verareading

I have seen on line people talking about using euros in these countries and at the
same time others who say it's necessary to use the local currencies. I'm trying to
avoid mutiple currencies if necessary. What is the common practice?

Thanks

Pvoyageuse

The Euro is the official currency in Austria !

nytraveler

The common practice is to use the currency of the country. Usually you will be using cash to make only small purchases - and expecting cafes or small shops to take another currency is asking for trouble:

1 - they may simply refuse
2- if they do take euros it will be at a very bad rate of exchange (often 15 or 20% higher than the bank rate) - and how will you know the exchange rate of the two foreign currencies - they may be charging 50% more
3 - they will give you change in the local currency anyway

Don;t see how difficult it is to just pull some cash from the first ATM you see.

J62

I've used euros in Prague when I ran out of Cz crowns. Craft vendor, outdoor cafe on the square, and a gift shop all with no problem. I recall seeing prices at many tourist shops posted in both crowns and euros.

Local currency is needed for bus, tram, subway, and many places like museums.

J62

Correct, the exchange rate won't be the same as the official rate, but for a pint of beer how does it matter it costs $2 or $2.50.

How will you know the exchange rate? Look it up. It's not a state secret.

FYI, the exchange rate I got from the street vendor was roughly the same rate the cash exchange booths all over Prague were offering, without any fee.

gruezi

We have found most in non-Euro European countries will accept Euros.

gruezi

unclegus

I can only speak for Prague here as i am a regular traveller to the city (going there in 10 days time )why not just use the atm's on your travels,i have been doing this for years with no problems,just let your bank know where and when you are travelling.
as others have said euros will be accepted in all the major tourist places and if you are happy enough to lose out quite a bit on the exchange rate then fair enough go down that road.
Anyswhere else you will need local currency and the best way of doing that is ATM's.

BigRuss

I commonly use American dollars in Canada because I am self-important and find it tiring to have to use the native Monopoly paper for transactions with the aboriginals. After all, everyone in North America should be on the US dollar.</sarcasm>

adrienne

What will you do if you run out of Euros? You will have to get Czech money out of ATM machines. Why not just do that from the start? It's so easy. In fact, it's easier than having to convert from the Czech CZK to Euros to your own currency to figure out how much you are paying for something. But perhaps you have a lot of money to spare and won't mind paying extra to pay in Euros.

bratsandbeer

You have to pay a fee for changing US dollars into Euro.
Then when you spend the Euro in Prague or Budapest, you are paying another exchange fee due to changing the Euro to the currency of Prague or Budapest.
You would be paying double fees. And you are missing out on the fun of learning and using other foreign money.

logos999

Now, what do I do if I don't have local curreny at a Tesco in Pilsen, just like everybody else:

a) I use the ATM right where the shopping carts are. I put the card into the ATM and enter PIN plus the desired amount of local currency.

b) The ATM is out of cash.. Hmmm, I'll complain in German to everybody who wants to hear it about the lousy service at this stin*ing shop and say a few curse words.

c) I will nevertheless enter the fu**ing store but I will use my platin credit card for paying the pound of brambory I just purchased. They will accept it and I'll say ... you ...

d) Yes it's that easy.

logos999

Now what are brambory???

P_M

As already mentioned the € is the currency of Austria so of course that's what you will use in Vienna. Outside of that you really need to use the local currency. It's entirely possible they will take the € but only at a very nice rate of exchange for themselves. You will lose money by using the € in non-€ countries. Just use your ATM card to get the necessary cash for Hungary and the Czech Republic, then exchange your leftover cash upon arrival in the next country. Or better yet, put it in the charity envelope on the plane ride home.

logos999

Now I remember when being in the US of A entering a Walmart store, they had this ATM there where I could get the local money. Who among the Fodorites here actually thinks this would be different in Europe? Where there is Walmart in the US, in CZ there is Tesco. You may not know the language, but you surely know how to shop, right? And that goes for (almost) everything else too. Credit cards accepted...

adrienne

Logos - that was YOU at the Pilsen Tesco beating up the ATM machine?

logos999

Yes adrienne, it was 3am and I wanted to shop. There was only one cashier in the store and instead doing his work he was restocking shelves. Can you believe, they kept me waiting at 3am. Well, there wasn't anything/body else to beat up than this stupid machine. You must have been hiding somewhere between the shelves, right??

adrienne

Logos - I was watching you on CCTV!!! You can run but you can't hide!

BTW - I saw a farmer with a huge skid of brambory by the roadside this morning and signs all over for brambory. It's the national food!