Does that card work OK in the non-manned toll booths on the autoroutes?

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Dave

I have no idea. As I use cash if and when I use the toll's. But the up side is you get a good rate of exchange for your money. Payment on toll road's I use a small purse with a small amount of cash. Just hand that over. The lady will take the money and put the ticket inside. Keep the purse in the map holder on the tank. That way you can get it out with your glove's on. No flapping around.
John933

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To buy petrol in Europe. Pull up at station. Wait. Get out a 20 Euro note, then ask someone to fill up the bike. Give person money. Ride away. Simple.

Hi John:

That sounds like a really clever idea, a lot quicker than digging out a credit card, and without the risk of losing the credit card (dropping it on the ground) somewhere along the way.

Thanks for sharing that suggestion.

Michael

credit cards would be a horrendously expensive way to pay I would think. Most will charge you a transaction fee and have crap exchange rates.

This is the case, I can vouch for that.
As per my earlier posts, the issue seems to have sorted itself out over the past 10 months, or thereabouts, with many more cash kiosks in evidence now.

As it happens, when I did use a credit card for peage purposes I was in a real hurry (I even pitched up for a ferry crossing with no prior booking and paid full price for the privilege) and I was conserving my Euro cash-in-hand for other purposes.
= a lesson (re)learnt.

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Dave

Not the case with either of my (Canadian issued) credit cards - neither MasterCard or American Express levy a transaction fee, and the premium they charge for currency conversion (2% and 1%, respectively) is negligible for toll charges that average about $3 per transaction, and perhaps $40 for a two-week tour.

Michael

yes, but the british banking system is full of greedy xxxxxxxx stuffing their faces into the trough!!

Hi Moggy:

That may be so, but I don't think that the bankers in Canada are any more benevolent.

My experience with credit cards is that you get exactly what you pay for - or, perhaps more accurately, you don't get what you don't pay for.

The various credit card issuers offer a remarkably wide range of products, some aimed at consumers and other aimed at business people, frequently with the same brand name. I only have two cards, a MasterCard and a (green) American Express card. I picked these two cards because they don't charge international transaction fees, and they offer reasonably low premiums on currency conversion.

I pay $55 a year for the AmEx card (that is a membership fee), and although I don't pay a fee for the MasterCard, I picked one that does NOT offer Air Miles points, cash back bonuses, or other stuff like that.

The trick is to shop around carefully (even amongst the same card issuers) for a card that has no international transaction fees, and has a reasonably low commission on currency conversion. I am sure such cards are offered in your country, simply because I am sure that there are business people in your country who frequently travel abroad and want cards with low commissions and no transaction fees.

But, if you sign up for a "consumer level' card that give you all sorts of affinity points, or frequent flyer miles, or sends you roses on your birthday, you are going to get screwed on the surcharges.

Michael