Tourists on Holiday Coping With Greece's Financial Crisis

Tourists on holiday in Greece offered advice to others Monday: Bring extra euros.

Several reported having some anxious moments over the weekend thanks to empty ATMs andmerchants refusing credit cards, but the inconveniences eased as ATMs were replenished Monday.

"We were finally able to get cash out of an ATM today, thankfully, since we are running out of euroswe got in the U.S.," said Anthony Adornato, a college professor from Syracuse, New York, headingfrom Athens to the island of Kea with three other Americans. "We thought we would have to startrationing, but luckily found an ATM that worked after two days of having no luck with others."

They'd tried five ATMs before finding one with cash, and many merchants had refused to take theircredit cards.

Richard Joplin, a realtor in Austin, Texas, arrived in Athens Monday with his two daughters for a 10-day holiday. "So far we have only been inconvenienced with restaurants and cabs only wantingcash," he said. "I brought euros with me for that reason." But he didn't bring enough to last the trip,and hoped he'd be able to use credit cards and ATMs later in the trip.

But others reported no problems. "So far so good because we've only been here for a day and camewith a lot of euros," said Chloe O'Brien, 21, of New York City, traveling with her grandma and twoaunts to Athens and Mykonos.

Laura Simoes, visiting Kefalonia from New Hampshire, said she had "neither seen, nor felt, anyimpact from the economic crisis. ... Nearly every market, restaurant, etcetera has taken our creditcard and never suggested they'd rather have cash."

Greeks can only withdraw 60 euros ($67) per account daily from banks, but the limits do not apply toforeigners.

The tour group company smarTours, which is sending several groups to Greece in a few weeks, isnot seeing cancellations and is simply advising clients to bring euros.

"It is our understanding that our various suppliers are preparing for shortages of goods by stockingup," said smarTours co-CEO Greg Geronemus. "At this time, we do not believe that travelers are atrisk, but this is a fluid situation and we are monitoring it very closely."

The Tauck tour company currently has a cruise group finishing up with three nights in Athens. "Wewere in touch with our hotel and our tour director earlier today, and both report that daily life isgoing on normally," said spokesman Tom Armstrong.

Jim Christoforidis, a doctor in Chicago who was born in Greece and who's planning to travel therelater this summer with his wife to visit family, said they'll "probably withdraw a substantial amountof euros" to bring. The biggest issue, he said, will be safeguarding the cash.

"Because we'll be staying with family, it's less of a concern," he said. "But we've heard stories ofpeople staying in hotels dealing with theft."

Nikolitsa Katsoulias, of Ottawa, Canada, who is planning a trip with her fiance the last two weeks ofJuly to Athens, Corfu and Zakynthos, booked the trip on a credit card that allows cancellations of

airfare and other prepaid travel, "but we decided to go ahead with our plans anyway. After speakingto family in Greece, they advised us to bring extra euros with us and not to worry. We are going totake a leap of faith and trust that we will still enjoy our two weeks with the possibility that we mayhit some bumps along the way."

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