money troubles.....
 

I'm heading to Vienna and Budapest next month. However, because this trip is predicated on my using a travel voucher from Continental Airlines, and because the closest Continental gets to Vienna is Zurich, I'm flying in and out of the Zurich airport. My total time in Switzerland will be numbered in hours and minutes, not days. Switzerland isn't part of the EU and so hasn't transferred to the Euro. Austria, where I'm spending four nights, has. Hungary (two nights) hasn't officially changed its currency to the Euro but I've heard conflicting things about how much it's in use despite that--for instance, hotel prices are quoted in euros, but other things aren't. So what should I do about cash? I've already reserved my trains and hotels using my credit card, so those big expenses won't be an issue--they'll just come through in whatever currency the venue prefers. At question is the smaller amounts. Will I need Swiss francs just to get from the airport to the train station? And even though the Euro is the "official" currency of Austria now, are schillings still in common use? And does anybody have a defining word about Hungary?

Are you an American? This isn't meant to sound like an "ugly american", but after the euro, the next most versatile currency you can carry is your credit card, followed by US dollars. Credit cards offer the most favorable exchange rates, while anywhere you are going will be able to exchange US dollars for Swiss francs, euros or forints.<BR><BR>Schillings will remain in circulation until 28 Feb 2002 - - source: http://www.euro.ecb.int/en/section1/timetable.AT.html - - but I don't see any reason why you will ever need to obtain any, unless it's for souvenir value.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

Kathy: Euros are (and will be) widely accepted in Switzerland. Make sure you have small bills (5 or 10) with you, as change will be given to you in Swiss Francs. Just buy a chocolate or a newspaper at a newsstand. But you can pay your tickets with your credit card as well. No problem there.

In Zurich the train station is under the airport, so if you have already purchased tickets/passes you will not need Swiss francs. If you want some refreshments, I imagine some of the shops in the shopping area there take credit cards. I believe the dining car on the longer trains do too?

Kathy-<BR>I just went to Budapest (my 3rd time) and Vienna (1st time) this past December. As for euros, schillings and forints - http://www.oanda.com/convert/cheatsheet - should help in keeping track. I only had one problem in Vienna - numerous charges were attempted by a restaurant, my credit card company declined them - no problem. Menus in Vienna had both schillings and euro amounts. Menus in Budapest - forints, DM, euros. If you're intersted in having a wonderful meal in Budapest - go to Gundel. Six course meal with accompaning glasses of wine came to around $65. Well prepared food - beautiful setting - www.gundel.hu As for currency use in Budapest - I stuck with forints because that's what the ATM gave me.

<BR>Dear Ms Jones,<BR><BR>With the help of the Thomas Cook European Timetable I can give detail on catering in trains from Switzerland to Austria. From the airport to Zurich main station takes ten minutes. Then trains leave the main station headed for Austria by day at 0933, 1333, and 1733: each has a restaurant car where staff accept credit cards. By night the train for Vienna leaves Zurich main station at 2233 and for Graz leaves at 2133. Each has sleepers but no catering<BR><BR>Please write if I can help further. Welcome to Europe.<BR><BR>Ben Haines, London<BR>

topping for kathy