Pronghorn Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 In a marvel of bad timing, my daughter's choir leaves on July 7 to go to Greece. She is only fourteen and is one of three children in the choir whose parents are not accompanying them. The rest have family members going too (which doubles the cost). The group will be in Athens for a day and then on an island in the Aegean for over two weeks. They will need to buy their own lunch and supper throughout the trip. I am worried about money, since the banks are not working. I hate to send a kid that age with all cash. Any suggestions? Last year in their trip to Canada I gave my child a debit card that I got from AAA. I wonder if businesses would accept that? I think those traveling with parents are planning on using credit cards. Is it possible for us to lend one of our credit cards to our minor child, even if she is not listed on it? Help! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 It looks like she can still use ATMs, at least as of right now. I'm reading that if you're withdrawing from a non-Greek bank there are no limits and ATMs should work fine (as long as they have money in them). We've usually found that we get a better rate withdrawing local currency from an ATM than taking dollars and exchanging them anyway. I'd be a little concerned too! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wabi Sabi Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 I know that they're saying tourists can take out as much money from Greek ATMs as necessary, but I'd still be a little worried about the possibility of ATMs running out of currency. Is there another parent you trust with whom you could send some extra cash for her just in case she has any problems? 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 I would make arrangements with other parents to either pre-pay or pay them back if they need to use their credit card to help feed your DD. I wouldn't rely on a card without her name on it. You might be able to get her put as an authorized user of your CC and have them overnight you one for her, though. There might be a fee, but... Then, I'd get something or a few different somethings from here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=is_s_ss_i_0_11?k=under+clothes+money+belt&sprefix=under+cloth To put the bulk of her cash under her clothes. Have her only get out as much as she needs each day in her pocket or purse and send as much cash as I feel comfortable sending + $50 beyond my comfort zone. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Greece is quite a cash-based economy. Little places where she might be eating may well not take cards (even outside of times of crisis). I would send Euros with one of the other adults. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 http://www.bbc.com/news/business-33205269 Just saw this link and thought the info might be helpful if you haven't already seen it. I'm sure it is a little stressful for you right now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pronghorn Posted June 30, 2015 Author Share Posted June 30, 2015 Thank you, everyone. Your comments are so helpful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieF Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Here in the UK anyone travelling to Greece is taking cash Stephanie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 My DD is also 14 and if she were scheduled on that trip, without her mother and/or me, I would be *extremely* worried. Pay a lot of attention to the daily news stories and read whatever the ACS (American Citizen Services unit) in the U.S. Embassy in Athens has on their web pages. Register your DD on the website of the ACS. I have seen in news stories that they are permitting Greeks to withdraw up to 60 Euros a day, maximum, from ATM machines, if the ATM machine has money in it. There are "Security" pockets to carry valuables under one's clothes. In some of my pants, I have a pocket sewn in, on the inside, and if I go to an ATM machine, I put the cash into that hidden pocket, which has a zipper on it. I hope if she goes on that trip that your DD will have a great time and a safe trip despite the chaos in Greece at this time. ETA: I would not assume that she can get cash with, or, pay with, a credit card or a debit card. She will need to have cash to pay for things. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 OP: Follow on: When we were eating Breakfast a few minutes ago, I told my wife and DD about your post and what I had replied. My wife said, immediately, that she would not permit our DD to go on that trip. My DD said that she would not want to go, under the circumstances in Greece at this time. We would permit our DD to go, from our home airport (Cali, Colombia) to Lubbock, Texas (home of TTUISD) by herself, which would require her to change planes once or twice and to go through U.S. Immigration and U.S. Customs and then recheck her luggage. Money is NOT the only issue here. The SAFETY of your daughter is the main issue. Tourists are frequently targeted for crime, under normal circumstances, in all countries, including the USA. People know that tourists have money. People who are desperate for food, as may be the case with many people in Greece at this time, or in the very near future, who have no food in their house, will do desperate things, to feed themselves and their families. Occasionally, here in Colombia, I go to an ATM machine and it is not working or is out of cash. Almost always, they work perfectly for me. But, this is not the case in Greece at this time. Years ago, before I moved to Colombia, I traveled frequently, from the USA to Mexico, Venezuela and Colombia. Normal times... NEVER did I assume that I could get cash from an ATM machine with my credit card or my debit card. I took American Express Travelers Checks with me, in case I could not get cash from ATM machines. So, I had 2 methods of getting cash. Your DD MUST NOT depend upon getting cash from ATM machines, or, being able to change American Express Travelers Checks into cash in Greece at this time. The SAFETY of your DD must be your number one concern. If we were in your shoes, we would "bite the bullet" financially and cancel the trip. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 It sounds like ATMs are running out of money. I'd send a stack of Euros and have your daughter stash them in different places, including one or two other adults. Good luck. I wouldn't cancel the trip since she's traveling with adults who can help her. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pronghorn Posted June 30, 2015 Author Share Posted June 30, 2015 There is a high ratio of adults to kids on this trip. Our daughter will not be alone. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Teach them if they see any flags that look like these (Golden Dawn) to head in another direction: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Dawn_(political_party)#/media/File:Meandros_flag.svg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Dawn_(political_party)#/media/File:Chrisi_Avgi_Logo.svg Bill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Personally I would send her with a stack of 5 dollar bills for emergencies. She won't get change but I suspect she will get food. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 You may want to pay close attention to the referendum vote in Greece next Sunday, and every day, to current events there. Greece defaulted on a loan payment to the IMF today. Unemployment is 26% and among young adults it is 51% Not a good situation. Hairdressers and radio announcers are considered to be in "hazardous occupations" and they retire at age 50, according to the TV news I watched tonight. Being on an island is normally safer than being on the mainland, with regard to crime, but that assumes that food is available on the island. GL with whatever you decide to do! If your DD does go, I hope she will have a safe and wonderful trip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peplophoros Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 Let her go! I have many friends who are there now--as tourists, scholars, and those visiting family. They are fine and having the time of their lives. Sheesh. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 I'm traveling by Amtrak this summer in the U.S. and got one of these for myself because I'll be sleeping on the train. I'd definitely get one for your daughter and tell her to keep cash in it. It's silky vs. a rougher fabric: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0054IH37G/ref=twister_B0054IH3RQ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 People who say "sheesh" to your worries don't seem to realize that Greece is seeing a crumbling of their economy not seen in recent times. It's called "normalcy bias." It basically says, "things are okay, things are fine, blah, blah, blah." (It might be like someone equating Canada to Greece. That's the normalcy bias.) I'd look long and hard at the adults going on this trip. If they'll keep a solid eye on her it's a different story than if the parents are looser. Some would also recommend getting her a certain type of cell phone: http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/06/28/the-latest-greece-wants-ecb-to-keep-giving-emergency-help. Tourism is still a major thing in Greece so they're likely protecting the tourist to the nth degree. I'd still look at the adults going with her. Good luck!! Alley 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 I'm going to go on record saying, it's not a good idea. But, you know the families going. You need to check the State Department website as well. I can tell you that American ships are being routed other places instead, because of rioting that has happened previously. We are not banned from traveling there, but it is highly discouraged. Beyond that, your daughter should keep her money (cash is king) close to her person at all times. Nothing easy to grab or slice. I would also divide up where it's kept. I carry a wristlet clutch around town... 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 I'm going to go on record saying, it's not a good idea. But, you know the families going. You need to check the State Department website as well. I can tell you that American ships are being routed other places instead, because of rioting that has happened previously. We are not banned from traveling there, but it is highly discouraged. Beyond that, your daughter should keep her money (cash is king) close to her person at all times. Nothing easy to grab or slice. I would also divide up where it's kept. I carry a wristlet clutch around town... Amen Lisa and +1 for a very well written, very thoughtful reply. The referendum in Greece will be on Sunday, July 5th, and the polls show the election is too close to call. But if they vote "yes", they are voting for something the E.U. is no longer offering them. A country of 11 million people with 275 billion dollars in foreign debt, where 75% of the people retire by age 61. When I watched the people on the streets of Athens on the TV news, a few minutes ago, with their signs, I wondered how many of the people in the group the OPs DD is going with understand the Greek alphabet and how to read the headlines there, about what is going on. One rule that the U.S. Embassy here always reminds Overseas Americans about is if there is a demonstration that is intended to be peaceful, stay far far away. A few people can turn a very peaceful demonstration into a violent demonstration, in a few minutes. If the DD of the OP does go, I pray that she will have a safe and wonderful trip. If she doesn't go, I know she will be disappointed, but her safety is IMHO far more important that any trip might be. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 I just read about the plan to use credit and debit cards. You need to read up on skimming that is very prevalent at ATMs here, as well as the money rationing. Your daughter needs to know what to look for, and try to only use secure ATMs (and what is considered a secure ATM). We only use our credit and debit cards at specific places. When we travel, it is almost all cash (even at gas stations and restaurants). What are the other families planning with regard to money? If they are planning to use their credit cards and debit cards everywhere, that would make me nervous. For hotels? Sure. But cash really is standard for regular every day purchases. Also, many places in Europe only work with cards that have a chip. I think the only place that is almost exclusively chip is the Netherlands, but I'd hate to get there and find out the hard way. Most people in Greece will be wonderful. But, there are a percentage who will not be. Traveling as an American group, you need to be very aware of everything in your surroundings. The group is a bigger target. With everything that is happening, your families should be discussing plans, and contingencies now. Don't wing it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 Lisa Amen and +1 again. Before I use an ATM machine, I try to remember to inspect the place where I put my card in and the place where the money comes out, to be sure nothing is protruding. I learned that from something Frank of the FBI put out last year. He is the man they made a movie about, because of his incredible ability to write hot checks and impersonate others. He works for the FBI now... I just visited the web page of the ACS (American Citizen Services) in the U.S. Embassy in Athens. What they wrote implies that the ATM machines have cash in them. which may or may not be the case, especially under the current crisis situation. http://athens.usembassy.gov/service.html It is always suggested that Americans try to keep a "low profile" when outside the USA and as Lisa pointed out, it is much harder for a group of people speaking American English to keep a low profile. OP: Lisa and I live overseas. Lisa lives in Italy, near to Greece. We are suggesting that you place the safety of your DD as your #1 priority and that the trip is not your priority. GL with your decision 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3 ladybugs Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 http://news.yahoo.com/greek-bank-closures-may-deplete-supermarket-shelves-155431880--sector.html I would cancel the trip. People do crazy things when they are starving, or think they soon will be. Look at New Orleans after Katrina. And that was tiny compared to this. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 http://news.yahoo.com/greek-bank-closures-may-deplete-supermarket-shelves-155431880--sector.html I would cancel the trip. People do crazy things when they are starving, or think they soon will be. Look at New Orleans after Katrina. And that was tiny compared to this. Amen and +1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 If someone in the group is fluently bilingual in both languages (Greek and U.S. English) that would help, a lot, in case of difficulty. If not, I believe it could be problematic. If I were in Greece, Russia, China, etc., and I looked at the newspaper headlines, I wouldn't have a clue about the subject. That lack of knowledge about current events could be very dangerous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pronghorn Posted July 4, 2015 Author Share Posted July 4, 2015 Some of you are assuming a level of ignorance and lack of reliable contacts that is not really there. You need not be able to read signs to know to stay away from a demonstration, for example. And group members with friends and relatives in Greece can contact them to discuss what is in the newspapers. And the group also has Greek people that have been arranged to help them. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 Some of you are assuming a level of ignorance and lack of reliable contacts that is not really there. You need not be able to read signs to know to stay away from a demonstration, for example. And group members with friends and relatives in Greece can contact them to discuss what is in the newspapers. And the group also has Greek people that have been arranged to help them. OP you did not explain, in your original post, or before, that there are "group members with friends and relatives in Greece". More information like that, previously, would have gotten you different suggestions. ETA: "And the group also has Greek people that have been arranged to help them." Things like that make all the difference in the world. From your original post, I (and others) had no idea about what you just posted. The responses you received were based upon the information you had posted and were appropriate for what we knew from what you had posted. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pronghorn Posted July 4, 2015 Author Share Posted July 4, 2015 OP you did not explain, in your original post, or before, that there are "group members with friends and relatives in Greece". More information like that, previously, would have gotten you different suggestions. My original post was about how to handle money, not about whether or not it is safe to travel in Greece. Other people made posts that changed the conversation. I did not know that would happen. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 I'm sure your DD will have a great time, now that you have explained the situation correctly. Possibly your local bank has some Euros they will sell you, at a good exchange rate, before your DD begins her trip. Don't buy any more Euros than she will need for her trip, because they are decreasing in value. GL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peplophoros Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 You may want to pay close attention to the referendum vote in Greece next Sunday, and every day, to current events there. Greece defaulted on a loan payment to the IMF today. Unemployment is 26% and among young adults it is 51% Not a good situation. Hairdressers and radio announcers are considered to be in "hazardous occupations" and they retire at age 50, according to the TV news I watched tonight. Being on an island is normally safer than being on the mainland, with regard to crime, but that assumes that food is available on the island. GL with whatever you decide to do! If your DD does go, I hope she will have a safe and wonderful trip! Lanny, you sound unhinged. Have you ever even been to Greece? It's not like she's going to Iran. There may be demonstrations, which are easily avoidable, not public executions. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 DH said he read that the citizens are allowed to withdraw 60 Euro per day. So you can be sure they are doing that. So lines to ATMs could be long and they could get emptied quickly if they get stocked at all. Maybe you can ask another adult in the group to hold onto money for her. If someone asked me to do that I would have no problem with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 Lanny, you sound unhinged. Have you ever even been to Greece? It's not like she's going to Iran. There may be demonstrations, which are easily avoidable, not public executions. I'm not so sure. Maybe there won't be civil war tomorrow, but money concerns for a traveler are probably fair. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 Lanny, you sound unhinged. Have you ever even been to Greece? It's not like she's going to Iran. There may be demonstrations, which are easily avoidable, not public executions. Harsh in tone that is. Trying not to smile too broadly, nonetheless. I can [ NOT ! ] imagine our relatives bursting forth to assault and rob tourists! Yet I have harbored worries about an eighteen-year-old whom we know. He is safe currently at an Orthodox youth camp. He had scheduled, though, to hike for a week with a friend. In some areas, as an obvious tourist, he might be a target for thieves more so than in the past. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 Lanny, you sound unhinged. Have you ever even been to Greece? It's not like she's going to Iran. There may be demonstrations, which are easily avoidable, not public executions. Unhinged? Thank you for your very kind and very friendly words. You are a very polite person... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 Unhinged? Thank you for your very kind and very friendly words. You are a very polite person... Eh..go with it. You are "off the chain!!!!" (which is urban slang for pretty darn cool) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 Eh..go with it. You are "off the chain!!!!" (which is urban slang for pretty darn cool) Thank you for the translation! I had no idea what that meant. I suspect she is or was a sweet woman. It looks like they may be going from the Euro back to the drachma. It will be very interesting to watch the TV news and see what happens there, during the next few weeks and months. Either way the referendum vote turns out, when all the votes have been counted, it will not be a bed of Roses for the people in Greece. That their misery will continue is sad. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33403665 Votes are in. They voted no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisbeth Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 http://greeklandscapes.com/travel/travel-during-crisis.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 At this point Pronghorn, I'd pack some peanut butter, crackers, tuna envelopes, protein bars, etc. in your dd's suitcase. She might not need it, but I'm not sure there won't be shortages in Greece in the next few weeks. As supermarkets sell off their stock, they may not be able to buy more because of the bank holiday. That wouldn't have shown up yet, but may in the next couple of weeks. That doesn't mean I would absolutely not send my dd, but I'd make sure she had small denomination euros and basic rations just in case. Can you sound out the other adults, especially those with relatives and friends in Greece about their opinion? What do they think is likely in regards to food availability? How much of the food supply is local, how much is imported? Are markets operating? We've gone to Venezuela in dicey conditions, although we're not going this year. There's a line that's hard to define about when things get too unsettled. Do you have an adult you can trust to take care of your child if the hotel has to close or if there are very long food lines or if there are riots? I don't think those things are likely, but they're not impossible either. I'm sorry you're faced with such a hard decision. I tend to worry about being overprotective, but I wouldn't want to be foolhardy either. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 So... How did it go? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pronghorn Posted July 23, 2015 Author Share Posted July 23, 2015 It went great! No problems at all -- not even any thefts. My daughter is home safe and sound and happy. And she came home with lots of cash, since eating was very cheap. The people they met in Greece were very helpful and nice. They hate it that people consider them lazy. My daughter's group sang in some really beautiful venues and enjoyed the beaches. I am really glad my daughter went on the trip. Thanks to all for the advice! 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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