Money

Yes, you'll want to spend some money while on the program. The question is, in what form?France, Italy, and Greece use the European currency called the Euro. You'll want to have some before you leave. If you or your parents bank with a commercial bank, such as Key Bank or Columbia, they provide foreign exchange services free of charge to their customers. Credit Unions do not provide that service, in which case you may need to visit a bank and pay a fee.

In either case, you'll want to have some cash when we land at the airport. Yes, you could use an ATM as soon as we arrive, but that means taking the time to find one when everybody in the group is excited to get started on our adventure! Not everyone accepts credit cards, and in Europe it is very common that shops will demand a minimum purchase amount, say 5 or 10 Euros, before they'll take your "plastic." That's because their bank charges them a fee for providing the service, typically 1-3%. I've seen students buy $10.00 worth of junk food at convenience stores, when all they wanted was a Coke, simply because they didn't have any cash and had to use a card.

If you don't have your own credit card, speak with your parents about "Visa Buxx." It is very similar to a credit card, and allows your parents back home to give you more money. You can also use a Visa or Mastercard logo debit card tied to your bank account. Check with your bank about this. For more information, here is a link to Visa Buxx: http://usa.visa.com/personal/cards/prepaid/visa_buxx.html

One final word about debit and credit cards: please call your financial institution before you leave, and let them know where and when you are going and that you plan to use your card. Card issuers are very concerned about credit card theft, and often will refuse to let a merchant process a transaction if the use is outside the normal pattern. As I doubt you use your card in Europe on a frequent basis, it might not be accepted.

Please don't take traveler's checks. Yes, they are secure. However, if you do lose them, it takes time to get replacements, usually a day or two. Plus, you need to make arrangments to meet with the representative to obtain your replacements. More importantly, hardly anybody in Europe accepts them, which means you have to take time to go to a bank, stand in line, and cash your traveler's checks. That's time you should be spending experiencing Europe! For the same reason, please don't take only US dollars; you'll also have to exchange those. How much money to take is an individual matter. All of our meals are covered on the trip, but you'll probably want extras for a soda or ice cream cone occasionally. You'll also want to buy some souvenirs for you and your friends and family. Most students typically consider $25 per day as an average.

For more information on Euros, check out this site: http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/euro/our_currency_en.htm
It has links to images of the various notes and coins, so you can practice getting used to what they look like.

How much is a Euro in dollars? Here is a link to a currency converter:http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?amt=1&from=USD&to=EUR&submit=Convert