Banking System: While you are in Hanover city, called Hannover, in Germany, you may frequently need to withdraw money from your bank. In Germany, most of the transactions are done in cash.
Cash is used more often than any other mode of payment in Germany. Credit cards are accepted at many places for larger transactions, but are accepted reluctantly for smaller transactions. Many smaller shops and service providers do not accept credit cards. However, those that do accept credit cards, accept all the major ones like Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. Eurocheque cards are accepted more readily than credit cards due to their lower processing fee. You can get these from any European bank in which you have an account. The procedure to get these is almost the same as that for getting a credit card. Some of the top banks of Hanover city are Sparkasse Hannover, Hannoversche Volksbank eG, and Citibank.
Currency Exchange: Some of the major international currency exchange brokers are American Express Travel and Thomas Cook Travel. In the link given below, the contact numbers and addresses of American Express Travel currency exchange outlets are given. If due to some reason you cannot go to your nearest American Express Travel office, American Express can send you foreign exchange through
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courier, although they charge a processing fee of $15 and additional shipping costs. You can exchange currency at one of the many hotels in Hanover city also, but hotels usually charge a higher rate of interest. It's always advisable to exchange currency with a currency exchange broker or a bank because they give more favorable rates of interests. Currency exchange bureaus are called "Wechselstuben" in German.
Health System: German medical care is among the best in the world. If you do fall ill in Hanover, you should contact your consulate in Hanover. Each consulate maintains a list of English-speaking doctors in Hanover. Doctors and physicians expect immediate payment for the medical care from tourists who have no permanent address in Germany. So, it would be a good idea to keep money handy when you visit a hospital in Germany. Some of the good hospitals in Hanover are Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Krankenhaus Heidehaus, and Vinzenzkrankenhaus. The German word for "hospitals" is "krankenhaus." Though the following web pages are in German, you can take down the addresses and phone numbers from these.
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