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Dollar-Euro Exchange Rate Totally Killing Us

September 21, 2007 at 3:15 PM | 0 Comments

At this rate, we'll never head back to Europe: a Euro now costs $1.40, a record high for a currency that you could buy for 90 cents seven years ago. So why does the dollar suck so bad right now? There are a few reasons, none of which we completely understand. (We made it through our college finance class by reading Pico Iyer books instead of paying attention.)

But we'll try to sum it up: a few years ago, some rich guys borrowed a lot of money at really cheap interest rates. Now it looks like they maybe, possibly, kinda-sorta borrowed too much, which means there's not enough cash to back up the loans. So the US government lowered its official interest rates, and that made currency traders scared that inflation may take off in the States.

Now, there's not much you can do about this, other than decide not to go to the Euro zone. To which we say, awesome! Eastern Europe is still a good value, and Southeast Asia and South America are both super, too. But don't try Canada: a loonie--which used to be cheap--is now on par with the greenback.

Related Stories:
· Dollar Hits Bottom, Then Falls Again [IHT]
· South America Travel coverage [Jaunted]
· Thailand Travel coverage [Jaunted]
· Vietnam Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: ganessas]

In The Money in Canberra

April 26, 2007 at 9:50 AM | 0 Comments


There's no better way for a money-loving capitalist to spend a holiday in Australia's capital, Canberra, than by making a visit to the Royal Australian Mint, where most of Australia's coins are made. The Mint's exhibition galleries are currently undergoing major renovations to make for a better visitor's experience.

Sadly for us, increased security probably makes it impossible for us to carry out a few souvenir coins in our boots, but we can still check out exhibits explaining both the production and design of Australia's currency. All kinds of cute stuff gets on the back of Aussie coins, from kangaroos and a platypus to even the royal wedding of Charles and Diana. Plus you can find out that Australia nearly didn't have dollars: other names considered for their currency were royals, australs, or, after the sheep, merinos! Entrance to the Mint costs zero merinos, but you can spend plenty at the gift shop.

[Photo: xlynx]

Related Stories:
· Australian For Museum [Jaunted]
· Canberra Mint Worker Filled Boots [Jaunted]

Tax Museum in Rotterdam

February 13, 2007 at 3:44 PM | 0 Comments


What better way to celebrate tax season than book a trip to the Netherlands? We're not even talking about having a little fun in Amsterdam so you can forget all your woes. Celebrate the ancient act of taxing at the Tax & Customs Museum in Rotterdam, whose pretty exterior belies the ugly reason for its existence. Admission, ironically enough, is free.

Information within includes the predictable history lessons, plus an interactive "smugglers' experience" room. Visitors are herded into a dark room that's meant to simulate the inside of a shipping container, and bullied through some simulated suspense. Exhibits are mostly in Dutch, but you'll get the idea.

[Photo: Imbi]

Related Stories:
· Dutch Tax & Customs Museum [Official Site]

Germans Spend Up Big

January 22, 2007 at 10:25 AM | 0 Comments


If you really want to be a big traveler, you'd better find yourself a way to become a German. Once again, it's the guys from Frankfurter-land who have spent the most money on traveling to foreign countries.

Admittedly, it's a bit easier for a German to pop into a foreign country than most--they share borders with nine other nations, plus most German workers get five or six weeks' holiday time each year. But when you consider how many Germans must have stayed home last summer during the World Cup, you realize those who did leave and managed to spend over 60 billion euros did a good job. In fact, the Germans alone were responsible for 11 percent of worldwide spending on foreign travel in 2006. So next time you're in New York or at Ayers Rock or basically anywhere that tourists go, don't be surprised to hear a few "Guten Tags" or "Auf Wiedersehens."

[Photo: Miala]

Related Stories:
· Germans Spend Most on Travel [Sydney Morning Herald]

When Your Bananas Come Up

January 10, 2007 at 10:50 AM | 0 Comments


If you're headed for gorgeous Phuket soon, make a special trip to the small island of Koh Sireh, divided from Phuket only by a small water street. There's a miracle going on there in the form of a lucky banana tree that predicts winning lottery numbers.

Don't believe us? Well, reports say that many people have had success with this method: "They rub a mixture of powder and water on the tree's trunk, then wait to see what number the solution resembles as it dries."

The real winner, however, seems to be the local entrepreneur whose set up a drink stall nearby and says she sells soft drink to a couple of hundred visitors a day. Her numbers have definitely come up.

Related Stories:
· Banana Tree Predicts Numbers [Ananova]
· Kate Moss and Pete Doherty 'Marry' in Thailand [Jaunted]

Yes, Hawaii Can Actually Get Even More Expensive

January 5, 2007 at 12:48 PM | 0 Comments


Alex Salkever is the editor of Hawaii travel blog Hawaiirama.com and a general travel maven on all things Hawaii.

With $9 watered-down Mai Tais, hotel charges for junk greeting gimmicks like cheap leis, and a nasty 7.25% hotel accommodations tax, Hawaii is hardly a cheap. Throw in a $350 for a decent hotel room and you have Manhattan in the Pacific. So, pray tell, could Hawaii possibly become even more expensive?

Yes, and you can thank the state and local governments for that. Effective January 1, 2007, Hawaii's state gas tax goes back up by 11 cents per gallon, reversing a previous reduction put in place to take strain off drivers paying record highs at the pump. Me, I love high gas taxes, They encourage less driving which is fine. But if you're on vacation, you don't have much choice, particularly in Hawaii where you need a rental car for every destination save Waikiki.

Even more damaging will be the .5% in the General Excise Tax, which is essentially the Hawaii state sales tax. That means you can expect your $10,000 Hawaii vacation to cost $50 more than it would have before. So there you go. It IS possible for Hawaii to get more expensive.

[Photo: fonzfoto]

Cocaine in Spain Stays Mainly on the Bills

January 4, 2007 at 9:35 AM | 0 Comments


We don't do this, of course, but some people like to get some illegal snorting pleasures on their travels. And new statistics show that Spain is a surprisingly good destination for this practice: a recent study suggested that traces of cocaine are present on 94% of banknotes in Spain.

Whether the study is totally legit or not is not quite clear; all the notes tested were collected from supermarkets, gyms and pharmacies, with the latter two suggesting some kind of bias. And there's some suggestion that not all the notes were used to snort cocaine--some bills could've just picked it up off other bills, kind of like catching a cold. But the Spanish daily El Mundo has publicized all this widely, so we think perhaps it's some kind of tourism campaign. Already it's known that Colombian smugglers love to use Spain as an entry point to Europe, but perhaps more tourists are needed. "Come to where the cash ain't clean" sounds like a suitable slogan.

[Photo: Immortal Thrill-Seeker]

Related Stories:
· Cash With Cocaine in Spain [The Australian]
· Blowing Through Colombia [Jaunted]

Keep the Change

October 13, 2006 at 9:26 AM | 0 Comments


Sometimes we think fast food is getting slower and more expensive, but now we've found the right destination to feed our cravings and help the bank balance. This week at a McDonald's in Belgium, a drive-thru customer ordered his meal--probably een Cheeseburger and een grote Milkshake--and drove off with the normal paper bag and a cheery Eet smakelijk (enjoy your meal) from the server.

He really enjoyed it: the bag contained 15,000 Euros (almost $19,000). He enjoyed his cheeseburger, contemplated moral values briefly, and returned the money to the store, where he was promised a reward.

Of course, we recommend experiencing local cuisine when you travel, but just for the record, he visited McDonald's in Waterloo, near Brussels; unfortunately, we can't guarantee the same result when you stop by.

[Photo: o2ma]

Related stories:
· Man Finds Money in Meal [Ananova]

Traveler's Checks, Larry King, and Other Anachronisms

March 21, 2006 at 9:30 AM | 0 Comments

If you've traveled much in the past few years, it's not news that traveler's checks will soon be nothing more than a curiosity. Fewer and fewer stores are willing to deal with them, and why should they, with ATMs and credit cards blanketing the world?

Tying up money in traveler checks is starting to seem like a very odd practice. American Express and other credit card companies are trying to encourage people to switch over to check cards  --  they come loaded with a particular amount of money, aren't tied to a bank account, and theoretically would be accepted wherever credit cards are. Whether or not people are willing to pay extra fees for a card like this is still up in the air, though -- there hasn't been any rush to adopt them.

Related Stories:
·   Going the Way of the Dinosaur [Baltimore Sun, via Travel Bloggers]

More on Evil Bank Fees

February 13, 2006 at 8:35 AM | 0 Comments

February's CN Traveler has an invaluable report from Wendy Perrin on the slowly building controversy over the fees that American banks and credit card companies charge outside the U.S. Going by the handy chart she compiled, Chase's ATM cards are just about the worst way to get foreign money: they charge $3 per withdrawal, with a 3.5% fee tacked on top of that. No surprise that Chase credit cards are also greedy babies, with a 3% fee charged on transactions.

Citibank, on the other hand, charges just 1% for withdrawing local currency using its own ATMs, and $1.50 + 1% on non-Citi ATMs. For credit card purchases, Capital One is king, since it doesn't charge any fee for a credit-card purchase overseas.

That's what the fee structures look like at the moment, but they're a moving target. In addition, smaller banks often have lower fees in order to attract and keep their customers. Always be sure to check with your bank or CC company to get their current fees before a trip, and don't be afraid to threaten, plead, or open up an account with someone else if you have the time.
Image of Tom Otterness sculpture via Lauren's Mighty Photo-Fu

Related Stories:
·   The Perrin Report [CN Traveler]
·   Fee Me, Hear Me [Jaunted]
·   Currency conversion costs [Bankrate]

Europe on $120 a Day -- Cheap!

December 15, 2005 at 11:16 AM | 0 Comments


Wow, 5 days in Dublin for 2 for under $1200. And without using frequent flier miles or flying in the dead of winter. Color us impressed.

How'd the intrepid writer for the AP do it? Well, first she chose a destination based on the best airline ticket price she could find, being sure to take taxes into account. Second, she ruled out B&Bs and hotels, instead couchsurfing with a nice Irish family. There are other good tips, of course, particularly this one about better living through chemistry: "If your time on the ground is limited, making the most of it means minimizing jet lag. . . . consider getting a prescription for something that will knock you out on the trip over. Some passengers find a Benadryl or other over-the-counter antihistamine is enough." Bring on the Ambien!

Image from Kathryn Yu

Related Stories:
·   Europe for two, under $1,200 [CNN, via TravelPost]

ATMs become slot machines in Japan

July 22, 2005 at 4:44 PM | 0 Comments


In a thrilling mashup, Japan's Ogaki Kyoritsu Bank has injected its ATMs with a bit of slot machine (or fruitmachine, as the Brits call the one-armed bandits). Get three 7's and your service fee is waived; get three "golds" (a reference to a kind of bank account) and you get a mini-jackpot of 1,000 yen (about $9).

Mad props, as they used to say, for this innovation, but what I'd really love to see is a pachinko ATM.

Related Stories:

·   Bank puts the 'fun' into 'funds' [BBC, via Kottke]
·   Japanese bank combines ATM with slot machine [Mail & Guardian]

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