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Our basic money advice is hold onto the stuff. No, seriously, don't wave about your wallet at the train stations, or on the street for that matter. But you probably weren't intending to do that anyway. The stunningly uncool money belt may in fact put your mind at rest on one or two scores there. Lviv is not sin city but pickpockets have been known to grace certain establishments, not least the train station. That money belt (maybe they'll soon have a retro chic cache.... hmmm, perhaps not) will help you to relax and soak up the glory of the aforesaid station. Are we mad? No, the Lviv station was the biggest in the entire Habsburg Empire when it was built, and it remains a soaring vestige of that era.
On the currency front, the bills that everyone loves are American dollars - the cleaner and crisper the better. Euros are also useful, but in day to day expenses the national Ukrainian currency is what you'll be dealing with, the blue and white Hryvnia (UAH) which come with various imprints of bearded national heroes.
ATMS (Cash Machines) Lviv is not awash with 'holes in the wall' as they're called in England, although frustrated local conservators will certainly assert that there are plenty of holes of a more literal kind. All the same, there are a few cash-points dotted around the historic centre, and that number looks set to grow and grow. Non-Ukrainian speakers will be relieved to hear that there's an English option in the system, so you won't have to worry about your card getting munched owing to lack of language skills. Forgetting your code after having drunk too much vodka is another matter entirely....
Credit Cards Don't expect to be able to use your credit card everywhere, although you're unlikely to have problems in higher end restaurants and hotels, likewise in good bookshops. All in all, payment by credit card is increasingly commonplace.
Cheques Your least fruitful means of paying your way - best to leave the cheque book at home.
Bureaux de Change There are lots of bureaux de change around town. Unless you're really stuck, don't bother with the ones at the airport, which don't offer the most kindly rates. Once in town there are dozens of other places to choose from, so you can shop around for the top offer. | |
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