Page 38 - The Stans of Central Asia: Turkmenistan & Uzbekistan

How to Exchange Money

There is no need to obtain local currency before your trip. In fact, your U.S. bank may not
carry it. You can change money when you arrive at the airport, or at banks, and money
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currency and your bank at home will convert that amount into U.S. dollars. Please note, while
ATMs may be found in most cities in Central Asia, not all ATMs will accept U.S. cards, so you
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for more details and tips.

ATMs

When using the ATM, keep in mind that it may only accept cards from local banks, and may
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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.)

ATMs in Central Asia: Most cities in Central Asia will have some ATMs that take U.S. cards.
However, there are some caveats:

• Turkmenistan is an exception; it has very few ATMs that take international cards, even
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reasons why we recommend that you bring a cash reserve in U.S. dollars on this trip.)

• You may end up trying multiple machines before you find one that works for you. Your
Trip Leader can advise you of ATM locations, but can’t guarantee it will accept your card.

• ATMs are significantly harder to find outside of cities. Stock up on currency or hit up the
ATM before you go out into the countryside.

• Many ATMs in this region charge a minimum of $3 (USD) or up to a 3% service fee (this
is separate from the fees charged by your bank).

Credit & Debit Cards

Even if you don’t plan on using a credit card during your trip, we still suggest that you bring
one or two as a backup, especially if you are planning a large purchase (artwork, jewelry).
We also suggest that you bring more than one brand of card (i.e. Visa, MasterCard, American
Express) if possible, because not every shop will take every card. For example, although the
Discover card is accepted in some countries outside the U.S., it is not widely adopted, so other
brands will work at a much larger range of stores, restaurants, etc.

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