Cash in Greece

cloudy-day

Hi all. We are off to Rhodes next Wednesday. We usually take some Euros and Sterling Travellers cheques to cash at the hotel. Old fashioned I know, but TSB offer TCs free and the hotel have no issues changing them. TheATM in the town rarely has cash in it normally, and I like the security aspect of TCs.

So I see the advice is to take more cash to Greece, so weare thinking of just taking cash - £2,000. Now I’m not sure I like the idea of having that amount of money on me, but I suppose everyone will be in the same boat. We’ll be putting in the hotel’s safety deposit box the moment we arrive but I can’t help feeling nervous.

Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?

Also should it be all Euros or some £s too? We’ll have the credit card as we’ll be using it at the airport and it’ll be good for emergency backup.

Any reassurance would be greatly appreciated!

cloudy-day

Anyone?

Some advice re take £ or euros would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Kedi_Yavrusu

We are going to Corfu soon and that is what we are planning to do too. We will take some euros and some sterling and keep it in a safety deposit box plus a credit card for back up.

Pollycat

I'll do the same as I've always done - take a fair amount of euros plus some sterling.
I know the accommodation we're going to has safe deposit boxes in the room.

I would not take travellers cheques and I wouldn't rely on being able to get money from an ATM.

Mersey_2

Yes, the advice is now to take cash (Euros, $ or £) as Greek banks are all closed for at least the next week and there are queues at ATMs.


Aviva have also doubled their cover to £600 per person for lost/stolen currency.

sillygoose

I don't see the point of taking anything other than Euros as even if the decision is to exit it would take months to organise an alternative so life will go on with Euros until then.

Its good advice to take plenty of cash of course but it does no harm to take a prepay card too as you can decide to top it up or not when your there.

Posted yesterday on a Corfu forum by someone there..

"We are in Paleo and had no problem taking a large amount of cash from one of the ATM's today, security guy arrived when we were there to fill the ATM up. Anyone coming to Corfu please don't panic the English media are making the matter worse as usual!! We do however feel very sorry for the Greek people as they are restricted to withdrawing 60 Euros a day after midday and are worried about their finances, hopefully all will be resolved soon."

I am going in August and not so worried about money, more if there is industrial action or something that messes up flights.

PolishBigSpender

Pollycat wrote: »

I'll do the same as I've always done - take a fair amount of euros plus some sterling.
I know the accommodation we're going to has safe deposit boxes in the room.

I would not take travellers cheques and I wouldn't rely on being able to get money from an ATM.

This advice is sound.

However, it looks like a deal might be done before midnight, in which case everything is back to normal for now.

sillygoose

PolishBigSpender wrote: »

This advice is sound.

However, it looks like a deal might be done before midnight, in which case everything is back to normal for now.

Nein!

she says apparently.

Mersey_2

sillygoose wrote: »

I don't see the point of taking anything other than Euros as even if the decision is to exit it would take months to organise an alternative so life will go on with Euros until then.

Its good advice to take plenty of cash of course but it does no harm to take a prepay card too as you can decide to top it up or not when your there.

Posted yesterday on a Corfu forum by someone there..

"We are in Paleo and had no problem taking a large amount of cash from one of the ATM's today, security guy arrived when we were there to fill the ATM up. Anyone coming to Corfu please don't panic the English media are making the matter worse as usual!! We do however feel very sorry for the Greek people as they are restricted to withdrawing 60 Euros a day after midday and are worried about their finances, hopefully all will be resolved soon."

I am going in August and not so worried about money, more if there is industrial action or something that messes up flights.

I tend to agree, but I assume it's because the value of the Euro has fallen 1% per day and may fall further, so the £ or $ would get you more.

DTDfanBoy

sillygoose wrote: »

Nein!

she says apparently.

It's only a polite Nein when discussing the matter outside Greece, she has a slightly different message for those in the actual country :eek:

Yolina

We shouldn't need to take *any* money to Greece; to repay their debt, holidays there should be free for EU members for years to come :rotfl: