St. Petersburg
Pinoke
Comments appreciated. TIA
Cheers,
Loy
bjor...@my-deja.com
loyl...@cs.com (Pinoke) wrote:
> Is it wise to have smal US notes in St. Petersburg or is that a No-No?
> Comments appreciated. TIA
Don't know about tipping, as I never tip (doesn't seem necessary, IMHO).
Otherwise, all transactions are done in roubles, so you need to bring
your dollars to the currency exchange office (there is one at every
street corner). They may reject bills that are torn, even if they're so
slightly torn that you think they'd be accepted anywhere else. I've
changed different denominations (20, 50, and 100) and no-one seems to
care which. I belive charging (and/or paying) in dollars is illegal. You
may occasionally see prices quoted in dollars, but even then you're
expected to pay in roubles.
Bjorn
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Natasha
Some people, for example, taxis arranged by a large hotel, may accept
$20 for a taxi ride to downtown. Keep in mind that the same ride will
cost you about $5 in rubles. One dollar bills are not so useful. Five,
ten, and twenty dollar bills are useful to pay interpreters. You will get
a better rate of exchange at a bank, rather than at your hotel. 100s
and 50s are best for exchanging at a bank. Bring relatively new bills.
Dog-eared, torn, or old-style bills will not be accepted.
Pinoke wrote:
> Is it wise to have smal US notes in St. Petersburg or is that a No-No?
> Comments appreciated. TIA
> Cheers,
>
> Loy
Deb
official line is to only use rubles, everyone will take American money.
Restaurants will have the price in both rubles and dollars on your check.
Our guide told us Russians like to get dollars to exchange them for rubles,
since they get more for their money. We tipped our hotel maids and cab
drivers in dollars.
Susan Cronmiller
quoted prices in US$ first and then had to fumble around finding and using a
calculator to give you the equivalent price in rubles if thats the currency
you had. This is one scenario where smallbillUS$ would come in handy.
Pinoke <loyl...@cs.com> wrote in message
news:20000821100456...@ng-fw1.news.cs.com...
greg byshenk
> We were in St. Petersburg in May and used rubles and dollars. Although the
> official line is to only use rubles, everyone will take American money.
> Restaurants will have the price in both rubles and dollars on your check.
> Our guide told us Russians like to get dollars to exchange them for rubles,
> since they get more for their money.
Perhaps I'm missing something, but this doesn't seem to make sense to me.
Why would "they get more for their money" if they "get dollars to exchange
[...] for rubles"? To the best of my knowledge, the "hard currency stores"
are a thing of the past, and I don't see how one could derive any benefit
from the need to exchange received foreign currency -- and probably pay a
fee for doing so! -- rather than just recieving the local currency (that
the visitor has paid to exchange).
When you were presented with a bill totalled in both dollars and rubles, did
you compare the different amounts carefully, based on current exchange rates?
I wouldn't be at all surprised if some people "like to get dollars" because
they charge a significant premium for doing so. I know that on a few
occasions when I've noticed a hostel or some other business accepting foreign
currencies, there has been a significant extra cost (on the order of 20-25%)
for using something other than the local currency.
--
greg byshenk - gbys...@byshenk.net o__
hate spam? <http://www.cauce.org> _,>/'_
<http://www.byshenk.net/ive.been.spammed.html> (_) \(_)
bjor...@my-deja.com
"Susan Cronmiller" <suecro...@home.com> wrote:
> I was in St.Petersburg last month and found that almost all street
vendors
> quoted prices in US$ first and then had to fumble around finding and
using a
> calculator to give you the equivalent price in rubles if thats the
currency
> you had. This is one scenario where smallbillUS$ would come in handy.
Sounds to me as if you were falling prey to a tourist rip-off scam. In
places with fewer tourists, it is (at least in my experience) very rare
to see prices quoted in dollars, and it's only done for things of
significant value. For example, I've seen it in one furniture shop (But
on the other hand, I was in 4-5 other furniture shops which listed
prices only in roubles).
It seems to me what people do is that they take some savings and
exchange to dollars as an "insurance" against inflation. Then, when it's
time to use those savings, they go and change it back into roubles, and
then go shopping. This is better than putting savings it in a bank
account, as interest rates are low and inflation high (or at least it
used to be high - that may have changed in the last few months).
bjor...@my-deja.com
<gbys...@byshenk.net> wrote:
> Deb <debn...@flash.net> wrote:
> > We were in St. Petersburg in May and used rubles and dollars.
Although the
> > official line is to only use rubles, everyone will take American
money.
> > Restaurants will have the price in both rubles and dollars on your
check.
> > Our guide told us Russians like to get dollars to exchange them for
rubles,
> > since they get more for their money.
>
> Perhaps I'm missing something, but this doesn't seem to make sense to
me.
>
> Why would "they get more for their money" if they "get dollars to
exchange
> [...] for rubles"? To the best of my knowledge, the "hard currency
stores"
> are a thing of the past, and I don't see how one could derive any
benefit
> from the need to exchange received foreign currency -- and probably
pay a
> fee for doing so! -- rather than just recieving the local currency
(that
> the visitor has paid to exchange).
It can only make sense under the scenario that the person recieving the
money is going to save it for some time. One useful tactic is to change
savings into dollars, wait for the rouble to lose more of its value, and
then change it back (thus getting "more for the money", and not having
to make the initial exchange from roubles to dollars oneself). However,
the rouble is now pretty stable against the dollar, so this is not so
useful anymore, and I think the practice is about to disappear.
> When you were presented with a bill totalled in both dollars and
rubles, did
> you compare the different amounts carefully, based on current exchange
rates?
> I wouldn't be at all surprised if some people "like to get dollars"
because
> they charge a significant premium for doing so. I know that on a few
> occasions when I've noticed a hostel or some other business accepting
foreign
> currencies, there has been a significant extra cost (on the order of
20-25%)
> for using something other than the local currency.
Yes, this is my experience also.
Natasha
Petersburg three times, and have never been asked by a street vendor
to pay in any currency other than Russian roubles. Of course, I try to
wear dark, or at least non-bold, colors, and try not to act like an ugly
American.
Susan Cronmiller
small US$ into St.P. Certainly as other people have suggested, rubles are
used everywhere and US$ pricing mainly came up in a few tourist areas. As I
spent almost all my time seeing the wonderful sights of St.P. I devoted
little time to shopping. But there were a few delightful areas near some the
main attractions(St.Isaac's cathedral, Church on the Spilled Blood, Aurora
battleship) where there were street vendors selling nice gifts and
souveneirs. I had a great time bartering with these folk for some great
gifts to take home. Though I had only rubles on me they invariably gave me a
price in US$ first (despite whether I had spoken a word or not). Either
currency works, of course,... they are just interested in making a living
like the rest of us. And,noNatasha,I am neither American, ugly, or rude in
manner and wore mainly black,beige and white on my visit.Lighten up.
Natasha <boris_natasha@kill_moose_and_squirrel.com> wrote in message
news:39A55A33.FB65A5E3@kill_moose_and_squirrel.com...
> I'll bet your manner and dress shouted "foreigner". I've been to St.
> Petersburg three times, and have never been asked by a street vendor
> to pay in any currency other than Russian roubles. Of course, I try to
> wear dark, or at least non-bold, colors, and try not to act like an ugly
> American.
>
>
>
> Susan Cronmiller wrote:
>
Alfa74
that the item was a lot more expensive in dollars and that this was just
a ploy to fool the unsuspecting tourist.
In Dar es Salem, Tanzania we were quote $20 US for a taxi from the
airport into town. When we said that were we using Tanzanian shillings,
the price dropped to about $12.00.
Know the value of the foreign money...before you start any transactions.
Take your time,use a calculator if possible. Don't let anyone rush or
pressure you.
You will appear to be stupid in their eyes if you let them hustle you.
It's your hard earned money. protect it the same way you would at home.