Koruna needed in Czech Republic?
 

How essential is it to have a wallet full of koruna in the Czech Republic? Or is the Euro accepted pretty much anywhere.? We'll be staying several nights at two places: Prague and Cesky Krumlov. Our Prague accommodation is prepaid. The place we're staying at in Cesky Krumlov quoted to us in Euros, so I assume that's an indicator of how they expected to be paid. We'll also be spending on meals, beers, metro/bus/tram fares, entry fees to various attractions/museums I suppose, and general supplies. Looking at the exchange rates, if we do need to have korunas, we're going to need an awful lot of them!

You only need them if you want to buy something without a credit card.

Yes, some places will take euros (at a VERY bad exchange rate) but many places don't want to be bothered.

How well would it work trying to pay for things with euros in your home town?

I wouldn't want to deal with the inconvenience of not having Koruna if you will be in the country for a few days - why wouldn't you get any? Just go to the ATM when you get to the Czech Republic. Use your debit card or ATM card to withdraw cash from the ATM. Use your credit cards to pay for things whenever possible, use Koruna when you have to, and when you run out go back to the ATM.

Of course, you need to understand your credit union or bank's policy for fees related to using an ATM in Europe. (You also need to let the know where you will travel and when - same with all of your credit cards - so they don't disable the card due to fear of fraud.) The ATM in Czech Republic will probably charge you nothing (at least in my experience). Your financial institution will probably charge you something - maybe as little as a 1% conversion fee and perhaps a per-use fee. One of my credit unions charges me 0% conversion fee and no per-use fee, so when I travel I simply take out small amounts whenever I need local cash. ATMs are everywhere in the towns and cities.

Go to the ATM and get a bunch of local currency. Use it everywhere like the locals do. So much easier.

Thanks everyone. I expected that, but thought I'd ask anyway, hoping to avoid conversion fee card charges!

NY traveller, since my home town is not in the middle of a Eurozone and isn't in the habit of quoting prices in euros (as hotels in the 2 Czech towns I'm visiting clearly are), your question wasn't really very pertinent.

"hoping to avoid conversion fee card charges!"

The way to avoid those is to get an account that doesn't charge them. Or at least a Credit Union account, which typically charges only 1%.

<i>Go to the ATM and get a bunch of local currency. Use it everywhere like the locals do. So much easier.</i>

This. This. This. This.

You won't have to pay In Euros , most places quote in Euros as it is a widely used currency but paying by CC or in Czech Koruna will be accepted often you get a discount for paying cash ie Czk.
Credit cards are widely used in the CR but most of the time I use cash when in the country (I am there at least twice a year) for smaller payments I always use Koruna and only use my Credit or debit cards for larger purchases.In smaller places away form the main tourist areas (where you are more likely to find me) I use cash.I have never used Euros and never would.Ok to use them in some of the tourist areas but you get a real lousy exchange rate.

as to transport tickets, you might be able to use your credit card for these in some places. The machines at the airport and at the main train station take Credit cards and some of the metro stations have machines that take credit cards but not all.
It may seem like a lot of Korunas but the coins come in 1,2 ,5 ,10,20 and 50 Kc and notes start at 100 through to 2000
http://www.livingprague.com/money.htm
this link might help explain things.

>"hoping to avoid conversion fee card charges!"

You'd rather be ripped off by the very bad exchange rate merchants will give you?

<i>You'd rather be ripped off by the very bad exchange rate merchants will give you?</i>

This should really be the standard reply to that particular comment.

I just wish we would all go back to the glass beads and old clothes that we bought bits of the US for....

Sorry - yes the question was perfectly pertinent.

Just because a tourist hotel provides rates in euros (I assume as well as local currency) you will need to pay for all sorts of other things that are not aimed specifically at tourists. And why would you expect all those shops, restaurants, museums, sights and shops, local transit, etc to accept euros?

This is not Russia of the 1970 where you can trade for things with western goods like pantyhose or ball point pens.

<< Looking at the exchange rates, if we do need to have korunas, we're going to need an awful lot of them!>>

That statement is nonsense. You will need as many as you need. You're acting as if 20-odd Czech koruna come in the same denominations as pounds or dollars, which they don't. Good luck finding a bunch of one-yen pieces in Japan. I carried around hundreds of thousands of Italian lire in the '90s and wasn't exactly rich with the 1400/1 exchange rate. Just go to the ATM and get what you need in your native currency multiplied by the exchange rate.

And get an account that charges low-to-no conversion fee.

PS - if the European ATMs are offering to convert the money for you ("today's exchange rate is one koruna = .05 dollars, would you like to convert at this rate?"), then say NO and continue without conversion. Australian ATMs offered this on our most recent trip and would have cost us 9% against the daily exchange rate - complete screw job.

A lot of Czech hotels quote prices in euro, I noticed. I guess they just do it as a large part of their audience is familiar with that. But at the hotel, you will have to pay in koruna. At last that's my experience. I agree it is confusing as if the price were quoted in euro, you probably think that's what you can pay.

oh I see you don't have to pay the hotel, anyway, well, then yes, you would definitely have to pay in local currency for restaurants, etc.

Some of these responses are helpful, some less so. Thanks to those of you who were. As I've said earlier, I didn't really expect to get away without needing korunas at all. But based on my dealings with Czech hotels to date, there were grounds for thinking that some places - restaurants, maybe - might accept euros as well as korunas. Of course I knew I'd be converting currencies at an ATM occasionally - my posting was just a way of getting a feel for how much and how often.

I am always puzzled by people who don't want to use the currency of the country they are in. While there are some exceptions (I have encountered a few in Asia), in Europe you will always pay over the odds for the supposed convenience, and in all probability be regarded as a fool by the person making money off you.

Perhaps you could explain your apparent reluctance? After all, you will have to exchange NZD whether you acquire euro or koruna.

can I just repeat Some restaurants and shops in the Tourist Areas WILL ACCEPT EUROS..............BUT you will get a terrible exchange rate that will be fixed by the restaurant or shop you are using, everywhere else will expect Czech korunas. Most places will take credit cards but it is really worth it for small amounts you need to decide that. American Express cards are NOT widely accepted.
I live in Edinburgh a city visited by millions of tourists every year, many shops in the main tourist area will take Dollar, Euros, Yens and other major currency but the exchange rate is terrible. I could not go into my local shop or pub and use them.

>I am always puzzled by people who don't want to use the currency of the country they are in. While there are some exceptions (I have encountered a few in Asia), in Europe you will always pay over the odds for the supposed convenience, and in all probability be regarded as a fool by the person making money off you.

Ditto.
We are not discussing some banana republic that issues fancy coloured toy money. The Czech Koruna is a strong and stable currrency and there is no reason not to use it. By the way, just loke, for example, the Polish Zloty.