Diners or American Express are not so popular.

With these two cards you will have no problems.

For small money take small bills of US Dollars, they are accepted world-wide.

In 2002 the Euro is coming, so you will have no problems in most of European Countries if you have this currency.

Dollars are NOT accepted everywhere!!!

I have to agree with Malcolm, if its the cruise I think it is you will be calling in at Greenock, in Scotland, and I would not try offering US dollars in payment on the West Coast or you might just be offered a "Glasgow Kiss"

Anyway I am sure you will have a brilliant cruise, if you are interested there already has been a discussion taken place regarding Greenock in the "Ports" topic.

Gohaze you would be amazed at just how many people take that "funny stuff" away from Scotland as a keepsake. Ours bank have to reprint money as a lot of it goes missing out of circulation on a regular basis.

Scottylass made a serious point by the way, a lot of people here in Scotland would be most offended if you offered them US dollers in the same way that waiting staff in America would no doubt feel if I offered them Scottish pounds. What use is a tip which you have to pay currency exchange charges on?

Only extreme arrogance would make any traveller think that their currency will take them anywhere, particulalry in an ancient and proud nation like Scotland. Why should they accept the currency of relative newcomers on the world stage - remind me how old is the USA, the Scots have been around for thousands of years.

The US Doller may be a major currency but that does not mean that it is acceptable anywhere. As the saying goes when in Rome do as the Romans do and use the proper currency.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Scottylass:
I would not try offering US dollars in payment on the West Coast or you might just be offered a "Glasgow Kiss"

A "Glasgow Kiss" = "A headbutt"!

Peter... Yes English Banks will change your Scottish Pounds into English currency with no problem, and the notes are accepted in any store in England, they may look at them twice but they are accepted.....

Jules... Well said - were not "Bairns" for nothing eh!...

Malcolm - spot on with the translation - was only joking by the way!!

Cheers
Mary

[This message has been edited by Scottylass (edited 12-16-2000).]

Ah but what a nice souvenier

Anyway arriving in Greenock you would only need to exchange to pounds sterling and you would probably be given English Notes then you go ashore and spend as your heart desires.

I think all we were trying to do was give some practical advice whereby if "Luvto" goes ashore in Norway and decides to use any of the public transport systems then she will have to hand over local currency, US dollars will not be accepted, this was the case in Oslo last year when we were using the Tram system and I am sure it will still be the same, maybe Malcolm will confirm this as he was there this year.

Granted there are many places eg market stalls in Rome or Russia that gladly wish US dollars, but they are not accepted everywhere.

So now you know what to do when you arrive in Greenock, when are you coming?

When I said that Scots have been around for thousands of years I was inaccurate, I should have said tens of thousands of years. There is well documented proof that there have been people in Scotland since the neolithic peoriod (during the Holocene Epoch).

I was simply making the point that we have one of the oldest banking systems in the world here and a very stable currency. You could say that most currencies are useless outside their own domain. Personally I think that the Euro is an excellent idea and I can't wait for it to come in. I get fed up changing money as well but until that happy day there is little other choice but to do so for basics such as local transport and, yes, the all important toilets.

quote:

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Originally posted by Jules:
Personally I think that the Euro is an excellent idea and I can't wait for it to come in.

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I also think it will be particularly sad if or when we all speak the same language which is a paradox given that I have a very poor grasp of other people's! I speak a little French, less German and a smattering (good morning can I have a coffee please) of Italian and Dutch. I have fun trying and I am sure that the people in the respective countries have even more fun listening to my pronounceation. At present I am studying Japanese.

I suppose the problem if you speak English is which other language do you learn well that will take you to more than one place?

Gohaze - we have a common interest, I have always found history fascinating. Must have taken a lot of research to delve back so far in your family tree. Part of the reason I love to travel is to see sites of interest at each port.

Scottylass made a serious point by the way, a lot of people here in Scotland would be most offended if you offered them US dollers in the same way that waiting staff in America would no doubt feel if I offered them Scottish pounds. What use is a tip which you have to pay currency exchange charges on?

Only extreme arrogance would make any traveller think that their currency will take them anywhere, particulalry in an ancient and proud nation like Scotland. Why should they accept the currency of relative newcomers on the world stage - remind me how old is the USA, the Scots have been around for thousands of years.

The US Doller may be a major currency but that does not mean that it is acceptable anywhere. As the saying goes when in Rome do as the Romans do and use the proper currency.

Jules, I am sorry that you are offended by American currency. I find your currency quite neutral, and certainly not offensive. It is fortunate for us travelers that you are not a shopkeeper or innkeeper in Scotland, since in my travels there, all of the merchants we dealt with took no offense whatsoever at our American currency.

As an aside, Visa or Mastercard are certainly the most practical way to go to save a lot of complications and calculatlions.