San Stefanos Online ~ North West Corfu
Welcome to San Stefanos (NW Corfu) => San Stefanos news and views => Topic started by: Altea on April 18, 2014, 09:00:01 PM
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Hello,
We are visiting San Stefano's for the first time in a couple of weeks and it's also our first try at self-catering! We're wondering if anyone can advise or guide us as to how much cash we should bring for breakfasts and dinners. We are only visiting for a week but as we don't know the restaurants and what the average price of a meal will be, we're sort of in the dark. We are booked in at the Tsaros apartments and believe we can have breakfast there for X amount of Euros, so that's good, will save me cooking!!! Any tips on how much cash we'll need will be much appreciated. Also, do the restaurants accept credit cards or do they prefer cash. We are really excited about our upcoming holiday, it sounds and looks like a super place to unwind in mid May!
Thanks so much☺
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How much do you eat???!!!
We stayed at Tsaros last year and would sometimes eat breakfast andn the room (toast and cereal) then have a lunch either at Tsaros pool bar or down in the village.
You can buy a bacon and egg baguette style sarnie at Tsaros with coffee for about 4 each.
Condor in the village does a full english for 5/6 each
Do you normally eat a cooked brekkie at home every day?
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Average dinner prices are 3/4 for a starter and 8/9 for a main.
A lot of restaurants do set menus with a choice of a starter and a main inc drink for 8/9
We take circa 1000 for two weeks for everything
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Everyone's different on how much they spend.
There is a lot of choice in San Stef, to suit all budgets.
Breakfast has already been mentioned.
There are 4 supermarkets and a bakery, to pick up provisions if necessary.
Sandwiches and toasties are available in quite a few of the bars at lunchtime for about 2 -4 euros.
There are 2 gyros grills, where you can get gyros or souvlaki for just a couple of euros.
A lot of the tavernas do set menus for 7 -10 euros a head, with a couple of others charging slightly more, but nowhere is (in my opinion ) really expensive.
Just don't buy donuts off the 'donut man' on the beach!! Unhygenic, and known to try and rip people off!
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Credit cards are widely accepted in Agios (San) Stefanos, the exceptions are the following taverna's, Fantasea and Beachcomber both in the old part of the village.
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Eating and drinking in Agios Stefanos is generally much cheaper than anywhere else. Paleokastritsa can be nearly twice as much!
If you take 1,000 Euros you will almost certainly come back with lots left over. Take some English money - you can change it with the beautiful women at San Stefanos Travel.
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Simple rule re credit cards is to check first! Suspect Olympia may not accept them, but can not comment on others.
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Many thanks for all the money tips, very helpful advice from everyone!
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Hi Altea You are staying at our favourite apartments in our favourite resort , As mentioned earlier 500 euros a week is plenty, bottled water can be bought from the poolside bar , saving you carrying it up Cardiac Hill . we would sugest you carry on walking up the hill fom Tsaros to tha Akrotiri Bar for the best views of San Stef and some lovely food and local beer. Let us know when you get back.
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Hi Altea, I'd be wary of using your credit card for smallish purchases, because of the "non-sterling transaction fee" which gets added onto your credit card statement. This appeared a couple of years ago and makes what seemed like a bargain at the time, not so much!
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In the Little Prince last year two people could enjoy a 3 course meal and wine for 23euro or about £19 with great entertainment and atmosphere, not many places in Europe you can do that!
Andy
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Hi Altea, I'd be wary of using your credit card for smallish purchases, because of the "non-sterling transaction fee" which gets added onto your credit card statement. This appeared a couple of years ago and makes what seemed like a bargain at the time, not so much!
That's a good point, leave your credit cards at home bring sterling and change it at San Stefano travel, this year you should get nearly 1.2 euro to the pound.
Andy
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There are cards which do not charge for "overseas" transactions. The Post Office MasterCard is one, and you can use this card to buy currency online from the Post Office at no extra cost. The Post Office rate is usually reasonable, and you get four or more weeks credit at no cost.
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Or get one of the Sainsburys pre paid credit cards. Brilliant idea. Just use them to take cash out or use as a credit card in shops/restaurants to make purchases
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There are cards which do not charge for "overseas" transactions. The Post Office MasterCard is one, and you can use this card to buy currency online from the Post Office at no extra cost. The Post Office rate is usually reasonable, and you get four or more weeks credit at no cost.
Rover is correct, sorry Jimbo & Andy you're wrong. The "no commission" credit cards are by far the best value, even for "smallish purchases", much better than taking Sterling and exchanging it for euros (as Jimbo & Andy suggests), this can be one of the worst methods of exchanging currency as there is always a commission charge, usually 2%
As Rover says the Post Office credit card is good, as is Halifax Clarity, the older type Nationwide and Santander Zero and Saga credit cards.
I take three no commission credit cards and use them as often as I can (for purchases and definitely not for withdrawing cash from ATM's) far safer than carrying cash and gives much better value than paying cash. I give tips in euros.
Gav's suggestion is also better than exchanging cash.
You can always call in to see the beautiful San Stefanos Travel girls but you don't have to feel obliged to exchange your cash there.
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Much as it always pains me to disagree with Waspman, the following applies:
* The rates for cards are rubbish. Post Office today is 1.1800 - Halifax is 1.1580 - TravelFX is 1.1950 - so if you bought £1,000 worth of Euros you would lose 15 with Post Office and 37 with Halifax.
* Ever tried paying for a beach-bed with a card?
* Want a G&T in Bar38? Would you really pay with a card?
* Not all places take cards.
* Lose a 20 note and you lose 20 - lose a card and you're stuffed.
* The doughnut man does take cards, but you don't get them back.
San Stef Travel's rates are frequently not much less than the base rate - roughly comparable to TravelFX - so even allowing for the 2% charge, the difference is minimal, and the advantage of taking a few GBPs with you is that you may spend any left-overs when you get home. Just call it emergency money.
We monitor the rate over the year and buy when it's high. Yes - it's a small advantage, but if it's a few extra beers that's great.
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We were talking to a couple last year Jim who'd lost their pre paid Visa.
Card replaced and back with them inside 24hrs apparently.
Great service
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Also free ATM withdrawals
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Also...... even though some restaurants are happy to accept cards but we always still try to pay cash.
Saves them waiting for the money and also saves them a handling fee.
We just go to the Atm about every 3/4 days and get about 300 out. Very safe to carry money in San Stefanos
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Absolute rubbish Jimbo, you're getting it completely wrong, you're suggesting buying euros with a "no commission" credit card BEFORE you go abroad, which is obviously not the thing to do. Clearly the rates will be rubbish as you say.
I'm saying simply pay by a " no commission" credit card when you make a purchase abroad, that's the whole idea of them!
Check the independent financial websites, they'll all tell you the same.
Much as it pleases me to disagree with Jimbo, the following applies:
1 Loose all your euros and they're all gone, loose your card or pre-paid card and you can get it stopped and replaced quickly (see Gav's posting)
2 Almost all taverna's take cards, the exceptions are well known
3 Of course you wouldn't expect to pay by card for a couple of beers, I carry euros for many small purchases and for taverna's that don't take cards, but for larger bills the no commission cards come into their own.
4 Take sterling and exchange it in Ag Stef and you're going to be a loser (see below)
5 I don't know who the "doughnut" man is but I'm getting a good idea!
In June 2013 the exchange rate at San Stefanos Travel was 1.15 before commission, so 1.127 after commission.
Paying by Halifax Clarity no commission credit card in June 2013 gave a rate of 1.18 to 1.19 over a period of two weeks.
If, at that time, you had exchanged £1000 worth of euros in resort (San Stef Travel or others) as you have suggested, compared to using a Halifax Clarity "no commission" credit card in resort you'd have lost between 53-63 euros.
Need I say more?
You take your sterling Jim and I'll take my "no commission" credit cards, it's clear who'll be the winner.
Do your homework Jim!!
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Thanks Waspman - clearly spelt out
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Totally ignoring the very clear data I posted above seems a little strange.
I am talking about the rates this morning. That's a fact. I was not talking about taking loads of UK dosh - just enough to cover emergencies.
Our travel insurance covers up to £2000 of lost or stolen cash.
My "home work" suggests that we got a better rate on the Euros we bought at 1.21 earlier this year than we would get gambling on the rate in July.
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Buy loads of cash before you go change into euros at £1.20'at fair fx all greek restaurants and tavernas love euros result everybody happy
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Jimbo, If we're talking about "rates this morning" your homework could well be flawed, At this moment in time your rate of 1.21 will be beaten by the "no commission" credit cards as the current exchange rate today in Agios Stefanos is 119.05 before commission, (116.66 after commission), so pro-rata to the June 2013 rate the Halifax Clarity (and others) would be expected to be around about 1.22/1.23 euros.
If you're saying that you only take "enough UK dosh to cover emergencies" I would be very interested to know what other methods of payments you would use other than "sterling converted to euros in resort" as you appear to be opposed to cards.
It will be very interesting for us to compare our methods of payment and who gets the best deal when we both go in July this year, are you up for that?
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I'm was and am talking about taking Euros. We have plenty of Euros bought at the highest available rate. If you can get over 1.2 on your card in the summer I'll buy you supper!
As a professional programmer I think my grasp of maths is reasonably adequate. 1.195 is generally considered to be greater than 1.177, or am I missing some strange inversion in the number system that happens if you take a credit card? Those are the realities today. I happen to bank with Halifax and the exchange rates are ludicrous.
Let's be quite clear - using a credit card means that you are vulnerable to the rate on the day that you use it. This is known as gambling. Currently the pound is strong against the $ and the , but there is no guarantee that that will last. Given that the GBP base rate is at an unusually high rate (1.2134) at the moment the chances of it going higher are slender.
For plastic, if you insist on it, a pre-loaded card with s bought at a favourable rate would be a good option.
Taking a few GBPs is just in case you run out of Euros. No other reason.
Waspman is skewing the argument to the exchange of £s in AS. The simple unassailable fact is that taking notes bought at at a good rate is the best way to maximise your spending money.
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Just to add another note:
You can see that Waspman's grasp of maths is flaky because he's suggesting that using a card today would get you above base rate. This is, baldly put, utter rubbish!
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Oh dear
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At the end of the day you don't need money in San steph you just pay later even maria will let you have fags for us smokers and pay when ever will report back in 10 days
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Jimbo, You may well be a professional programmer (as well as a BBC news producer, reader, evaluator, presenter, writer, playwrite, novelist, escape artist and goodness knows what else), clever boy! but you're never going to be a financial wizard.
You may well bank with Halifax but I'm extremely surprised that you have little or no knowledge of their widely publicised "no commission" credit card (the best on the market) I expect you may well be tempted now, but no, you're a cash sort of guy.
I will take you on regarding your challenge, I am confident that I will travel to Ag Stef with euros at a better rate than yours (1.21) bought within the next 3 weeks, (evidence will be supplied) and you can buy supper, but I prefer dinner as it will cost you more? Are you up for that??
Whether I get more than 1.20 on my credit cards depends very much on the exchange rate mechanism between now and then.
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I must admit that I adopt a simple approach to Euro purchase. I use my Post Office card, collect Euros from my local Post Office, get four weeks interest free credit, enjoy my stay in SS, and take some Sterling and credit cards in case of unforeseen problems.
I know the rate is not the best, but it is very convenient.
As an aside, I used to write software to control oil and gas pipelines, but this does not mean that my advice is better because of this.
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Ooops! Didn't mean to start a riot >:( now I'm completely confused .... Not really, just joking. I am impressed with the abundace of replies and It's good to know that so many 'spirited' folk are regulars in San Stefano's!!! It's decided, we will take a bit of each, Sterling, Euros & Cards and look forward to a wonderful week. :)
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Whether I get more than 1.20 on my credit cards depends very much on the exchange rate mechanism between now and then.
That was exactly my point!
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Quote from the Telegraph last year
"The best credit card deals
If you want to make your holiday spending go further, use a credit card in shops and restaurants, preferably one that doesnt impose a foreign loading fee. Halifaxs Clarity Card is the standout card"
And that is exactly my point.
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Hmmm, Waspman is right but I still prefer cash as do the local Taverna owners and retailers. I imagine cash is easier to deal with when deciding how much you owe the tax man.
One problem with cards also is that the cash till at Thomas Bay is often empty!
Andy
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Hmmm, Waspman is right but I still prefer cash as do the local Taverna owners and retailers. I imagine cash is easier to deal with when deciding how much you owe the tax man.
One problem with cards also is that the cash till at Thomas Bay is often empty!
Andy
There is always the cashpoint at SS travel but I agree the taverna owners prefer cash for obvious reasons !
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Altea, just go and enjoy your holiday, whether you take cards, cash or whatever, everyone in San Stef will welcome you with open arms. Enjoy your holiday.
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Altea, just go and enjoy your holiday, whether you take cards, cash or whatever, everyone in San Stef will welcome you with open arms. Enjoy your holiday.
You are so right , holidays are for relaxing so just go ahead and enjoy yourself !
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Thanks so much Romanza man & loanna, counting down the days now and really looking forward to our holiday! 😊
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One problem with cards also is that the cash till at Thomas Bay is often empty!
Andy
The thing is Andy, that you don't use overseas credit cards for cash points (ATM's), only for purchases
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Following all of the info on here I have just succumbed and applied for the Halifax card! I will probably still use cash for most things but it will be a good back up I think. Thanks for all of the info guys.
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Following all of the info on here I have just succumbed and applied for the Halifax card! I will probably still use cash for most things but it will be a good back up I think. Thanks for all of the info guys.
Very wise person, try it out and let us all know how the exchange rate worked out when you use it in Agios Stefanos, don't use it in the UK though.
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Im so happy i dont have this problem,no worries with exchange rates here in Belgium.Apart from geting sterling when visiting family in uk.
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I'm was and am talking about taking Euros. We have plenty of Euros bought at the highest available rate. If you can get over 1.2 on your card in the summer I'll buy you supper!
Currently the pound is strong against the $ and the , but there is no guarantee that that will last. Given that the GBP base rate is at an unusually high rate (1.2134) at the moment the chances of it going higher are slender.
Waspman is skewing the argument to the exchange of £s in AS. The simple unassailable fact is that taking notes bought at at a good rate is the best way to maximise your spending money.
The GBP (Great Britain Pound) hit a high this week, 1.22 against the Euro.
I've just got euros at a rate of 1.222 (with no commission charges) using a debit card at an ATM, hopefully more tomorrow and the next day at the same, or better rate. Fairfx rate today is 1.2115
Well worth a gamble wasn't it Jim?
Looks like supper could be on you Jimbo?
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I've just got a Clarity card! Thanks!
Supper depends upon the Mastercard exchange rate at billing time. Now is a good time for cash, but July may be different. Who knows?
FairFX is currently showing 1.2005 for prepaid card loading. TravelFX is 1.2040 for cash.
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Jimbo, you're listening to me at last, congratulations on the Halifax Clarity card, you'll find it good.
You are right, now is a good time for cash (euros) and as you say July could well be different.
I just hope things stay as they are as I am now getting 1.22 on all my overseas cards.
See you in July
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There is now only 1 ATM in resort the one at Thomas Bay has been removed. So its outside Crystal Daisy between Margarita's supermarket and SS Travel. Otherwise its over to Arillas or down to Sidari as the ATM in Avliotes has also been removed.
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If you can get over 1.2 on your card in the summer I'll buy you supper!
The GBP to euro rate is looking very good at the moment, I can smell that free supper!!
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I'm was and am talking about taking Euros. We have plenty of Euros bought at the highest available rate. If you can get over 1.2 on your card in the summer I'll buy you supper!
Used my "no commission/no foreign loading fee credit card" for the first time on Saturday evening (5th July) at Zorbas. The statement showed up at my online banking today.
Zorbas bill = 28.22 euros, bank statement = £22.22
28.22 divided by 22.22 = 1.2601 (credit card exchange rate)
Proof, of course, will be provided.
Best exchange in village at present is 1.24 minus 2% commission = 1.215
TravelFx today = 1.24
So Jimbo, Knowing you're no cheapskate, I've provisionally booked for my free supper from Manthos, a nice big lobster.
It's no good using your new super Halifax Clarity credit card as he doesn't accept them, however it's great for all the tavernas etc that do.
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Lovely to see you 'Waspman' today wishing you and Lesley a wonderful holiday thanks for popping by........
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Waspman - It will certainly have to be somewhere which will accept the Clarity card which you so wisely recommended.
Boy - did you get lucky on the exchange rate!
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Waspman - It will certainly have to be somewhere which will accept the Clarity card which you so wisely recommended.
Boy - did you get lucky on the exchange rate!
No luck, just financial awareness!
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Exchange rate in village yesterday was 1.25. It had been 1.23 most of the time.
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Exchange rate in village yesterday was 1.25. It had been 1.23 most of the time.
Yes Karen but, minus the 2% commission it is 1.225, so not as good as UK online
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Still searching for Jimbo, think he's trying to avoid me, why is that?
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Not hiding. Very visible. Many witnesses. :-)
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Thanks for the Manthos sea bass supper Jimbo, very tasty. Nice to see you and Gillie again.