Page 41 - Egypt & the Eternal Nile by Private, Classic River-Yacht
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Local currency is strongly preferred, although some hotels will accept US dollars (usually at a
poor rate of exchange).
Jordan
The Jordanian dinar (JD) is a decimal currency, divided into 10 dirham, 100 qirsh (sometimes
translated as piastres TY 0YRWT^S Z] ʭW^ -LYVYZ_P LYO NZTY OPYZXTYL_TZY^ L]P L^ QZWWZb^%
• Banknotes: JD 1, 5, 10, 20, and 50 dinar
• .ZTY^% LYO \T]^S& LYO OTYL]
U.S dollars are not widely used in Jordan; the local currency is generally preferred. Dollars
might do in a pinch, especially if the person receiving them is in a travel- or tourist-
related business.
How to Exchange Money
Since you can pay with U.S. dollars in Egypt, and credit cards are commonly used in Israel
and Jordan, exchanging money isn’t as important on this trip as it would be in other parts of
the world. However, if you want to exchange money before your trip, you might be able do so
_S]Z`RS dZ`] MLYV Z] L_ LY PcNSLYRP ZʯNP DZ`] OP[L]_`]P LT][Z]_ TY _SP @ > L _]LaPW LRPY_
Z] LY ,,, ZʯNP L]P LW^Z [Z^^TMWP Z`_WP_^ 9Z_P _SL_ bP ^Ld ɭXTRS_ɮ MPNL`^P _SP N`]]PYNTP^ ZY
_ST^ _]T[ NLY MP SL]O _Z ʭYO O`P _Z MLYVTYR ]P^_]TN_TZY^ DZ` XLd YPPO _Z NLWW L QPb [WLNP^ Z]
do some checking online.
If you would rather exchange money on your trip, the easiest way is to withdraw funds from
a local ATM. The ATM will give you local money and your bank at home will convert that into
U.S. dollars.
DZ` NLY LW^Z PcNSLYRP NL^S L_ XZYPd L_ ^ZXP MLYV^ LYO L_ PcNSLYRP ZʯNP^ ?Z PcNSLYRP
cash, you’ll usually need your passport and bills in good condition (not worn, torn, or dirty).
New bills (post 2004) are best.
All exchange methods involve fees, which may be built into the conversion rate; ask
beforehand.
ATMs
When using the ATM, keep in mind that it may only accept cards from local banks, and may
not allow cash advances on credit cards; you might need to try more than one ATM or more
than one card.
Many banks charge a fee of $1-$5 each time you use a foreign ATM. Others may charge you a
percentage of the amount you withdraw. We recommend that you check with your bank before
you depart.
Lastly, don’t forget to memorize the actual digits of your card’s PIN number (many keypads at
foreign ATMs do not include letters on their keys—they only display numbers.)
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