The convenience of swiping a credit card – for even the smallest of purchases – does not go over so well in many corners of the globe. Though the looks, and under-the-breath mutterings in a foreign tongue, that you will most surely get from the clerk behind the counter when you pull out a credit card for a 4€ sandwich are worthy of a story all their own, it is highly recommended that you acquaint yourself with a dependable currency conversion tool before you depart on your voyage.
One of our favorite currency conversion tools is found at XE.com, “The World’s Trusted Currency Authority.”
Apart from the lack of credit card friendliness in many towns and cities across the globe, sometimes after traveling for days, you’re simply going to be too exhausted to think straight and compute currency conversions in your head. This one time, in Belgrade, a friend and I needed some quick cash for a some street food that simply looked too good to pass up. We were exhausted from traveling all day, starving, and cranky. The sandwich and a drink was €4. I decided €40 would be a good amount to take out while I was already at an ATM and would surely need some cash on hand for the day. Unfortunately, instead of the intended €40 I intended to take out, I took out €400 due to my inability to convert correctly. This was actually a big deal since the rest of Europe, I would learn, apparently give no value to the Serbian Dinar. I tried converting the Dinar back to Euros in exchange offices all over Croatia, Italy and Spain. This quickly became a nightmare as time and again the currency offices turned me away with a look of utter scorn on their faces. Finally, months later, an angel in disguise on Paris’ Champs-Élysées, finally took my Dinar in exchange for Euros (though at a less-than-appealing exchange rate and only after telling me that he would “usually never accept Serbian Dinar”). Long story short, avoid the same nightmare and ALWAYS know how much money you are taking out of an ATM!