The only stores open were in the Ostbahnhof train station. Gifts had been selected on the last night of a visit to Berlin.

More of this Feature • Part 1: A Pleasant Surprise for Budget-Minded Tourists • Part 3: Where next? How about Poland? • Part 4: The New Europe

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With no credit cards accepted, and no other options, I was forced to exchange my dollars for euros in the station.

The result was predictably bad. The exchange company offered me 24 euros for 27 USD. The euro on that day was worth about 89 cents. My protests were useless.

"There are service charges you must pay," insisted the attendant. "I will try the nearby ATM. Thanks anyway," was my reply.

Naturally, the ATM would not take my bank card. That was a shame, because banks generally give you a very good exchange rate. With time running out on me (and children waiting at home for gifts from Europe), I swallowed my pride and went back to the lady at the exchange booth, secure in the knowledge I'd probably never see her again anyway.

The moral of the story is to avoid exchanging money at any train station or airport. Buy just enough euros at home (certainly no more than 40 euros) to get you from the airport to your hotel, or at least to a business district where rates are sane. North Americans should remember that they will get better deals in Europe than at the corner bank.

Some other points to consider: