Eurofurence Information > Questions & Answers

How much money should one bring?

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Santa fox:
First off, I do apologize if this is the wrong section to ask this, so, feel free to move it or anything like that.

Though, as Eurofurence will be the first con I will be visiting, I was just wondering if anyone had any general pointers on how much cash to bring? In Euro notes, in case that makes a difference. As it currently stands, I would most likely be able to bring anything from 1 to 5500 Euros, everything permitting. I assume this should at least last for a while? Like I said, never been to one before so I am completely new to such things :x

I am expecting the cash to cover train to and from, in case the bus pickup doesn't happen. I also quite like drinking and will probably be around furiends who share the same interest. Also looking to buying a few things, and making a donation to whichever one will be recieving it, which is why I am a bit uncertain if it will last.

Of course, I am not counting the cost for flight, con registration and so on into this.

Quincy the Raccoon:
That's all in the eye of the beholder. You can ofcourse bring as much as you can spare, but it's IMHO inadvisable to bring VERY large sums of money to the con. At best you could use your bank card for the ATM and pin off some cash which you can spend. Be wary, you were talking about food. Quick reminder that the restaurants inside are a bit expensive. You can buy stuff at the local mall across the street.

Santa fox:

--- Quote from: SunWolf on 29.11.2011, 21:40:21 ---That's all in the eye of the beholder. You can ofcourse bring as much as you can spare, but it's IMHO inadvisable to bring VERY large sums of money to the con. At best you could use your bank card for the ATM and pin off some cash which you can spend. Be wary, you were talking about food. Quick reminder that the restaurants inside are a bit expensive. You can buy stuff at the local mall across the street.

--- End quote ---

Hmm.. yeah, sounds reasonable not to bring so large sums to it, heh. Though, i'd rather have cash in notes than rely on my bank card working all the time.

VulpesRex:
Greetings, Santa Fox!

   While EuroFURence seems to operate on-site on a cash basis, there are certain expenses which it is best (and safest) to handle with a credit card.  Things like your flight, and your rail travel - your hotel accommodations will be part of your EuroFURence registration, paid in advance, unless you elect to stay at the local Youth Hostel.  Actual cash will probably be required for meals, drink, anything which you purchase in the Dealers' Room, and for both the Art Auction (for the artists) and the Charity Auction (for our supported charity).

   The Convention lasts from Wednesday afternoon through Sunday, or 5 days; of course, some people depart on Sunday, some on Monday morning, meaning an extra night in the hotel.  Some elect to arrive a day early, some do both.  Average stay though is 5 days.

   Assuming that you eat all your meals at the hotel and confine your drinking to the Bier Kiosk in the lobby or to the friendly bar just off the lobby, you can get by nicely for 50 Euro a day, though you can trim that a bit if you are judicious in your dining.  For those expenses for 5 days, that's 250 Euro.

   For purchases in the Dealers' Room, that can range from commissioning several artists for sketches in sketchbooks, badges, or separate illustration, to buying prints or pre-made merchandise, or comic books.  For just buying Dealers' "stuff", you could easily spend upwards of 500 Euro during the convention - though most attendees make do with less. be prepared in any event, figure a top-end of 500 Euro.

   Charity - it is possible to make a direct donation to the charity, but there are usually objects of art which various artists have either chosen to put in the auction with all proceeds going to the charity, or of which a stated percentage of the final bid price will be donated to the charity.  If you donate 50 Euro to the charity, they will be quite happy (but they would be positively ecstatic for 150 Euro).

  The Art Auction, Proper - here the sky is the limit.  It is possible to buy several nice illustrations for minimum bid, but please be aware that artists in general tend to be their own worst critics, and undervalue their own talent so severely that they set their minimum bid prices way too low.  It is fair and a mark of a Patron of the Arts to bid, if you happen to be the first bid, about double the minimum which the artist has listed; and a good strategy, to ward off possible competitors for a piece which you really want, is to bid 3 times the minimum as the first bid, just to show that you are serious about wanting it.  Casual collectors will take the hint, and not bid against you...though if a serious collector also wishes to have it, it won't stop a counterbid.  Depending on how serious a collector you are, and how many pieces you can safely transport home, figure a "war chest" of 2,000 Euro.

   This works out to 2,800 Euro.  This is a "Top End" figure, I bet that most people have a perfectly good time at EuroFURence and spend less than 1,000 Euro; depending on how frugal you are, you can perhaps have a good time with only 500 Euro, but that is by being disciplined and not allowing for any "cushion", or for unexpected opportunities or incurred expense.

   2,800 Euro - or even 1,000 Euro - is a lot of serious scratch to be carrying around, and a tragedy to lose, or to be robbed of; there are ATM machines within a block of the Maritim hotel, from a number of Banks; see if your own bank has an agreement with DeutscheBank, for example, to minimise cross-bank fees.  They have a room of ATMs and banking terminals across the street, at the street corner.  And the hotel rooms are equipped with a mini-safe, for storing valuables; take advantage of it.

Santa fox:
Thanks for the greetings :> and thank you for responding.

My flight and so on will be paid by bank transfer, once the registration opens, of course. I am merely wondering how much actual cash to bring with me to the con, the cash I mentioned isn't included in that sum, so cost for such is no worries and will be handled separately. Though, I do sincerely hope there is a bus pickup this year, seems a lot more simple than going by train, maybe it's just me though :x

At any rate, I guess I might as well take some more questions while I have this thread going. I assume arriving a day early and leaving a day later is what is referred to as late/early arrival/departure? Food slipped my mind, though I can only suspect the easiest is to eat at the hotel, rather than poking around outside of the con and so on, even if it is a bit more expensive to do so. I also guess it's a bit more sociable.

Auction isn't really something that seems to appeal to me too much, so I suspect the dealers room will be where I spend most of the cash on things to buy, though here is where I am a bit uncertain if the cash I bring will be enough, while spending all of the cash on things is a bit extreme, i'd rather bring more than I need. Reason i'd rather bring hard cash than my card is because it sometimes simply refuses to work, even after ordering a new one. Being robbed or loosing it is not something that I am too worried about, to be honest. I did hear that the rooms have safes, so I guess they will be even more protected once I arrive. I suspect carrying a bit extra cash in case anything should screw up should also be advisable?

Though, thanks for the input :> I'll certainly take it into consideration. Ah well, at least it's nice to know I will have a good margin of error.

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