In Ireland but freaking about the Euro!
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 204
In Ireland but freaking about the Euro!
I just got to Europe a few days ago. When I left, the Euro was about 85 cents to the dollar. Now, it's about 80 cents to the dollar.
One hotel (Four Seasons) says it's 76 cents. The other place (the apartments) say it's 74 cents!
Everywhere online it says no less than 80 cents to the dollar. Can I argue this to my hotel/apartment? Since our hotel bill will be about 1300 Euro (including extras that weren't included in the package - extra meals, drinks, etc), and the apartments are 1600 Euro, that extra adds up. I had a budget and now I'm worried that every cent extra I had will have to go to the hotel bill and I will be unable to have the extra money we wanted for souveniers, side trips, etc. I am fretting and unable to enjoy my time here now. We made a bit of a 'cushion', - some extra money just in case, but I'm still worried that it may not be enough.
Will the hotel charge in euros? If so, does my bank convert it, or does the hotel do it at their rate? I am using my visa check card through my bank (my checking account)
Any advice?
One hotel (Four Seasons) says it's 76 cents. The other place (the apartments) say it's 74 cents!
Everywhere online it says no less than 80 cents to the dollar. Can I argue this to my hotel/apartment? Since our hotel bill will be about 1300 Euro (including extras that weren't included in the package - extra meals, drinks, etc), and the apartments are 1600 Euro, that extra adds up. I had a budget and now I'm worried that every cent extra I had will have to go to the hotel bill and I will be unable to have the extra money we wanted for souveniers, side trips, etc. I am fretting and unable to enjoy my time here now. We made a bit of a 'cushion', - some extra money just in case, but I'm still worried that it may not be enough.
Will the hotel charge in euros? If so, does my bank convert it, or does the hotel do it at their rate? I am using my visa check card through my bank (my checking account)
Any advice?
#2
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,260
First of all, forget about "arguing" with the hotel about what the exchange rate is..it will be whatever THEY say it will be regardless of how many economists, financial experts, newspaper reports, etc., you can muster.
Are you planning to pay in local currency, by credit card, or what? If the former, I'd get it using a local ATM (over several days if necessary) or use a credit card and make certain they charge you in the local currency and not in dollars.
Are you planning to pay in local currency, by credit card, or what? If the former, I'd get it using a local ATM (over several days if necessary) or use a credit card and make certain they charge you in the local currency and not in dollars.
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 204
I am using my visa check card through my bank, so I guess I'll just make sure that they are charging me in Euros... I'd pull it out of the ATM, but I can only pull $300 a day and we check out of teh Four Seasons tomorrow, and the apartmenys on the 11th.
#4
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 57,890
The rate you see in the newspaper is the interbank exchange rate - and is available only if you are exchanging large sums of money - in the millions of dollars. Anyone who exchanes small sums of money - in the few hundreds or thousands will always pay rates much worse than that.
That's why everyone on this board says not to exchange money - either as cash or travelers checques. You should pay for eveything possible with credit cards (thus geting the interbank rate plus a very small fee - assuming you've chosen a good credit card) and use ATMs to pull walking around money for the same reason.
Never try to pay for anything except with euros - and don;t change money at any establishment and expect to get any sort of decent rate.
That's why everyone on this board says not to exchange money - either as cash or travelers checques. You should pay for eveything possible with credit cards (thus geting the interbank rate plus a very small fee - assuming you've chosen a good credit card) and use ATMs to pull walking around money for the same reason.
Never try to pay for anything except with euros - and don;t change money at any establishment and expect to get any sort of decent rate.
#5
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 74,414
Hi J,
Good advice above.
> I can only pull $300 a day and we check out of teh Four Seasons tomorrow, and the apartmenys on the 11th. <
That gets you $1800. If that is not enough, try calling your bank and asking them to raise your daily limit.
You could even arrange for it to be done on a given day, for security purposes.
If they need it in writing - fax them.
Good advice above.
> I can only pull $300 a day and we check out of teh Four Seasons tomorrow, and the apartmenys on the 11th. <
That gets you $1800. If that is not enough, try calling your bank and asking them to raise your daily limit.
You could even arrange for it to be done on a given day, for security purposes.
If they need it in writing - fax them.
