Archive-Name: travel/europe/faq
Posting-Frequency: Monthly
Last-Modified: 2003-12-07
URL: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/europe/faq
Rec.travel.europe FAQ
=====================
This FAQ was written by Yves Bellefeuille , with help from
Martin Rich . Thanks also to "Darren", who prepared
an earlier version of the rec.travel.europe FAQ. Please send any
comments to me at .
None of the "URLs" or "links" mentioned in this FAQ should require Java
or JavaScript. If they do, please let me know. You might also want to
write to the address "webmaster" at the domain involved to ask them to
provide web pages that don't require Java or JavaScript; for example, to
complain about a web page at aol.com, write to .
Table of Contents
=================
I. General Usenet Guidelines
II. Other FAQs
III. Frequently Asked Questions
About the newsgroup itself
1. What countries does the newsgroup cover?
2. Where should I post about rooms or services wanted or offered?
3. What other newsgroups deal with travelling or with Europe?
4. What is "Google"?
5. How can I complain about "spam"?
Travel planning and preparations
6. I'm going to Europe for the first time. Where should I go?
7. Should I go on my own or with a tour?
8. What guidebooks are available?
9. Do I need a visa to visit ?
10. What's the European Union (EU)?
11. What's a "Schengen visa"?
12. What should I pack?
13. What should I see during my trip?
14. What should I bring my European friends as gifts?
Money and financial matters
15. What currency should I use?
16. What's the "Interbank" exchange rate?
17. Will my bank machine card or credit card work in Europe?
18. Should I use traveller's cheques?
19. Should I change money before I go or when I get there?
20. How do I change money at a bank or _bureau de change_?
21. What does "VAT" mean?
22. Can I get a VAT refund?
23. Can I buy "duty-free"?
Transportation
24. Where can I get the best airfare?
25. Is my driver's licence valid in Europe?
26. Can I drive as fast as I want in Germany?
27. How can I get from Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport to Paris?
28. Where can I get information on trains?
29. Should I buy a rail pass?
30. Where should I buy train tickets?
Miscellaneous
31. I speak language and I'm going to country . How widely is
my language spoken in this country?
32. What do NTSC, PAL and SECAM mean?
33. Can I drink the tap water in Europe?
34. Should I be worried about crime in Europe?
35. What's the time difference?
36. What's the weather like over there?
37. How can I phone to Europe?
IV. Selected Links
V. To Do: Possible Additions
I. General Usenet Guidelines
============================
For general information on Usenet, see the "news.newusers.questions
Official Home Page" at
http://web.presby.edu/~nnqadmin/nnq/
For information on standard Usenet etiquette, see the "NNQ" home page
mentioned above and Usenet group news.announce.newusers. If you're new
to Usenet, *please* read at least the following guidelines:
* Welcome to Usenet!
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/usenet/welcome/part1/
* Rules for posting to Usenet
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/usenet/posting-rules/part1/
* Hints on writing style for Usenet
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/usenet/writing-style/part1/
* A Primer on How to Work With the Usenet Community
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/usenet/primer/part1/
* Emily Postnews Answers Your Questions on Netiquette
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/usenet/emily-postnews/part1/
* Advertising on Usenet: How To Do It, How Not To Do It
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/usenet/advertising/how-to/part1/
II. Other FAQs
==============
Readers of rec.travel.europe might also want to consult the following
specialized FAQs:
* Paris Transport FAQ, by Delphine Kensit
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/europe/Paris-Transport/
* Euro Currency Changeover FAQ, by Arwel Parry
http://www.cartref.demon.co.uk/eurofaq.htm
* Travel in the UK, by Martin Rich
http://www.jackdaw.u-net.com/ukfaq/
The following FAQs from Usenet group rec.travel.air may also be helpful:
* Air Traveler's Handbook, by Mark Kantrowitz
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/user/mkant/Public/Travel/airfare.html
* Airline information on-line on the Internet FAQ, by John R. Levine
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/online-info/
* Airline Ticket Consolidators and Bucket Shops FAQ, by Edward Hasbrouck
http://hasbrouck.org/faq/
III. Frequently Asked Questions
===============================
About the newsgroup itself
==========================
1. What countries does the newsgroup cover?
According to its charter, rec.travel.europe covers "all aspects of
travel in Europe", including "Iceland, Russia, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia,
Azerbaijan, Malta, and Cyprus". The charter is at:
ftp://ftp.isc.org/usenet/news.announce.newgroups/rec/rec.travel-reorg
Israel and the "Middle East" are outside the group's mandate; please use
rec.travel.asia instead.
2. Where should I post about rooms or services wanted or offered?
If you have a room for rent or are looking for one, or if you're
offering services to tourists, please post in rec.travel.marketplace,
not in rec.travel.europe. See below for a list of Usenet groups related
to travel.
In general, any post that proposes a payment or an exchange should be
posted in rec.travel.marketplace rather than rec.travel.europe.
3. What other newsgroups deal with travelling or with Europe?
misc.transport.rail.europe Railroads & railways in all of Europe
rec.gambling.misc All other gambling topics including travel
rec.outdoors.rv-travel Discussions related to recreational vehicles
rec.photo.technique.nature Wildlife, landscapes, travel tips etc.
rec.scuba.locations Scuba travel, location questions
rec.skiing.resorts.europe Skiing in Europe
rec.travel.africa Travel on the African continent
rec.travel.air Airline travel around the world
rec.travel.asia Travel in Asia
rec.travel.australia+nz Travel Information for Australia and NZ
rec.travel.bed+breakfast A forum for bed and breakfast guests
rec.travel.budget.backpack Backpack travel discussion group
rec.travel.caribbean Travel to the islands of the Caribbean
rec.travel.cruises Travel by cruise ship
rec.travel.latin-america Travel in Central and South America
rec.travel.marketplace Tickets and accomodations wanted/for sale
rec.travel.misc Everything and anything about travel
rec.travel.resorts.all-inclusive All-inclusive resorts
rec.travel.usa-canada Travel in the United States and Canada
soc.culture.europe All aspects of all-European society
talk.politics.european-union The EU and political integration in Europe
The group misc.transport.rail.europe tends to focus on technical aspects
of railways and railway technology. Non-technical questions about
travelling by train in Europe should be posted in rec.travel.europe
rather than misc.transport.rail.europe.
In addition, many groups in soc.culture.* deal with specific countries
or cultures (soc.culture.albanian, soc.culture.austria,
soc.culture.baltics, and so on). Please check the language policies of
these groups before posting in them.
All these groups are in the so-called "Big Eight" hierarchies and should
therefore be carried by all Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
4. What is "Google"?
Google, http://groups.google.com/, lets you search almost all Usenet
posts since 1980. It can be an invaluable reference. Google is the
successor to a similar service called "Deja News", and later called
"Deja".
To search posts that have appeared in rec.travel.europe, choose
"Advanced Groups Search". Fill in one of the four options under "Find
message" and enter "rec.travel.europe" under "Newsgroup"; you can also
choose other options, such as "Message Dates", if you wish. Press
"Google Search" to complete your request.
To search all groups in the rec.travel.* hierarchy, enter "rec.travel.*"
as the Newsgroup. To search all groups with "europe" in their name
(including misc.transport.rail.europe, rec.arts.comics.european,
rec.sport.basketball.europe, and so on), enter "*europe*" as the
Newsgroup -- note the asterisks both before and after the word "europe".
5. How can I complain about "spam"?
Send a copy of the message to the address "postmaster" at the poster's
Internet Service Provider (ISP). For example, to complain about spam
from a user at aol.com, write to . Be sure to
include all the "headers". With most programs, you can simply type "h"
to see the headers; with Outlook Express, try Ctrl-F3.
For more information, see:
Fight Spam on the Internet - http://spam.abuse.net/spam/
The Net Abuse FAQ - http://www.cybernothing.org/faqs/net-abuse-faq.html
Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email (CAUCE) -
http://www.cauce.org/
Travel planning and preparations
================================
6. I'm going to Europe for the first time. Where should I go?
A common mistake is to try to see too much on a short trip. "Major"
cities such as Paris, Rome and London are easily worth an entire week,
even on a first trip. Even "minor" cities are worth an overnight stay.
You'll typically see more if you choose to explore one or two cities
thoroughly rather than if you try to see the whole of Europe
superficially.
As a rough rule of thumb, don't try to visit more than one country for
every week of your trip.
7. Should I go on my own or with a tour?
Most of Europe is very easy for an independent traveller to visit. The
newsgroup is full of experienced travellers who will be happy to offer
guidance if you need it. For most experienced travellers, part of the
enjoyment is planning and deciding where to go, finding places to stay
and eat, being able to change their plans whenever they want to do so,
and often travelling without knowing for certain what to expect next.
A tour will relieve you of the responsibility of arranging your own
accommodation, of deciding how much time to spend in one place, and up
to a point will insulate you from language difficulties. But it will
also insulate you from the pleasure of mixing with local people, and
will make it difficult for you to make a spontaneous change of plans
when you've just been really attracted by something you've seen.
A tour might also be worth considering if you have a particular
cultural, historical or sporting interest and want to base your trip
around that.
8. What guidebooks are available?
(Thanks to Jeri Dansky for helping with this
section.)
There isn't a single best guidebook: different books address different
needs. Some are designed for budget travellers while some focus on the
more affluent. Some provide lots of practical information, while others
focus on the attractions. Some try to combine different types of
information; some are more focused.
Books within the same series may vary in quality, as they are often
written by different people. However, here are some comments on the main
guidebook series.
Access
Good guides for major cities. Helpful for self-guided walking tours.
Organized by street and block, so you know what restaurants and
stores are near the tourist sights. Good details on major sights and
museums. Accommodations and restaurants are not intended for budget
travellers.
Baedeker's
Good for sights, including finding little known points of interest. No
information on hotels or restaurants.
Blue Guides
http://www.acblack.com/
Good for those who want detailed information on museums and on
historical and archaeological sights. Sometimes considered dry reading.
Bradt
http://www.bradt-travelguides.com/
Not often mentioned; has been recommended for Estonia, Latvia, and
Lithuania.
Cadogan
http://www.cadoganguides.com/
Very good for historical and cultural perspectives. Well written and
opinionated.
Greats Eats/Great Sleeps
(formerly called Cheap Eats/Cheap Sleeps)
http://www.greateatsandsleeps.com/
Not always cheap (by some people's standards), but good values, which
explains the name change. Detailed and accurate.
Dorling Kindersley (DK) Eyewitness
Beautiful books. Good for figuring out what sights to see and also
useful as a souvenir, but has rather little actual information.
Includes neighbourhood maps and museum floor plans. Not the book for
hotel recommendations. Heavy to travel with.
Fodor's
http://www.fodors.com/
General purpose, mainstream guidebook with information on sights,
restaurants and hotels. Too upscale for some; certainly not for budget
travellers. Some strong praise for the restaurant recommendations. The
feature "If you have one day...", "If you have three days...", etc., is
useful for travel planning. Not strong on historical background.
Frommer's
http://www.frommers.com/
All-around guidebook with information on major sights, restaurants,
hotels. Some have been quite pleased with the hotel and restaurant
recommendations. Not strong on historical background.
Gault Millau
Covers hotels and restaurants in France. Less reliable than Michelin Red
Guide -- some say it's much less reliable -- but nicely written, and can
be useful as a check to confirm restaurant recommendations listed in
Michelin.
Guide du routard
For the back-pack and budget traveller; has a fresh and somewhat
opinionated writing style. Very useful for budget lodgings.
Insight Guides
http://www.insightguides.com/
Good for getting the flavour of a place.
Karen Brown
http://www.karenbrown.com/
For those willing to spend more money. Some say they've found memorable
lodgings through these books; others say they've found the descriptions
misleading.
Knopf
Similar to DK Eyewitness (and apparently the inspiration for that
series) in that both are beautiful, very visually focused books. Knopf
has somewhat better background information. For reasonably affluent
travellers.
Knopf Citymap Guides
Lists restaurants, cafes, shopping and sights, with some hotel
suggestions and other miscellaneous information useful for tourists.
Let's Go
http://www.letsgo.com/
Student written guides for budget travellers. Considerable information
on budget accommodation, restaurants, and public transport -- as well as
things like laundromats. Good background information on history and
culture, although not extensive.
Lonely Planet
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/
Notable for amount of information crammed into one book. Strong on the
practical stuff: accommodation, restaurants, public transport,
laundromats, bookstores with English language books. Lots of maps, but
some find them too sketchy. Lacking in historical information. The
colourful writing that marked this series is a thing of the past. Covers
a range of prices; used to be focused on the budget traveller, but have
moved somewhat upscale over time.
Michelin Green
http://www.viamichelin.com/
Detailed information on sites, with a star rating system (3 stars: worth
a journey; 2 stars: worth a detour; 1 star: interesting) that many find
useful in planning a trip.
Michelin Red
http://www.viamichelin.com/
Hotel and restaurant recommendations. Some find them too upscale. Others
point to the non-starred but "good food at moderate prices" listings as
a way of balancing price and quality.
Rick Steves
http://www.ricksteves.com/
People are very passionate about Rick Steves: they tend to really like
him or really dislike him. These are not comprehensive guidebooks for
the countries covered, but focus on Rick's perception of the highlights.
Very opinionated. Seem largely intended to help inexperienced
travellers, beyond their student years, who would like to try
independent travel. Some object to the pace he recommends. Some have
noted that hotels he recommends tend to be full -- with other people
using his guidebooks.
Rough Guides
http://www.roughguides.com/
These guides usually get good marks for general background and
historical and cultural perspective. A number of people note that they
use them to decide where to go, but don't use them for hotel or
restaurant recommendations. There have been vehement complaints about
inaccuracies. A number of people find the books to have a condescending
attitude which was quite annoying.
Time Out
http://www.timeout.com/
Well-regarded guides to specific cities, with useful information on
restaurants, cafes, and other "hang-outs".
Touring Club Italiano
http://www.touringclub.it/
The hardcover regional red guides ("Guide rosse") cover the visual arts
and architecture nearly exhaustively, and provide historical
introductions with separate sections on the history of arts and crafts.
Notable features of local cuisine are sometimes covered in some detail,
but no recommendations for hotels or restaurants are given. There are
also cheaper red guides ("Guide rosse economiche") and still cheaper
green guides ("Guide verdi"). As the price goes down, the amount of
detail decreases. The "Guida rapide" does have hotel and restaurant
recommendations, but has little information on attractions.
9. Do I need a visa to visit ?
Whether you need a visa or not depends on your nationality. The only
reliable source of visa information is a consulate of the country you're
planning to visit. You'll find a list of foreign consulate offices in
the USA at:
http://www.state.gov/s/cpr/rls/fco/
In other countries, your ministry of external affairs or foreign
relations will be able to tell you the locations of consulate offices.
There's a list of visa requirements for US citizens at:
http://travel.state.gov/foreignentryreqs.html
Please note that this list is for US citizens only. It's still a good
idea to check with the consulate of the country you're visiting: these
lists are sometimes out of date.
10. What's the European Union (EU)?
The European Union, formerly known as the European Common Market or the
European Economic Community (EEC), started as a "free trade" or "common
market" agreement. Although trade and economic policy are still its
major focus, it now also deals with social policy, external affairs, and
other matters.
The countries in the European Union are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the
Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The
following countries are expected to join in 2004: Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia,
and Slovenia.
For travellers, the main effect of the EU is that border controls at
airports and elsewhere often have two queues, one for citizens of EU
countries and one for citizens of other countries. Choose the queue
that's appropriate for you.
For more information on the EU, see http://europa.eu.int/.
11. What's a "Schengen visa"?
Some countries in the EU have agreed to unify their entry and visa
requirements. In general, this means that once you're admitted to one of
these countries, you can go to any other, and a visa granted by one of
these countries (known as a "Schengen visa") allows you to enter any
other country.
The countries participating in this agreement are: Austria, Belgium,
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the
Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden; Iceland and Norway also
participate even though they're not in the EU. The following EU
countries do not participate: Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the
countries expected to join the EU in 2004 (see previous section).
There are no border controls between the Schengen countries, so you
won't have to show your passport or visa when going from one country to
another. However, some countries require that you carry your passport or
identity card with you at all times and show it to a police officer on
request; these requirements remain in force.
A consequence of this is that if you're allowed to remain in a Schengen
country as a tourist for 90 days (for example), you can go to any other
Schengen country during that period, but you can't be in *any* Schengen
country once the period expires. You are also usually required to wait
for a certain period of time (often 90 days) before re-entering the
Schengen area. Please consult the consulate of the countries you're
planning to visit to know the requirements that apply to you.
If you're planning to visit more than one Schengen country and require a
visa, you should apply to the country where you're planning to spend the
most time.
12. What should I pack?
The standard advice is to bring half as much clothes as you think you'll
need, and twice as much money. If you think that you couldn't
comfortably carry your suitcase or backpack for a few hundred metres or
yards, you've almost certainly packed too much.
The "Travelite FAQ", http://www.travelite.org/, gives suggestions on
"travelling light", although it sometimes seems rather extreme. For
example, although men might want to "trim their underarm hairs to about
a half-inch in length", as the FAQ used to suggest, it's doubtful that
this will result in a significant difference in the weight of the
anti-perspirant you'll have to bring with you!
In addition to what you'd usually bring on any trip, here are some
things you might want to bring when travelling to a foreign country:
- plug converter if bringing electric appliance
- passport, and photocopy kept separately
- plane and train tickets, and photocopy kept separately
- train and hotel reservations
- health insurance policy
- vaccination certificate
- international driver's licence, as well as your national licence
- foreign cash
- credit card, debit card, bank machine card
- travellers' cheques
- numbers to call if credit card or travellers' cheques are stolen
- telephone company calling card
There's also a "Universal Packing List" at
http://www.henricson.se/mats/upl/.
13. What should I see during my trip?
If you want to ask for advice about attractions, please say something
about your interests. Are you looking for architecture, fine food,
discos, night life, museums, landscapes? The more we know about your
preferences, the more we can help you.
14. What should I bring my European friends as gifts?
You might want to use Google to see what suggestions have been made in
the past. A local specialty or delicacy might be appropriate. Anything
widely available in your country is almost certainly widely available in
Europe.
The Canadian maintainer of this FAQ often brings maple syrup and other
maple products as gifts. They can be hard to find in Europe and are
rather expensive. Other users have suggested a good local wine or a
local photo book.
Money and financial matters
===========================
15. What currency should I use?
Except for Turkey, always use the currency of the country you're
visiting. Even if US dollars or another currency is accepted, you'll get
a terrible exchange rate.
In Turkey, US dollars are very widely accepted, especially for large
purchases. Also, you'll get a much better rate of exchange if you obtain
Turkish liras (whether by changing money or from a cash machine) in
Turkey itself rather than in another country.
As of 1 January 2002, a new currency, the euro, is used in the following
countries: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland,
Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain. For more
information, see the Euro Currency Changeover FAQ by Arwel Parry,
http://www.cartref.demon.co.uk/eurofaq.htm.
16. What's the "Interbank" exchange rate?
The "Interbank" rate is the rate banks charge each other when trading
large amounts. The rate you see listed in the newspapers is usually the
Interbank rate.
Unless you're changing very large amounts, the rate you'll get won't be
as favourable as the Interbank rate, but you can still use it to
determine whether the rate you're offered is reasonable. For
"electronic" transactions involving a bank machine card or credit card,
expect to pay about 1 % more than the Interbank rate. When changing
traveller's cheques or cash, you'll usually have to pay 2 % to 3 % over
the Interbank rate. Try to avoid paying any other fee or commission.
Many newspapers list foreign exchange or "Forex" rates. You can also
find them at http://www.oanda.com/ and
http://www.economist.com/markets/currency/extable.cfm.
17. Will my bank machine card or credit card work in Europe?
It is necessary to distinguish several different kinds of bank cards.
Keep in mind that different countries have different banking cultures,
and that different terms may be used in different countries. A card can
fulfil more than one of the following functions:
* Bank machine card (ATM card): With a bank machine card, you can go to
a bank machine (ATM) and obtain cash. Examples: Plus, Cirrus, Interac,
Maestro, Carte bleue, EC-Card.
* Credit card: With a credit card, you can pay for purchases and you
receive an invoice later. Examples: Visa, MasterCard/EuroCard, American
Express, Discover.
* Debit card: With a debit card, you can pay for purchases and the
amount is immediately withdrawn from your account. Please note that
these cards are used to pay for purchases, not to obtain cash from a
machine. Examples: Maestro, Carte bleue, EC-Card, Electron, Delta,
Switch, Solo. Debit cards are often *not* accepted in a foreign
country.
A card can fulfil more than one of these functions. The following
networks are related and a card may accept more than one of them:
- MasterCard/EuroCard, Cirrus, Maestro;
- Visa, Plus, Electron.
However, it's still important to note the differences between these
functions. For more information, see
http://international.visa.com/ps/products/credit/
http://international.visa.com/ps/products/debit/
http://www.mastercard.com/mcweb/findacard/index.jsp
Any of these cards will generally get the best exchange rate. Many banks
charge 1 % over the "Interbank" rate; ask your bank for details. Some
banks also charge an additional flat fee each time you use your card;
try to find a bank that doesn't charge such fees.
In "Eastern European" countries, cards are usually accepted in major
tourist destinations (Prague, Budapest, Warsaw, and so on), but may not
be accepted in smaller cities or in countries with less tourism.
Here are some specific comments about these three kinds of cards.
* Bank machine cards: Plus, Cirrus and Maestro cards are widely accepted
in Europe. Bank machines will offer you a choice of languages, including
English.
MasterCard/EuroCard/Cirrus/Maestro recommends that you use a 4-digit
identification (PIN) code when travelling abroad; if your code is longer
than this, you should change it to something shorter before leaving.
Visa/Plus recommends that you use a 4-digit to 6-digit code. Also,
European bank machines don't have letters on the numeric keypad; if you
use the letters to remember your code, you'll have to learn the numbers
instead.
Some banks now add a surcharge to foreign transactions; check with your
bank before leaving. In addition, the bank that owns the bank machine
may also add a surcharge. Apparently, there must be a notice on the bank
machine itself in Germany, but no notice is required in Hungary.
If you get money using a bank machine card and are charged a fee by the
machine's owner without a notice appearing on the machine itself, please
write to me at so that I may prepare a list of bank
machines to avoid. However, please make sure that the fee really was
charged by the owner of the machine, not by your own bank.
* Credit cards: Both Visa and MasterCard/EuroCard are widely accepted in
Europe for purchases. American Express is much less useful, and Discover
is not usually accepted in Europe. You can also get a cash advance using
your credit card; in this case, your own bank will charge you interest
starting on the day you received the funds and may also add a surcharge
for foreign transactions. The bank giving you the money shouldn't ask
for any additional commission or fee; if it does, go elsewhere, and
again please write to me at so that I may prepare a list
of banks to avoid.
Some credit card companies become suspicious if the card suddenly starts
being used in a different country or continent. Therefore, some users
suggest letting your credit card company know that you'll be going
abroad.
* Debit cards: As stated previously, these cards often aren't accepted
in foreign countries. For example, foreign debit cards aren't accepted
in Germany and Denmark. However, a debit card might also be a bank
machine card or credit card and can be used as such abroad.
It's recommended that you bring both a bank machine card and a credit
card (two different cards) and, if you wish, a debit card. Use the bank
machine card to get money from bank machines and use the credit card or
debit card to pay for purchases. If you're stuck, you can also use the
credit card to get a cash advance, but you'll then have to pay interest.
If you wish to be prudent, you can bring more than one card of each kind
in case a card isn't accepted for some reason or you run into any
problems. Of course, you should store the cards separately in case
they're lost or stolen.
(Usage varies considerably by country; I've tried hard to make this
explanation as clear as possible both in Europe and elsewhere. If the
text isn't clear to you or if you have any suggestions, please write to
me.)
18. Should I use traveller's cheques?
You'll usually get a worse exchange rate if you use traveller's cheques
rather than any of the cards mentioned above. Still, some travellers
like to have them as a backup in case they can't use their bank machine
card or credit card. If you carry traveller's cheques, ask the issuing
company for the addresses of its offices or of affiliated companies
which will cash the cheques without charge.
Some users of the newsgroup have expressed dissatisfaction with the way
Thomas Cook handled reports of lost or stolen traveller's cheques and
have recommended getting cheques from American Express or another
company instead.
You should get traveller's cheques in your own currency, to avoid having
to pay for the exchange of any cheques left over.
19. Should I change money before I go or when I get there?
It can be useful to obtain a small amount of the local currency (perhaps
$ 20 to $ 50 per traveller) before you leave. Most airports now have
cash machines, and it's doubtful whether any major airport doesn't have
one, so you can withdraw more money once you arrive.
The exception is Turkey, as mentioned above: you should try to change
money in Turkey itself.
20. How do I change money at a bank or _bureau de change_?
Foreign exchange establishments list a "buy" rate and a "sell" rate for
various currencies. The rates are shown from the establishment's point
of view: if you want to obtain the local currency, look at the "buy"
rate for your own currency, since the establishment is "buying" your
currency and giving you the local currency in exchange. The difference
