Small change and toilets in the Baltics

We are cruising on Celebrity Silhouette to St Petersburg in June, stopping off at Stockholm, Copenhagen and Tallinn.

Whilst we will have euro's in small change to operate public toilets for the other countries, how do people get around this problem in Stockholm, Copenhagen, Tallinn and St Petersburg?

In fact do all the above even have public toilet facilities?

What is your experience / advice please?

Thank you.

In Copenhagen, we changed for DKK for taxi and small shops. In Talinn, most shops we went accept USD. We did shore excursions with private tours in St. Petersburg and Stockholm and did not need local currency for shops we were dropped off. We gave USD in cash tips to tourist guides and drivers.

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It is hard to find a toilet in the Baltics. In Tallin we finally went into a McDonalds but we had to order before we could get a code for the restroom. Most "water closets" we saw were closed and not in use. Rest rooms are definitely not readily available in the Baltics like we are used to in the United States.

Are you asking what money to use for the water closets or for just shopping. As I mentioned we never seen any water closets open for use, although there are some I'm sure. If you are asking for shopping we just used our credit cards but they have to have a chip in them. NO ONE would take one with out a chip.

Enjoy, the Baltics has been our favorite cruise.

Sorry I forgot to mention in my earlier post. In Warnemunde, there were public toilets along the shops by the river for a fee in local currency. In Stockholm, there was a public toilet with no fee. In all shops we went in Talinn, St. Petersburg and Copenhagen, we did not need to look for public toilets as the shops we were dropped off by the tourist guide had toilets inside.

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In Stockholm and Copenhagen we used local currency.

Keith

It coins are needed, they must be in the local currency. Estonia (Tallinn) uses the Euro.

We lent one of our tour group some rubles in St Petes as the local toilets only accepted those.

As much as people want to use blanket US dollars or Euros there are so many elements/places of ports all around Europe (and indeed the world) that ask for local currency.

Just use a cash machine when in port.

We lent one of our tour group some rubles in St Petes as the local toilets only accepted those.

 

As much as people want to use blanket US dollars or Euros there are so many elements/places of ports all around Europe (and indeed the world) that ask for local currency.

 

Just use a cash machine when in port.

Just reverse the thought process. Do you think shopkeepers in tourist areas of LA or New York would take my AUD or English£? If the shops take your US$ they set their win conversion, then have to pay a fee to exchange back to local money. Be considerate, get local currency before you go, on the ship, or at an ATM.

I was horrified last year at the Vasa museum in Stockholm when a woman asked the shop attendant “well how much is thus in US$,not that funny money you use”.

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You can also stop and have a coffee or tea at a local shop. Most all have restrooms available for patrons only. Plus they are usually much cleaner than the public ones.

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Just reverse the thought process. Do you think shopkeepers in tourist areas of LA or New York would take my AUD or English£? If the shops take your US$ they set their win conversion, then have to pay a fee to exchange back to local money. Be considerate, get local currency before you go, on the ship, or at an ATM.

I was horrified last year at the Vasa museum in Stockholm when a woman asked the shop attendant “well how much is thus in US$,not that funny money you use”.

 

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Huh? My post was very very positive for local currency (which is why I was talking about my rubles in Russia). Why are you saying I should be considerate?

I was saying lots of tourists want to use their own currency (esp Americans) but they miss out on lots of little things that are in local currency.

Also, I dont have US dollars on me most of the time as I am from the UK.

Bit confused at your reply.:confused:

Many thanks for all the advice.

I appreciate you are able to get local currency out of their ATM's, but then you have notes. How do people then convert to 'shrapnel'?

Are there any change machines in the port area's which will convert notes to coins?

NO ONE would take one with out a chip.

Can it be chip and signature or does it have to be chip and PIN?

When the chip doesn't work we swipe the cards and sometimes we sign. I live in Sweden.

When the chip doesn't work we swipe the cards and sometimes we sign. I live in Sweden.

Thank you

Many thanks for all the advice.

I appreciate you are able to get local currency out of their ATM's, but then you have notes. How do people then convert to 'shrapnel'?

Are there any change machines in the port area's which will convert notes to coins?

Not that I have seen...when disembarking in port we usually have currency notes on us anyway as we got them from the post office at home and we usually buy a bottle of drink or a small snack then we have our change.

I almost never use cash in Sweden, more or less only my Visa debit card.

When the chip doesn't work we swipe the cards and sometimes we sign. I live in Sweden.

If there's a problem, ask to see a manager, because she/he might know about swiping and signing. Our village shop knew about that because we had many Americans working here, but the students who worked in the shop at weekends etc. had no idea about swiping... it was well before their time that we went on to chip and pin. :o

If there's a problem, ask to see a manager, because she/he might know about swiping and signing. Our village shop knew about that because we had many Americans working here, but the students who worked in the shop at weekends etc. had no idea about swiping... it was well before their time that we went on to chip and pin. :o

I've worked in my family's surf shop on and off since 1989, I think we still have the old analog impression carbon copy device somewhere. We had to use it a few times after the digital system came in, any time there were power outages we could use that device. I've seen every variation in how our machines react to US credit cards, some work with the chip and ask for a pin, others it accepts the chip but asks for a signature, then others it reads the chip and then asks for the card to be swiped too, and then there's Amex cards which require digits from the card to be manually typed in after the swipe and still want a signature too.

Can it be chip and signature or does it have to be chip and PIN?

It depends.

Only place I have run into chip and PIN ONLY, was the Netherlands. Most other places chip and signature is OK.

All my cards have chips, so not sure about swiping.

It depends.

 

Only place I have run into chip and PIN ONLY, was the Netherlands. Most other places chip and signature is OK.

 

All my cards have chips, so not sure about swiping.

I've had chips for a while, but also the magnetic strip. Typically, in Europe, they insert the chip and then something prints out that needs my signature.

Swedish cards have chip AND the magnetic strip.

Just reverse the thought process. Do you think shopkeepers in tourist areas of LA or New York would take my AUD or English£? If the shops take your US$ they set their win conversion, then have to pay a fee to exchange back to local money. Be considerate, get local currency before you go, on the ship, or at an ATM.

I was horrified last year at the Vasa museum in Stockholm when a woman asked the shop attendant “well how much is thus in US$,not that funny money you use”.

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A little dated, but do suggest an answer to the question. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/24/AR2008022401642.html, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-newyork-euros/euros-accepted-signs-pop-up-in-new-york-city-idUSN0655798320080206

Throughout the world, tourist areas with significant numbers of visitors from particular countries generally accept those currencies. In Niagara Falls, US for example, many tourist places accept CA$. In fact, at times they advertise and accept the currency at par.

Perhaps with the exception of currency controlled countries, shopkeepers tend to be accomodating if it means a significant sale.

A little dated, but do suggest an answer to the question. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/24/AR2008022401642.html, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-newyork-euros/euros-accepted-signs-pop-up-in-new-york-city-idUSN0655798320080206

 

Throughout the world, tourist areas with significant numbers of visitors from particular countries generally accept those currencies. In Niagara Falls, US for example, many tourist places accept CA$. In fact, at times they advertise and accept the currency at par.

 

Perhaps with the exception of currency controlled countries, shopkeepers tend to be accomodating if it means a significant sale.

Some places in Sweden will take Euro, very few will take U.S $.

We have found that shops catering to tourists, close to cruise ports in Norway, will accept foreign money. The last time we bought something at such a shop, the price was listed as £20, €20, $30. Outside such spots, though, most countries only accept their own currency or occasionally €€

We have found that shops catering to tourists, close to cruise ports in Norway, will accept foreign money. The last time we bought something at such a shop, the price was listed as £20, €20, $30. Outside such spots, though, most countries only accept their own currency or occasionally €€

Yeah, that is a great deal for the shop.

As I type this, €20 = $24.53 = £17.79

Or $30 = €24.45, £20 = €22.49