After a makeover lasting more than two decades, Barcelona has transformed itself into one of the most dynamic and stylish cities in the world. Summer is serious party time, but year-round the city sizzles - it's always on the biting edge of architecture, food, fashion, style, music and good times.
The buildings, especially the work of the eccentric genius Gaudí, will blow you away. The art, with significant collections by Picasso and Miró, will make you clammy all over. The people, with their exuberance, their creative spirit, their persistent egalitarianism, will fascinate you
Population
1,593,000
Currency
Name: Euro
Code: EUR
Symbol: €
Electrical Plugs
220V 50 Hz
Languages Spoken
Official: Spanish
Time Zones
GMT/UTC +1 (Central European Time)
Country Dialing Code
+34
Weights & Measures
Metric
Money and Costs
Plastic will save you the most hassles. ATMs are abundant and accessible if you need cash, but so are the places that take major credit cards. Two or more cards is handy and a few travellers cheques as a backup are also not a bad idea.
Currency, Changing Your Money, Money Tips, Price Guide, Tipping
Currency
Name Euro
Symbol € Euro notes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500. It is often difficult to get change for a €500.00 note.
One euro is divided into 100 cents or centimes. Coins of 1, 2 and 5 centimes are copper-coloured; coins of 10, 20 and 50 centimes are gold-coloured; 1 and 2 euro coins are gold-and-silver coloured. It's a good idea to keep a supply of various coins for parking meters, laundrettes, tolls etc.
Changing Your Money
Travellers cheques can be cashed at banks and exchange offices, and usually attract a slightly higher exchange rate than cash. These days, even small towns have a cajero automático (ATM) where you can withdraw euros from credit and debit accounts at what is usually the best rate for non-euro zone visitors.
Money Tips
Spain is one of Europe's more affordable countries. If you are particularly frugal it's just about possible to scrape by for around €20.00 a day. This would involve staying in the cheapest possible accommodation, avoiding eating in restaurants or going to museums or bars, and not moving around too much. A more comfortable budget would be €40.00 a day, allowing for a basic hotel room, set meals, public transport and entry to museums. With €120.00 a day you can stay in excellent accommodation, rent a car and eat some of the best food Spain has to offer.
Credit and debit cards are widely accepted at hotels and restaurants, especially from the mid-range up, and also for long-distance train tickets.
Be careful carrying your money, whether it's jingling or plastic, as tourists are a major target of theft - hundreds of thousands of credit cards go missing in Spain every year.
Sample Price Guide
movie ticket € 6.50 souvenir t-shirt € 10.00-24.00 national newspaper € 1.00 good mid-range meal € 20.00-35.00 entrance to La Sagrada Família € 8.00 litre of mineral water from supermarket € 0.35 330ml bottle of Estrella Voll Damm beer € 2.00 litre of petrol € 0.95 letter within Europe € 0.57 cocktail € 7.00 Average Room Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe
€35-50 €50-180 €180-400 €400+
Average Meal Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe
€7-20 €20-35 €35-55 €55+
Tipping
You are not expected to tip on top of restaurant service charges, but it is common to leave a small amount, say €1.00 per person. If there is no service charge, you might consider leaving a 10% tip, but this is by no means obligatory. In bars, Spaniards often leave any small change as a tip, often €1.00 . Tipping taxi drivers is not required, but you should tip the porter at higher-class hotels.
Showing posts with label Costs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Costs. Show all posts
Friday, May 2, 2008
France: Money and Costs
Credit and debit cards are convenient and relatively secure. Visa and MasterCard (Access or Eurocard) are widely accepted; AmEx cards are useful at more upmarket establishments. In general, all three cards can be used in shops, supermarkets, for train travel, car rentals, autoroute tolls and cash advances. Remember you'll need to know your PIN number ( le code ) to use a credit card in many hotels, shops and restaurants.
Currency, Changing Your Money, Money Tips, Price Guide, Tipping
Currency
Name Euro
Symbol € Euro notes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500. It is often difficult to get change for a €500.00 note.
One euro is divided into 100 cents or centimes. Coins of 1, 2 and 5 centimes are copper-coloured; coins of 10, 20 and 50 centimes are gold-coloured; 1 and 2 euro coins are gold-and-silver coloured. It's a good idea to keep a supply of various coins for parking meters, laundrettes, tolls etc.
Changing Your Money
The cheapest and most convenient way to change money in France is via ATMs (known as DABs in French); they accept all the major international credit and bank cards. You get the best exchange rate by using a credit card for purchases and a debit card for cash. Travellers cheques are safe and almost universally accepted, especially in larger towns and tourist centres; they also offer better exchange rates than cash. Post offices that exchange travellers cheques give a good rate. Major train stations and fancy hotels also have exchange facilities which usually operate in the evening, at the weekend and during holidays, but the rates are generally poor.
Money Tips
The land of the €5.00 café au lait is not exactly Europe's cheapest destination, but that doesn't mean you have to break the bank to visit. Devoted scrimpers can get by on around €50.00 per day, though it means a whole lot of brie-and-baguettings in the park. For a more well-rounded culinary experience and a comfy bed or two, a minimum of €90.00 is in order. Of course, for the Dom Perignon crowd, those figures might not cover even the day's pourboires - count on dropping €200.00 and up if you're really living large. Student and senior citizen discounts are common. Whatever your budget, figure on everything being up to 50% more expensive in Paris.
Sample Price Guide
litre of petrol € 1.30 small bottle of water € 0.50 petit café/café au lait € 0.90/2.50 filled baguette € 4.50 ten-minute taxi ride € 10.00 bottle of cheap wine € 4.00 develop 36 exposure film € 18.00 rental of small canal boat per week € 1200 hostel bed in Paris with breakfast € 18.00 Average Room Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe
€15-50 €50-100 €100-150 €150+
Average Meal Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe
€4-15 €15-25 €25-35 €35+
Tipping
Leaving a pourboire (tip) is done at your discretion - restaurants and accommodations add a 10-15% service charge to every bill, making a tip unneccesary, but most people leave a few coins if the service is satisfactory.
Currency, Changing Your Money, Money Tips, Price Guide, Tipping
Currency
Name Euro
Symbol € Euro notes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500. It is often difficult to get change for a €500.00 note.
One euro is divided into 100 cents or centimes. Coins of 1, 2 and 5 centimes are copper-coloured; coins of 10, 20 and 50 centimes are gold-coloured; 1 and 2 euro coins are gold-and-silver coloured. It's a good idea to keep a supply of various coins for parking meters, laundrettes, tolls etc.
Changing Your Money
The cheapest and most convenient way to change money in France is via ATMs (known as DABs in French); they accept all the major international credit and bank cards. You get the best exchange rate by using a credit card for purchases and a debit card for cash. Travellers cheques are safe and almost universally accepted, especially in larger towns and tourist centres; they also offer better exchange rates than cash. Post offices that exchange travellers cheques give a good rate. Major train stations and fancy hotels also have exchange facilities which usually operate in the evening, at the weekend and during holidays, but the rates are generally poor.
Money Tips
The land of the €5.00 café au lait is not exactly Europe's cheapest destination, but that doesn't mean you have to break the bank to visit. Devoted scrimpers can get by on around €50.00 per day, though it means a whole lot of brie-and-baguettings in the park. For a more well-rounded culinary experience and a comfy bed or two, a minimum of €90.00 is in order. Of course, for the Dom Perignon crowd, those figures might not cover even the day's pourboires - count on dropping €200.00 and up if you're really living large. Student and senior citizen discounts are common. Whatever your budget, figure on everything being up to 50% more expensive in Paris.
Sample Price Guide
litre of petrol € 1.30 small bottle of water € 0.50 petit café/café au lait € 0.90/2.50 filled baguette € 4.50 ten-minute taxi ride € 10.00 bottle of cheap wine € 4.00 develop 36 exposure film € 18.00 rental of small canal boat per week € 1200 hostel bed in Paris with breakfast € 18.00 Average Room Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe
€15-50 €50-100 €100-150 €150+
Average Meal Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe
€4-15 €15-25 €25-35 €35+
Tipping
Leaving a pourboire (tip) is done at your discretion - restaurants and accommodations add a 10-15% service charge to every bill, making a tip unneccesary, but most people leave a few coins if the service is satisfactory.
Italy: Money and Costs
For the mainstream traveller, a credit card can mean never having to have more than a handful of euros on you. Some small pensioni, trattorie and pizzerie will only accept cash but ATMs are widespread and easy to use.
Currency, Changing Your Money, Money Tips, Price Guide, Tipping
Currency
Name Euro
Symbol € Euro notes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500. It is often difficult to get change for a €500.00 note.
One euro is divided into 100 cents or centimes. Coins of 1, 2 and 5 centimes are copper-coloured; coins of 10, 20 and 50 centimes are gold-coloured; 1 and 2 euro coins are gold-and-silver coloured. It's a good idea to keep a supply of various coins for parking meters, laundrettes, tolls etc.
Changing Your Money
Banks and post offices are the most reliable places to change travellers cheques and generally offer the best rates; shop around for the lowest commission deals and the shortest queues. Credit cards are widely accepted in Italy and the exchange rate is usually better than for cash or travellers cheques.
Money Tips
Those on a tight budget will find eating and sleeping in Italy expensive. Prudent backpackers might squeeze by on around €40.00 to €45.00 a day if they stay in hostels, make their own sandwiches, avoid indulging in alcohol and don't visit too many museums. If you want to stay in comfortable hotels, eat out regularly in restaurants and visit lots of museums and galleries, you should budget at least €100-150 a day; hiring a car will double your expenses. Be aware that Italy has more luxury hotels, expensive restaurants and shops to die for than you can shake a Gold Amex card at, so be prepared to stretch your budget if you are easily tempted.
Sample Price Guide
litre of milk € 1.40 CD € 15.00 can of soft drink € 0.80 basic 'Serie A' football ticket € 15.00 litre of petrol € 1.40 litre of bottled water € 1.00 souvenir t-shirt € 10.00 slice of pizza € 2.00 bottle of Peroni € 2.00 Average Room Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe
€14-40 €40-120 €120-200 €200+
Average Meal Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe
€5-10 €10-20 €20-30 €30+
Tipping
Service charges are included in your restaurant bill, so you are not expected to tip. It is common practice, however, to leave a small amount. In bars, Italians will usually leave any small change as a tip, but this is by no means obligatory. Be aware that prices in Italian bars and cafes double (sometimes even triple) if you sit down. Tipping taxi drivers is not necessary, but your hotel porter will expect a little something.
read more
Currency, Changing Your Money, Money Tips, Price Guide, Tipping
Currency
Name Euro
Symbol € Euro notes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500. It is often difficult to get change for a €500.00 note.
One euro is divided into 100 cents or centimes. Coins of 1, 2 and 5 centimes are copper-coloured; coins of 10, 20 and 50 centimes are gold-coloured; 1 and 2 euro coins are gold-and-silver coloured. It's a good idea to keep a supply of various coins for parking meters, laundrettes, tolls etc.
Changing Your Money
Banks and post offices are the most reliable places to change travellers cheques and generally offer the best rates; shop around for the lowest commission deals and the shortest queues. Credit cards are widely accepted in Italy and the exchange rate is usually better than for cash or travellers cheques.
Money Tips
Those on a tight budget will find eating and sleeping in Italy expensive. Prudent backpackers might squeeze by on around €40.00 to €45.00 a day if they stay in hostels, make their own sandwiches, avoid indulging in alcohol and don't visit too many museums. If you want to stay in comfortable hotels, eat out regularly in restaurants and visit lots of museums and galleries, you should budget at least €100-150 a day; hiring a car will double your expenses. Be aware that Italy has more luxury hotels, expensive restaurants and shops to die for than you can shake a Gold Amex card at, so be prepared to stretch your budget if you are easily tempted.
Sample Price Guide
litre of milk € 1.40 CD € 15.00 can of soft drink € 0.80 basic 'Serie A' football ticket € 15.00 litre of petrol € 1.40 litre of bottled water € 1.00 souvenir t-shirt € 10.00 slice of pizza € 2.00 bottle of Peroni € 2.00 Average Room Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe
€14-40 €40-120 €120-200 €200+
Average Meal Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe
€5-10 €10-20 €20-30 €30+
Tipping
Service charges are included in your restaurant bill, so you are not expected to tip. It is common practice, however, to leave a small amount. In bars, Italians will usually leave any small change as a tip, but this is by no means obligatory. Be aware that prices in Italian bars and cafes double (sometimes even triple) if you sit down. Tipping taxi drivers is not necessary, but your hotel porter will expect a little something.
read more
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