Oh, my sister and I once drove in one day through Switzerland, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Belgium and Netherlands, but not sure if we spent money in each of them.
While we were touring central Europe in 1994 (i.e., in pre-Euro days), we were in Karlovy Vary, a city in the Czech Republic. My wife bought a lace tablecloth in a shop there, which involved some very amusing negotiations with the salesman, and payment in a mixture of American dollars, German marks, and Czech koruna.
Do online transactions count? If so, then USD, Euro, and HKD.
Otherwise, two. I have been to Costa Rica, where USD and Costa Rican Colones are both accepted at most businesses. It is quite common there to pay in one currency, and receive change in the other.
2 is all I can remember, so I’m going with 2
But on edit I may have done some US online transaction while migrating from country to country with different currencies, so reserve the right to say three.
I may have used three in a 24-hour period (US dollars, Euros at the Rome airport, and Israeli shekels) a couple years ago.
4 in one day:
*Indian Rupee
*Euro
*British Pound
*U.S. Dollar.
In 2005, in that order, having been to four different nations in a 19 hour period.
When I lived in the Soviet Union, there were hard currency stores. They took only currencies other than the rouble-- I’m not sure whether they took Soviet bloc currencies or not. Anyway, occasionally, you would get change in some other currency than the one you spent, because they didn’t have enough of what you spent.
It meant that an American kid in the Soviet Union who was interested in coins could build up quite a collection of various currencies. It also meant that although the cashiers grumbled about it, it was possible to make purchases using different currencies.
I don’t remember what the most I used in one night was. It probably wasn’t more than four, because the cashiers might not have accepted more than four, even though they were technically supposed to (I have no idea how they calculated how much of a particular currency an item cost, but I’m sure it involved an abacus-- cashiers in the USSR were crazy for abacuses). They might not have accepted more than three, but I do specifically remember spending three at one time once.
I’m willing to bet that the same day, I spent kopeks on a subway fare, or something the same day. It was an unusual day that I didn’t spend a few kopeks on something. I might have bought a piece of candy at the front desk of our hotel, but I’m willing to say that I spent four currencies in one day, and possibly five.
Another time I was in Europe, it was before the Euro, and I was in Prague, Vienna, and a train bound for Paris that accepted francs in one day, so I spent Czechoslovak kronas, Austrian schillings, and francs in one day. I went a hard currency store in Prague, but I don’t think I went to one on my last day. If I had, I would have spent dollars on the same day. I wish I could remember if there were a hard currency store in the train station-- maybe a duty-free store. I doubt it, though.
So I’m going to say the most I spent was four, but not in four different countries. The most I spent in different countries was three.
Four - Israel to Paris (long lay over, and we wanted beers and food) to Morocco, with some American green along the way.
Four.
Cayman dollars
US dollars
Panamanian balboa (only coins)
Colombian pesos
That is the typical routing of a trip for me to go visit Mrs Iggy.
(I’m loving your thread! So interesting to hear all the various configurations!)
German Marks bought breakfast in Heidelberg, traveled to London (Gatwick), converted remaining Marks to Pounds, bought lunch in Gatwick with Pounds, flew to Saudi Arabia, converted Pounds and Dollars to Riyals, had late supper in Riyadh, paid with Saudi Riyals.
I remember that. I bought something in a hard currency store in Moscow and got back a mish-mash of yen, lira, pesetas, marks and franc coins. They made a big show out of calculating it, but I know damn well they just grabbed a handful of random coins out of the register and plunked them down on the counter, knowing that very few customers would have a clue as to whether it was correct change or not.
Three: GB Pounds, US Dollars, and Euros.
Cash? Three: Peru, Mexico, US. If credit cards count, Malayan, Indonesian, Korean, and Chinese.
May have been slightly more than a 24 hour period, but 4 different currencies. Flew to Spain (Euro) for a motorcycle trip to Morroco (Dirham). On the way we went through Gibralter and had to use GBP. Plus US$ at the beginning, of course.
Three, several times:
Danish Krone
Euro
Czech Koruna
USD
Japanese Yen
South Korean Won
USD
Belizean Dollar
Guatemalan Quetzal
Probably around $5,000. I don’t know how many different currencies that entailed, but that’s the “most amount”.
What?
You already had my combination although technically I think my GBP was at hour 30. SEK for lunch+train to DKK for supper+hotel+plane to Euro for breakfast+meeting+train to train to GBP for supper+hotel and then to USD the next morning.
If I count airports (which I never do for travel claims), 5 in <24 hours: ₺ (Istanbul) to € (Frankfurt) to GBP to CAD to USD.
3, in under 40 minutes, and within 10 miles. Netherlands Antillean Guilder, USD, Euro.
NAG and USD on the Dutch side of St Maarten, Euro and USD on the French side of St. Martin. I happened to have some NAG, and while they are official currency on the Dutch side, they hate taking them. The French side had no problem taking Euros.
I guess Australian dollars, Singapore dollars, and Euros within a 24 hour period. I don’t think I bought anything in flight (such as after shave) so can’t claim US currency.