INTRODUCTION - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 27

Cash, Currencies, and Cards
On January 1, 2002, the euro (abbreviation is EUR; symbol €) became the legal
tender for 12 of the countries in Europe by Eurail : Austria, Belgium, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Nether-
lands, Portugal, and Spain. Based on the decimal system, 100 “cents” equals 1
euro and there are eight different coins and seven different banknotes. Each coun-
try may use a different term for the subunit “cents.” For example, France is permit-
ted to use the term “euro-centimes” and Germany to use “euro-pfennig.” Coins are
issued in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 euro cents, as well as 1-euro and 2-euro coins.
Banknotes are issued in 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 euro denominations.
At press time, $1.00 U.S. = 0.72 EUR. For more information on converting from
U.S. dollars to euros and to other countries' national currencies, visit the web-
site www.xe.com/ucc or create your own “Cheat Sheet for Travelers” online at
www.oanda.com/currency/travel-exchange-rates . You can print out the conver-
sion rates in a wallet-size format for each country you intend to visit. You can also
purchase an electronic foreign exchange rate converter to carry with you.
Don't carry more cash than you can afford to lose; use ATMs (automated teller
machines) or carry traveler's checks. You will, of course, need some cash on your
flight to pay for tips, snacks, refreshments, and taxi fares at your arrival city. U.S.
currency will usually do, but don't carry it all in one big roll—distribute it around in
pockets, briefcase, money clip, and/or money belt. A money belt is an ideal way
to carry larger notes. Getting some smaller denominations of the local currency is
always a great idea for tipping.
ATMs offer the best exchange rate on foreign currencies, but if you plan to use
them, do your homework first. Ask your bank for a list of ATM locations in the coun-
tries where you plan to travel and whether your magnetic imprint needs to be mod-
ified to work in foreign ATMs. Be certain to know your PIN number, and inquire if
the bank will charge you per overseas cash withdrawal. Also, remember that ATM
PIN numbers in Europe are four digits; six digits will not work. The two largest in-
ternational ATM networks are Visa/Plus and MasterCard/Cirrus. To find out which
network your bank uses, you can look on the back of your card for the network
logo. To find the ATM locations abroad for Visa/Plus, write to Visa International,
900 Metro Center Boulevard, M1-9C, Foster City, CA 94404, or access the website
at www.visa.com ; for MasterCard/Cirrus, call (800) 4-CIRRUS, or access its web-
site at www.mastercard.com .
Although U.S. banks levy surcharges for the luxury of using their machines,
these charges do not extend to U.S.-issued cards at machines overseas. Remem-