IRISH TRAVEL AGENTS have advised holidaymakers preparing to travel to Greece to ensure they bring enough cash with them.
Today, Greek citizens are limited to €60 ATM withdrawals, and crowds have been queuing to take out their money amid uncertainty about the country’s financial stability and future in the eurozone.
The latest information from Greece suggests tourists should have no problem accessing their funds and are not subject to the €60 per day limit.
However the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) has warned the situation is “volatile and likely to change at short notice”. They said visitors to Greece should be aware of the possibility that banking services, including credit card processing and servicing of ATMs could potentially become limited in the next few days.
Already some visitors to the country have reported being unable to withdraw money from ATMS at all, as there is no cash left in them:
CEO of the association, Pat Dawson, said anyone heading to Greece should “take plenty of cash with them”.
Ensure you have more than one means of payment with you including cash and credit cards. At the very least make sure you have enough money to cover emergencies and any unforeseen circumstances.
He advised Irish holidaymakers to ensure they budget carefully and take enough cash to see them through the entire holiday. He also encouraged them to take appropriate security precautions against theft.
“Once you arrive in Greece, use safes and deposit boxes to store cash and split money between family members so that no individual was carrying too much around with them,” he said.
If Greece does leave the eurozone, tourists do not need to panic, as the euro will continue to be the country’s legal tender for some time.
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