Berlin: Money & Costs

• Currency

  Name

  Euro

  Symbol

  €

  Euro notes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500. It is often difficult to get change for a €500.00 note.

  One euro is divided into 100 cents or centimes. Coins of 1, 2 and 5 centimes are copper-coloured; coins of 10, 20 and 50 centimes are gold-coloured; 1 and 2 euro coins are gold-and-silver coloured. It's a good idea to keep a supply of various coins for parking meters, laundrettes, tolls etc.

• Changing Your Money

  All the major international brands of plastic - MasterCard, Visa and American Express - are becoming more widely accepted, but don't assume that you'll be able to use your card to pay for things; inquire first. ATMs are ubiquitous throughout Germany and you should have no problem accessing your credit or debit account back home. Foreign currency, including travellers cheques, can be exchanged at some banks and at exchange bureaux (eg Reisebank branches) in major cities.

• Money Tips

  It's easy to spend lots of money in Germany. If you stay in hostels, have some sort of rail pass and restrict yourself to cheap takeaways or prepare your own food, it's possible to get by on €50.00 a day. Those with more capacious wallets wishing to eat at mid-range restaurants most days, visit museums at will, travel freely by public transport and stay in mid-range hotels with fluffy duvets should count on dropping at least €100.00 a day. Driving will add significantly to expenses, though for three or more people car travel is cheaper per kilometre than taking the train.

• Sample Price Guide

  Glass of beer

  € 2.50

  one day public transport ticket

  € 5.80

  cup of coffee

  € 1.80

  tabloid newspaper

  € 0.80

  one currywurst

  € 2.00

  midweek cinema ticket

  € 6.50

  one caipirinha

  € 5.00

  nightclub entry

  € 8.00

  doner kebab

  € 2.50

  average taxi ride

  € 10.00

  Average Room Prices
  Low	Mid	High	Deluxe
  €30-80	€80-160	€160-250	€250+
  Average Meal Prices
  Low	Mid	High	Deluxe
  €5-15	€15-25	€25-50	€50+

• Tipping

  Restaurant bills always include a service charge (Bedienung), but most people add 5% or 10% unless the service was abhorrent. At hotels, bellhops are given about €1.00 per bag and it's also nice to leave a few euros for the room cleaners. Tip bartenders about 5% and taxi drivers around 10%.

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