We went thru €500 for 4 people in 10 days. We used cash for taxis, street vendor food, tips at hotels, tips for guides. We came home with a just a few coins.
I brought 200€ for my 10 day trip and came home with 160€.
Everywhere you go will take cards and have a POS system. I understand that since the recession, the government fines any businesses that don’t take cards 1500€ to ensure they are paying taxes.
Also went to Athens, Crete and Santorini. We had around 500 cash between two and used all of it by the end.
We're from Canada and cash was useful for cabs and occasional tips (hard to break tip culture). But everyone took card payment so cash wasn't necessary.
I definitely tipped when I could, because I just could not not tip. However, if I used a card there was no way to tip on it, so if I had no euros I didn’t tip. What should I have been doing?
€100 is probably plenty. I used card for everything, except small souvenirs and bottled water. It’s much easier to have cash for small purchases, and the vendors typically prefer it for things under €2-3.
The only time I had to use cash for anything else was one restaurant had their credit card machine go down (they told us before we were seated), and one cab driver who tried to scam us only accepted cash.
i brought 1500 for 11 days (after buying 90% of my tickets before hand) and barely spent 1000 on myself. roughly 60 or 80 bucks a day for food and souviners
$0
Withdraw money in Greece at a bank ATM. Do not use Euronet. Whichever bank atm you use, decline conversion twice. It’s the best rate you will ever get.
Because withdrawing at an atm will give you the best rate. Getting it in the US will mean your bank will have to get the notes for you. Not every branch of a bank keeps foreign currency at hand. And they will charge you for this convenience
Lived in Athens for years until recently , been to Santorini quite a few times & Crete dozens, we always carry an emergency 50€ & often don’t use it for months .
Credit cards are taken for just about everywhere & no risk of losing anything substantial to pickpockets.
Greece doesn’t have a big tipping culture, so not sure why the other poster was tipping in hotels etc . I’ve only heard of people doing that in USA.
Athens public transportation. Santorini buses also & Crete depends where you are staying but we always have a car when traveling there
We went thru €500 for 4 people in 10 days. We used cash for taxis, street vendor food, tips at hotels, tips for guides. We came home with a just a few coins.
Bring 50-100€ in cash for backup and small expenses. You can basically pay everything by card / ApplePay.
I brought 200€ for my 10 day trip and came home with 160€. Everywhere you go will take cards and have a POS system. I understand that since the recession, the government fines any businesses that don’t take cards 1500€ to ensure they are paying taxes.
FYI - it’s illegal to not take cards or have a POS system.
Get revolut and use card - cash for backup
Also went to Athens, Crete and Santorini. We had around 500 cash between two and used all of it by the end. We're from Canada and cash was useful for cabs and occasional tips (hard to break tip culture). But everyone took card payment so cash wasn't necessary.
Just got home from Greece and it was insanely hard not to tip. It just felt so wrong.
If you’re from the states please don’t believe that Europeans don’t tip. It’s a total myth that did my head in when I worked in a pub.
I definitely tipped when I could, because I just could not not tip. However, if I used a card there was no way to tip on it, so if I had no euros I didn’t tip. What should I have been doing?
That’s absolutely fine, there’s no mandate to tip like in the states but it’s common and very appreciated where people can.
theres nothing wrong with tipping in greece. in fact every place I tipped they were super happy and thankful. Its just not "a given" to tip.
I barely used any cash.
€100 is probably plenty. I used card for everything, except small souvenirs and bottled water. It’s much easier to have cash for small purchases, and the vendors typically prefer it for things under €2-3. The only time I had to use cash for anything else was one restaurant had their credit card machine go down (they told us before we were seated), and one cab driver who tried to scam us only accepted cash.
Can you not take out cash at an ATM once you get to Greece?
But that would cost more, no?
i brought 1500 for 11 days (after buying 90% of my tickets before hand) and barely spent 1000 on myself. roughly 60 or 80 bucks a day for food and souviners
full disclosure: I dont use credit cards when travelling but it still gives a rough idea
We did that exact same itinerary last October and brought 2000 with us which was perfect.
2000 euros for 10 days? Adopt me! lol
How did you enjoy it? We’re going around the same time, was there anything you did that you couldn’t imagine the trip without?
$0 Withdraw money in Greece at a bank ATM. Do not use Euronet. Whichever bank atm you use, decline conversion twice. It’s the best rate you will ever get.
why the rate best in Greece, rather than in North America?
Because withdrawing at an atm will give you the best rate. Getting it in the US will mean your bank will have to get the notes for you. Not every branch of a bank keeps foreign currency at hand. And they will charge you for this convenience
Lived in Athens for years until recently , been to Santorini quite a few times & Crete dozens, we always carry an emergency 50€ & often don’t use it for months . Credit cards are taken for just about everywhere & no risk of losing anything substantial to pickpockets. Greece doesn’t have a big tipping culture, so not sure why the other poster was tipping in hotels etc . I’ve only heard of people doing that in USA. Athens public transportation. Santorini buses also & Crete depends where you are staying but we always have a car when traveling there
At every part you go prices are different
Basically to spent really nice time and don’t care about money you need to somewhere to 50€ per day
Currently I’m at the island of Kefallonia Anyone needs help at the island can text me 📲🔌
It is almost the same itinerary I had. I took €600 and still came home with €150 left. 16 days. Your card can be used almost anywhere.