Cash, ATMs, credit/debit cards... by matcrazy1
? and old DMGermany - like other 12 other European countries (all "old" EU members except Danmark, Sweden and UK) - got Euro (?) as its currency (Germany since 1st Jan 2002). Hmm... whenever you find any travel books on Berlin with prices given in old DM (Deutch Mark) be sure they were quite old and maybe not accurate.
Just in case you have old DM you can still exchange unlimited amounts of them (both banknotes and coins) for euros on fixed course: 1 ? = 1.95583 DM and free of charge (!) but exclusively in offices of the central bank of the Federal Republic of Germany (Deutsche Bundesbank). Till then? By an indefinite period of time :-) Go to Steinplatz 2 in Charlottenburg district (north of Ku-Damm, U-bahn Uhlandstraße, U15) unless you are money collector (quite popular hobby nowadays esp. of larger amounts :-).
Credit/debit cards, ATMs
Almost all stores, restaurants, cafes, museums etc. and all petrol/gas stations I visited in Berlin accepted cards at least of Visa, Eurocard/Mastercard and Maestro system. The same cards where acccepted in numerous ATMs in Berlin downtowns/centers. And surely one could always choose either German on English menu in all ATMs.
Warning: American Express cards were NOT always accepted, Discovery cards were NEVER accepted.
Foreign exchange
Personally I bought some amount of ? in Poland before crossing German border. And I used my credit card and ATM to get ? in Berlin (dispite they surcharged me for US$1 per transaction I saved over 5% using my credit card and ATM).
I saw small exchange offices located along streets in downtown with limited variety of currencies to exchange. All well-known European and many world currencies were accepted in Berlin banks. Which ones? Check here, please.
