Money

€ $ MONEY $ €

WELCOME TO THE EURO!
The European Union has consolidated their currency systems and now many countries use the Euro. So you can’t use any old Deutsch Marks (DMs) you may have saved over the years and you won’t be able to pay the bathroom lady 10 Pfennig anymore.
If you do have any old DMs saved up you can exchange them for Euros at the Deutsche Bundesbank:
     Kurstraße 40
     10117 BERLIN
     near U-Bahn Hausvogteiplatz
     Monday thru Friday from 8:30am - 1:00pm
     Telephone: 011-49-30-3475-0 or 011-49-30-3475-2890

THE DOLLAR IS WEAKER THAN THE EURO
The strength of the dollar has gotten weaker and weaker against the Euro over the last few years. However, as the 1st half of 2005 came to a close the U.S. $$$ has risen 12 percent against the Euro. Some expect it to get increasingly better.........so tune in monthly to view the trend.
Also, visit www.x-rates.com/calculator.html to make your own calculations:

ATM Cards
Using an ATM is the easiest way to get cash in Europe and will give you the best exchange rate. Some banks allow one overseas ATM transaction to go through, but block any further transactions for security reasons.
Check with your bank if you need to notify them when you will be overseas so your transactions will not be blocked.
Also, money withdrawal service charges can be as much as $6 per transaction. Check with your bank to verify how much your transactions will cost you.

VAT Refunds
Americans can receive a refund for German taxes on some purchases. Check this site out for more information:
www.germany.info/relaunch/business/taxes/german_tax_vat_refund.html

VISA/MasterCard
You can’t rely on your VISA or MasterCard in Germany like you can in the states, because many restaurants and some stores in Germany do not take credit cards. They accept only cash or EC (European Currency) cards. So make sure and carry enough cash for your expenses.

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