Obtaining Euro coins in Australia or Singapore

[RooFlyer]

I'm hiring a car at ZRH for France and Germany shortly and will need some coins for tolls. @VPS advises from recent experience that coins are handier than cards for the peage. So I've just gone through my FX coin stash and surprisingly only found a few Euro coins.

I could do the usual trick and buy something small and get change but I'd prefer to be prepared beforehand as I may not get enough in change. Arriving at ZRH, it would be expensive to buy Euros even if they did have coins.

So: Does anywhere in Sydney or Singapore (both where I have a day stopover en route) sell Euros in coins? @dajop any suggestions for Singapore?

 

[I love to travel]

How much do you need? I have a few that I could send you.

 

[RooFlyer]

How much do you need? I have a few that I could send you.

That's kind, thanks, but I've already knocked back an offer and wouldn't want to play favourites . Seriously, I'll manage without the pre-cash if needs be but it would be more convenient to have some from the get-go.

 

[Hvr]

I reckon Singapore would be better than Sydney.
Maybe at Mustafa's?

 

[Quickstatus]

Don't they accept notes as well?

 

[VPS]

Not all of them give change and if it's busy you don't want to be holding up people.

These are the ones on the motorways where you throw the money into a basket

Don't they accept notes as well?

 

[RooFlyer]

if it's busy you don't want to be holding up people.

Some people are scared of sharks; some of spiders; some of things that go bump in the night. I'm terrified of having one to five French motorists behind me at the peage gate honking away as I fumble with card/notes etc. Just chuck the coins in the damn basket.

 

[SydneySwan]

I'm terrified of having one to five French motorists behind me at the peage gate honking away as I fumble with card/notes etc. Just chuck the coins in the damn basket.

Indeed. A friend of mine claims French motorists are only slightly less scary than French protestors (aka rioters).

 

[luxury-lizard]

I'm surprised that all toll roads in France don't take credit cards particularly given the amounts involved. I'm not sure Germany has any toll roads - their 'autobahns' are toll free (it's a bit of a bugbear with Germany as trucks 'cut through' Germany to avoid tolls in adjacent countries.

 

[drron]

And in Europe you can probably get a car with a toll device, get it activated and then no stopping at the plazas. A bit more expensive but way more convenient.

 

[VPS]

I'm surprised that all toll roads in France don't take credit cards particularly given the amounts involved. I'm not sure Germany has any toll roads - their 'autobahns' are toll free (it's a bit of a bugbear with Germany as trucks 'cut through' Germany to avoid tolls in adjacent countries.

The problem is non European cards don’t always work nicely.
I found it easier to have change and just chuck it in the basket

And in Europe you can probably get a car with a toll device, get it activated and then no stopping at the plazas. A bit more expensive but way more convenient.

I wasn’t offered that on either car I hired in France

 

[kookaburra75]

I'm surprised that all toll roads in France don't take credit cards particularly given the amounts involved. I'm not sure Germany has any toll roads - their 'autobahns' are toll free (it's a bit of a bugbear with Germany as trucks 'cut through' Germany to avoid tolls in adjacent countries.

When we travelled through southern France, we experienced three types of tolling - credit card (no issues with my Aus card), coins in the bucket (and a major issue with that that lead to a massive queue behind us - I'm sure we are on one of those "Dumb things tourists do" tv shows) and feeding in notes, which gave change. For the notes, it was only the two booths on the very right hand side - you can see the symbols above the gate.

 

[RooFlyer]

Just a side story. I went to get some Euro small change notes in Hobart. Nah. My main bank, CBA only had E50 notes. Second bank, NAB hasn't done FX "for two years". Flight Centre, where I previously got FX from very efficiently, doesn't do it either any more. Both the latter two sent me to a FX booth in a nearby arcade. They had a few 5s and 20s all of which looked like they've just been retrieved from the bottom of a dumpster. Again, I'll use my Citi card when I get over there, but like to have some change when I arrive. So, Sydney.