Helsinki Travel Forum

Hello everybody, I'm new here if you didn't already deduct that. I'm currently living in America, and in about two years I'm taking a trip to Helsinki, Finland. I'm very excited and I'm trying to get all of my "ducks in a row" as soon as possible. I've never left the country before, which leaves me wondering about a lot of things. The questions I'm currently most concerned about are about money. How do I exchange my USD for Euros? How do I store my money? Do I go to an embassy? What should I know about visiting another country?

That's about it for now, thanks in advance and please let me know if I've posted in the wrong forum or otherwise!

Changing money is easy...the easiest way is to simply use an ATM card in an ATM machine like you would in the states. Only euros will come out. Most machines in Europe have instructions in several languages.

Your bank account will be charged in dollars with whatever the current exchange rate is plus whatever fees the bank charges.

However it would be a good idea to check with your bank to see what fees they charge, so that you know ahead of time. (Also, let them know before you go, so so they don't assume your card has been stolen. Inform your credit card companies, as well.)

Some banks charge an extra few dollars each time you use a machine, and in that case, you might want to be sure you take out enough each time to make it worthwhile.

That said...you will probably want to arrive in Europe with, say, 100 euros in your pocket, just in case. You can get Euro's from your local bank, or from the currency exchange in the airport from which you'll leave on your international flight.

You can check out all the tips VT member here have for Helsinki and Finland. Buy or get some travel books out of the library. You can always come back to the Forums for help. And you posted in exactly the right place!

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to VT.
I think you are beginning to worry to far in advance about things like exchanging money - 2 years can be a long time in economic and international currency matters.

Why not start by building up your knowledge of the country, find out what the entry requirements are for an American citizen - if indeed that is what you are - you only said you are "currently living in America".

Take a look at
www.visitfinland.com
and get your hands on as many guide books as you can - not forgetting to browse the VT Finland Travel Guides and Tips.

Once you get your head round some basic information and understand WHY you want to go to Finland, have some idea of what you want and expect from your trip you will begin to feel much more sure about this important trip.
The first trip abroad is always the most exciting and, even if not always the best, usually the most well remembered.

When you are ready more specific questions will get you plenty of answers.

Try to get exchanger in the city and get advice from your friends who are living in the city..
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Steve

Getting Euros is quite easy to obtain here in the US. In fact, I just went to my bank today to exchange some USD for Euros. The exchange rate at US banks aren't bad (MUCH better than what I found in Europe) which was the exchange rate multiplied by 2% for your fee. Prices elsewhere were extremely high. With our USD falling horribly right now, you have two choices: stock up on Euros now, or wait to see what happens before you get ready to leave.

Also..if you have a credit card, you can use those easily as long as you have a 4 digit password (number). Use Visa if you can help it.

As for visiting other countries...it's simple. Make sure your passport is up to date if you have one, and if you haven't got one, get one now. They can take up to 6-8 months to obtain...longer if you live in a rural part of the US. They are easy to get, and pay for themselves in the long run.

Keep an eye on airfare. Since you live in the US (as do I) you can go to many websites to see what the latest fares are running. (Yahoo has one that can search multiple sites at once for the best airfares, and tend to be cheaper than going directly to the airline website.) Since you're not leaving for a while yet...you won't be able to check out how much it will really be until about 6-8 months ahead of time. Depending on what time of year you're planning on visiting, airfare can be inexpensive or extremely expensive. Airfare fluctuates day-to-day and if you notice a decent airfare...grab it while you can. It only goes up closer to the date you are leaving.

Another suggestion is to get yourself a few "tourist" books...such as Fodor's, Frommer's, or Lonely Planet. These have a lot of information that you can obtain. You should be able to pick them up at Borders or any other bookstore, or...order them online. Also check to see where your nearest consulate is and write to them for more information. They should also have a US website.

One thing I've learned from being on VT, DEFINITELY listen to the advice that others have on here. There are great people on here who give out fantastic ideas and so far you've gotten some great advice!:)

Good luck on your trip!

Don't worry too much about the exchange rate. It is what it is. And it's actually improving. It was almost $1.60 per Euro in June but now it only cost $1.48 per euro.