Page 34 - Northern Spain & Portugal: Pilgrimage into the Past

MONEY MATTERS

Top Three Tips
• Carry a mix of different types of payments, such as local currency, an ATM card, and a
credit card.

• Traveler’s checks are not recommended. ?SPd NLY MP OTʯN`W_ _Z PcNSLYRP LYO _SP
commission fee for cashing them is quite high. It’s more practical to view them as a last
resort in the event of a special situation.

• You will not be able to pay with U.S. dollars on this trip; you will need euros instead.
9Z_ LWW MLYV^ bTWW ZʬP] PcNSLYRP ^P]aTNP^ ^Z bP ]PNZXXPYO _SL_ dZ` NSLYRP some euros
before your trip.

Local Currency

For current exchange rates, please refer to an online converter tool like www.xe.com/
currencyconverter dZ`] MLYV Z] _SP ʭYLYNTLW ^PN_TZY ZQ dZ`] YPb^[L[P]

Euro Countries

?SP P`]Z T^ _SP ZʯNTLW N`]]PYNd TY XLYd XPXMP] NZ`Y_]TP^ ZQ _SP 0`]Z[PLY @YTZY @YWP^^
otherwise listed, the countries you will be visiting will use the euro. Euro banknote and coin
denominations are as follows:

• Banknotes: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 euros
• Coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents; 1 and 2 euros

How to Exchange Money

If you want to exchange money before your trip, you can usually do so through your bank or
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also possible outlets. Or you can wait and change money on the trip instead—but it might be
helpful to arrive with some local currency in case you run into a bank holiday or an “out of
order” ATM.

On your trip, the easiest way to obtain local currency 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` XLd MP LMWP _Z PcNSLYRP NL^S L_ ^ZXP SZ_PW^ WL]RP [Z^_ ZʯNP^ LYO XZYPd PcNSLYRP
ZʯNP^ SZbPaP] _SPd OZ YZ_ _d[TNLWWd ZʬP] RZZO PcNSLYRP ]L_P^ LYO NLY MP OTʯN`W_ _Z ʭYO ?Z
exchange cash, you’ll usually need your passport and bills in good condition (not worn, torn,
or dirty). New bills (post 2004) are best.

Please note that many banks in Europe will only exchange money for their own customers.
Never exchange money on the street. All exchange methods involve fees, which may be built
into the conversion rate; ask beforehand.

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