So, on my trip I’m visiting three countries with their own currency, where I’ve no real expectation of visiting again (Poland, Croatia, Singapore). Normally I just use credit cards (Latitude so no foreign currency fees) and hit-up a bank ATM for currency. Use Uber/credit cards from the airport.
Is there any problems with that approach? I’ve generally found that some other methods are cheaper, but the difference is usually tiny and not really worth the additional hassle. Is that true here, or something to avoid? I will be in London before going to those countries (and have a UK bank account), so could convert pounds to their currencies there.
Anyone know how easy it is to use credit cards in Poland, Croatia and Singapore?
You should be OK with using a credit/debit card in all those places. The only exception might be rural parts of Poland/Croatia where cards may be less accepted. Should be no issue in the main tourist areas.
Last year we were in the UK/France and Singapore and didn’t have any local currency. Cards all the way.
If you plan on eating at any of food courts/hawker centres (highly recommended) in Singapore, I’d keep a smallish stash of SGD cash handy specifically for that.
I did this in 4 countries with one currency (euro). And it almost came unstuck when the banks overzealous security pinged me there was suspicious activity and locked my account.
Took about an hour to resolve with all the useless voice prompts and not recalling my phone banking password, which set off more security alerts from the bank.
In retrospect I should’ve listened to Mrs THT and told the bank I was travelling beforehand. Personally I think it’s none of their business, but once you get in their sights they can fark up your plans.
Rule 101 for using cards O/S, unfortunately. With most transactions now done electronically the banks are way more vigilant on these things than they once were.
Croatia has Euros now. Credit cards certainly accepted there and in SIN. May want to get a Wise or similar to minimize FX and bank fees. (edit: see you have Latitude)
Get the early morning call before dawn to notify us that the MIL has been taken to hospital and looks like she will succumb to cancer in the next few days so now the fun begins of cancelling flights and rearranging to get home ASAP. Grenada only has a handful of flights daily so hopefully American Airlines can get us out today and from there I should be able to leave the US tonight or tomorrow. Then we take it up with Travel insurance and try to limit the damage
Visited all over Poland many times, not since COVID but before and never had a problem with credit cards, Visa, MC or Amex, and converting Aussie dollars to *złoty was fine. Good food in Poland and lots to drink !
Croatia was fine in major cities and tourist areas, but you need local currency out in the sticks which is now Euros.
I’m considering a trip to Europe in January. The main part will be a week in London going to ballet, opera, galleries, etc, followed by a week in Paris doing the same. I’m considering following that with the mail cruise trip up and down the coast of Norway. I know there was some discussion about the cruise in here a while ago, but in a word, and with the knowledge that so far I’ve never been seasick in my life, is this something worth doing in the middle of winter?
And I’ll add to the above, if it’s worth doing, which is the best company to do it with? And any tips for things to seek out/avoid like the plague would be gratefully received.
See if you can get hold of a movie called Compartment No .6, a Russian film from a couple of years ago where a woman was about to leave Russia but first wanted to see petroglyphs offshore from Murmansk. That’d put you off being at sea in the depths of winter.
I was caught in Melbourne at the Kino with hours to kill before the train, and anything else was further away from genres I’ll watch.
