The holiday season is upon us and travellers are scanning foreign currency values to see how much their pound, franc, mark or kroner will buy.

Of course you can only get a rough guide in the papers and for the real truth you need to go to a bank and join the inevitable queue behind someone who wants to transfer several hundred pounds' worth of some totally unknown currency into roubles.

You can, of course, get your currency through your travel agent but experience has taught me a little time spent checking on the various banks is time well spent as you can often do a little better than the quoted rate.

It's a good feeling when you beat the book and translate the extra few pennies into a gin and tonic or glass of whatever is your particular poison.

Most regular travellers have a little stash of small change left over from last year which is useful for airport trolleys, tips, etc, when you first arrive, before you have changed any of the large value notes in your bulging wallet.

Since the banks do not deal in small change it is really almost essential to arrive with a few coins to tide you over.

Generally, the value of those coins doesn't change a lot from year to year.

One or two of us can probably remember the introduction of the new French franc which caused a few minor hiccups at the time and there was a slight problem a few years ago when the Germans changed the design of their five-mark coin and some places refused to take them.

The only way to get your money's worth was to use them in a slot machine - that fooled even the Germans!

But be warned. All that is about to change. You will be all right for travelling with local currencies this summer but as we get nearer January 1, 2002 those local currencies will become unlawful money in the Eurozone as they become demonetarised (ie have no value) as the Euro takes over as the Europe-wide currency.

Your carefully preserved little hoard will no longer be welcome, although for a short time after New Year's Day, 2002, some countries will continue to accept other currency.

As you might expect, Germany is being ultra efficient over the whole changeover and is going for the Big Bang approach.

All monetary transaction after December 31, 2001 will be in Euros and no other money will be accepted.

The new notes and coins will be available in exchange for marks just before Christmas and all financial institutions will be required to be ready with a supply of both well in advance of Euro Day.

Other countries will gradually taper in the Euro but for the Germans it is in with the new, out with the old in one fell swoop.

So if you intend to visit anywhere in Germany for the New Year's celebrations be warned, even a slot machine won't be of any help to you!

Totally unconnected to the foregoing but on the grounds that any piece of information may come in useful, let me share with you the fascinating fact that 2001 is the European Year of Languages and 2003 is the Year of Books.

At the moment 2002 has not got a title. How about the Year of Confusion?