100 points per dollar redeemed such that an $800 ticket to Greece (for example) costs 80,000 points. This is not necessarily better or worse than a mileage card, which may charge 50,000 miles for an equivalent ticket at one mile earned per dollar spent, but the mileage necessary to obtain the ticket does not vary based on the retail price of the fare.

That said, note the following: (1) if you keep running to the ATM, you will incur withdrawal fees with your withdrawals unless you have a Cap One bank account or credit union account that does not charge foreign exchange fees -- my Chase account costs $3 plus 3.5% per transaction . . . which is why I opened a Cap One account; (2) Greece has electricity and computers and therefore has plenty of credit card purchase opportunities - that was the case in 2001 when we visited and despite their best efforts, the Greeks have not reverted to bronze age technology; (3) <b>watch a sunset from Oia - it's an event</b>; (4) Greek food is fine but if you're spending a lot of money on it ($25 on entrees or more), you're paying too much - there are far too many decent tavernas throughout the country to have to pay like you're receiving haute cuisine from top of the line Cordon Bleu trained chefs . . . it's just Greek cuisine.

clausar

As for Greek food
There are very good restaurants in all the places that you will visit, that don't prepare touristy meals..
Their Greek kitchen is a new one, very tasty and based on traditional recipes...
This kind of restaurants ( or neotavernas , as we call them) are more expensive , but worth a visit.
On Santorini for instance try Psaraki or Selene both very well known for the chefs that have received several awards in the last years.
Remember Greek kitchen is not just tzatziki and keftedes..... it is very tasty and one of the healthiest kitchens in the world. ( with Crete being the best example)

progol

Again, interesting comments. I have no problem paying in cash for smaller hotels or casual places for meals. In fact, we are relatively modest in the kind of places we eat in, so it's not likely we'll be paying as much as $25 for an entree on a regular basis, but I feel secure knowing that I won't need to carry a wad of cash with me all the time. Many thanks again!
Paule

Heimdall

I agree with yiassas. Small family-run establishments often don't take credit cards. If you wish to stick to the more expensive hotels and restaurants you can usually pay by CC. We just came back from a very nice lunch at a seaside taverna, and the bill, including drinks, came to less than €30 for the four of us. Did we ask to pay by credit card? Of course not! ;-)

progol

I've no problem giving cash to small, family-run places.

But, where is the seaside taverna that was less than 30 euros for 4? That's what I want to know!

Thanks for the interesting comments everyone. Looking forward to our visit -- at last!
Paule

Heimdall

The seaside taverna is in the southern Peloponnese. I have just come back from the islands, where I typically pay around €10 for dinner, including a starter, main course, and small carafe of local wine. Eating in Greece doesn't have to be expensive, but you pay more in restaurants that take CCs.