Using Dollars in Norway

I just returned from an 11 night Arctic Circle cruise to Norway on Serenade OTS.

I started out with $100 worth of kroners, and by the end of the trip, I was just using them up so I wouldn't have to exchange them back to dollars. Dollars, euros, and kroners were accepted just about everywhere we stopped and where they weren't, credit cards worked just fine.

We tipped our tour guides with dollars also, but would like to comment that it was only the Americans who tipped - the Europeans and other nationalities didn't. (Not a judgment call, simply an observation.)

I was concerned about needing change for pay toilets, but never ran into that either.

Hope this information helps others who are going to Norway this summer.

Thank you so much for the info. We have pre-purchased Kroners thru our bank to have with us. Nice to know if we run out, we can still shop!lol.

Thanks. Not going until 2017, but good to know. So toilets are not pay toilets, or the tours you were on paid for you? Curious...

Thanks. Not going until 2017, but good to know. So toilets are not pay toilets, or the tours you were on paid for you? Curious...

I never ran into any pay toilets. In Bergen and Olden the toilets at the information center were free. The rest of the time we were on tours and free toilets,(no coins needed), were available in the places we visited.

Sometimes there is an attendant in the WC and you are expected to put .50 euro cent in the saucer. Its not discretionary, its expected.

I would be thankful you were able to use dollars. We never go to another country expecting to use dollars. I am sure Danes don't come to the US expecting to use krone.

I also bought Krone from my bank before leaving home, and actually came back with some left over. Use my credit cards (VISA and American Express) a lot for things like tours, train tickets, public transportation, meals, etc. Only saw paid toilets a few places in Norway, and rarely any public toilets with attendants. Never tried to use dollars. It is not very convenient for small shop owners or snack bar owners to have to change dollars, so surprised you were able to use them in Norway.

We also are just back from a cruise that stopped in Oslo and prior to our cruise had purchased about $150 of NOKs. As we had prepaid for our tour we only needed to purchase a few small souvenirs, a bit of lunch and a tip for the guide so we also had extra NOKs which we were able to exchange for euros at the Deutsche Bank in Munich together with some other Scandinavian currencies we had. While we didn't see anything priced in euros or USDs however I can only guess that merchants would accept them at some rate of exchange which may not be favourable.

We only changed ten US dollars, which our guide on our Oslo tour changed for us. He was paying for a single coffee with his credit card and that is the norm there. We had a tour every day and we went back onto the ship for lunch as Norway is so expensive.

Yes generally only Americans tipped the guides though we did tip a couple as they were exceptional. European tipping customs are similar to our own and it is not required though appreciated.

Every one of our tours in Norway was great and all the guides were very good. They are very proud of their very beautiful country, with good reason. We were blessed with excellent weather which we gathered was rare.

By the way, we did not notice any money exchange offices in Oslo though of course we may have missed some. We went into bank at Stavanger but it was like the latest ones in Sydney. No counters at all and I think a person who would assist you to use the ATM if you need help. We didn't bother.

Our friend tried to use US dollars in a few places and they were refused. They eventually changed the minimum of $30.

but would like to comment that it was only the Americans who tipped - the Europeans and other nationalities didn't. (Not a judgment call, simply an observation.) .

When we first went to Norway, a tip was not expected. It's only recently that it has seems to have become regular.

I was concerned about needing change for pay toilets, but never ran into that either.

Many toilets cost 10 kroner, the coin put in a slot before the door will open. If you're dining in restaurants, you may have to ask for the code for the door.

Out of interest, do you accept kroner for tips in the US?

We did have some Krone when we went to Norway, but mainly used our CC that doesn't charge for foreign transactions.

I imagine touristy places accept other currencies and offer a bad rate of exchange.

Do not use in Europe!!!

Gaelsail says it all would you accept NOK for tips in NYC!!

Tips are not the custom in Norway or indeed much of Europe now, but paying in dollars in Norway is in my opinion worse than no tip at all. Even in the UK if you left a $10 tip it will cost you £3 to change to Sterling, unless you are going to the USA, it is not really that generous. In Norway people are paid a high proper wage and therefore there is no tip culture

I know that tipping is not the culture in the UK, which is very nice. However, our travel guide company for Scandinavia recommended that a tip equal to 10% to the guide and 5% to the driver would be in order if we were happy with our tours.

ROFL. Of course the tour company recommends you tip (and tip well). But they only do this for American/Canadian groups. If they did that with a group of Aussies (or many from the UK) it would be ignored....or resented.

Hank

ROFL. Of course the tour company recommends you tip (and tip well). But they only do this for American/Canadian groups. If they did that with a group of Aussies (or many from the UK) it would be ignored....or resented.

 

Hank

This is so true! UK and Aussies do not feel that it should be expected to tip. Scandinavians in particular are well paid and the tipping culture of the US is not part of everyday life ... but US travellers are welcomed because they seem to throw their $ about!

I would be thankful you were able to use dollars. We never go to another country expecting to use dollars. I am sure Danes don't come to the US expecting to use krone.

[emoji122][emoji122] thank you. I cannot understand why it is expected for other countries to accept USD, when you will never use your own country currency in US

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I would be thankful you were able to use dollars. We never go to another country expecting to use dollars. I am sure Danes don't come to the US expecting to use krone.

I am well traveled, so I know not to expect to use $'s outside of the US; however, the majority of stores we visited had signs stating the they accepted kroners, euros, and dollars. I'm not referring to very small businesses, just major stores And, it wasn't the Danes, it was the Norwegians. :roll eyes:

I also bought Krone from my bank before leaving home, and actually came back with some left over. Use my credit cards (VISA and American Express) a lot for things like tours, train tickets, public transportation, meals, etc. Only saw paid toilets a few places in Norway, and rarely any public toilets with attendants. Never tried to use dollars. It is not very convenient for small shop owners or snack bar owners to have to change dollars, so surprised you were able to use them in Norway.

Just about every eating place at the fish market in Bergen had signs with the price in kroner, euros, and many also had the price in dollars. Bergen was our last port, so I used up my kroners. My only point in posting this information was that we only had $100 worth of kroners for an 11 night cruise and at the end we were just trying to get rid of them. Most of the time I used my credit card. It's defiantly not necessary to carry a lot of kroners on a cruise.

Do not use in Europe!!!

Gaelsail says it all would you accept NOK for tips in NYC!!

Tips are not the custom in Norway or indeed much of Europe now, but paying in dollars in Norway is in my opinion worse than no tip at all. Even in the UK if you left a $10 tip it will cost you £3 to change to Sterling, unless you are going to the USA, it is not really that generous. In Norway people are paid a high proper wage and therefore there is no tip culture

Well, you need to tell that to the cab driver who was really nasty with us in Copenhagen about the tip we gave him. He spoke very little English, but the guy at the pier said her was being a jerk.

Thanks. Not going until 2017, but good to know. So toilets are not pay toilets, or the tours you were on paid for you? Curious...

Public toilets are usually pay toilets at all the Baltic ports including Oslo. In Tallinn they were all coin-operated meaning you needed exact change - shops would let you use their toilets for a fee of one euro.

Toilets inside tourist venues are more likely to be free, including information centres. You can also use the toilets at restaurants and bars IF you buy something.

We found that on every excursion, the tour guide had arrangements at various places to allow us to use toilets free, or they knew where there was a free public one.

Cruising has become big business in recent years in Europe.,so, consequently businesses that are close to where cruise ships dock are willing to accept various currencies. At the end of the day they want to make money. Likewise, many large stores in central London, Paris, Rome etc often accept foreign currencies.

However, the rate of exchange is going to be in the vendors favour as they have to change the foreign currencies and will protect themselves against currency fluctuations, so much better to pay in local currency or CC.

As already stated, I really don't understand either why it is expected that in European countries you can pay in USD. I doubt if I could pay in GBP or Euros in Phoenix, Arizona.

Cruising has become big business in recent years in Europe.,so, consequently businesses that are close to where cruise ships dock are willing to accept various currencies. At the end of the day they want to make money. Likewise, many large stores in central London, Paris, Rome etc often accept foreign currencies.

 

However, the rate of exchange is going to be in the vendors favour as they have to change the foreign currencies and will protect themselves against currency fluctuations, so much better to pay in local currency or CC.

 

As already stated, I really don't understand either why it is expected that in European countries you can pay in USD. I doubt if I could pay in GBP or Euros in Phoenix, Arizona.

Oh good grief, I never said it was expected, only reported what I experienced.

Just trying to be helpful, but as usual, some of you have get on your soapboxes.

Bye

We recently returned from Norway and only in Bergen did we see signs that dollars were accepted. We were in several smaller ports and the shops and restaurants would only take Krone (or credit cards of course).

Credit card really is the way to go. No one will blink an eye, and there is rarely a minimum purchase.

The other day I ran across the street to the green grocer to buy a single carrot. It was 3 NOK (36¢ US). Since the smallest bit of cash I had in my wallet was 50 NOK, it was easier for the shopkeeper to just put it on my bank card rather than making a bunch of change. :D

mek

I wasn't on my soap box, just saying how it is.