feysul

I am spending one night in Copenhagen and two nights in Gothenburg should i get local currency before i go???

What would you guys do? Thanks

fassy

Marschel

Those fees are banned from January '18.

Often1

Exchange rates on cash purchases here in the US are never great and most now ship it from a central treasury to you or your bank branch and charge a shipping fee as well.

While people on FT sometimes whine about exchange rates on CC transactions, the reality is that the rate is typically not particularly bad (presuming that you have a CC from a "real" card issuer) and you will find that inevitably, if you have cash, you wind up with some when you are back in the US. Nothing you can really do with it other than save it for the next trip and unless there will be one, that left over cash is part of the exchange rate.

fassy

aju

I have some swedish and danish krone (local currencies) that I bring when I travel there (about once a year). I haven't had a single cash transaction there the last three years, so I think I'll dump my cash the next time over.

Bank/credit cards are easy and practical to use in Scandinavia :-).

meraki

You won't need cash but I found Amex to not be widely accepted in Scandinavia.

There were maybe 2 few instances where I paid with cash in Norway (local buses) but with your limited time in CPH and GOT, I doubt you'd need it.

Guillou

As the others have already mentioned you will generally fine without any cash as long as you have a MC or Visa. There are many places that do not accept Amex. Some few exceptions where cash might actually be needed is a separate cloakroom at a nightclub or a hot dog stand on the street. However, even most of these take cards.

FlyingJoy

I was just in Denmark in June, and those fees are still around for foreign-issued credit/debit cards - just not for Danish cards.

GUWonder

If I needed to get cash, I would get it on arrival. In Sweden lots of places refuse to accept cash and only take cards or mobile system payments. While there are some places in Sweden that refuse to take cards for transactions of less than say 50 SEK, those places can mostly be avoided pretty easily and substituted with purchases made at places that do take cards or even used with cards if adding in a pack of gum or something to hit the 50/100 SEK requirement.

The main reason for a foreign tourist to have cash on hand in Sweden is because sometimes foreign card transactions don't work and/or don't get accepted (in part or in full) for some reason or another.

In Denmark, I'm far more likely to need and use cash than in Sweden.

SK2751

Hot dog stands in Denmark tend to take cards In the unlikely case that you hit a place that does not take them just move on to the next one. Bus drivers only take cash, so either install a ticket app, or route yourself to buy tickets in machines (for instance in the airport and at train stations).

Im a new user

The fees were banned in January 2018 provided that you use a personal credit/debit card issued in an EU/EEA country. The fees may still be charged if you use a corporate card or a card from the rest of the world.

Note that a few shops in Denmark only take the local Dankort debit card, but this has been getting uncommon in recent years. I last had this problem at a restaurant in Struer in July. For these transactions you will have to use cash as foreign cards won't work.

TheMadBrewer

On my trip to Stockholm a few years ago I got way too much SEK -- didn't realize how wide spread credit cards are used (most of my visits are to smaller German cities and I never use credit cards outside of hotels and maybe train stations.)

Tried to burn some at some cafes only to be told "sorry, no cash, only charge"

Going back next February and maybe I'll get US$ 100 worth -- maybe less -- only because I am old school and like to have some cash in my pocket

GUWonder

FlyingJoy

Yes, to clarify for others following this thread, my cards and I are from outside the EU and EEA. As such, I got hit with the fees.