Best way to get Euros???

[Clarea]

Are there any additional fees for using the ATMs at the airport versus using the ones in town?

If you use a Capital One debit card, all ATM fees (up to $30 per month) are refunded.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

We use Wells Fargo when ordering foreign currency.

 

You and Bob provide the best information.:) thank you.

 

When you get your money from Wells Fargo do you do this before you leave from your bank or online? Or from a Wells Fargo ATM? We live in a rural area and have a PO box. They will not deliver to that. So we would need to pick it up at our bank.

 

I read through the website and it does not appear to be a service charge for this. Is there?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Mimi19510]

We just returned from a 12 day cruise on the Serenade and had six tours booked privately which all required cash payment. I was very fearful of carrying that much cash at anytime, so this is what we did:

 

I ordered 1000 Euros thru Bank of America and picked them up from our local branch.

 

I also ordered 1500 Euros in American Express Travelers Checks as i found out that one of the tour companies we were booked with accepted them. ( it was Limo in Rome)

 

We withdrew euros while in Barcelona at an ATM using our Discover credit card which we did two days in a row ( and that gave us 800 euros to take on board).

 

The ship also had an two ATMs on board...one dispensed dollars, and the other euros, however, the machine with euros broke down during the cruise and was not available for the last 4 days of the cruise.

 

Lastly, Bank of America has an agreement with BAL bank in Italy where you can use your ATM card and not incur foreign transaction fees. We found this bank on our last tour day in Sorrento when we were running low on euros.

 

Remember to have some euros if you take a taxi from the port to the airport. Our trip from Barcelona was 35 euros per cab ( we needed two). The shuttles thru RCL were really pricy.

 

hope this helps....my husbands mantra during the entire trip was that he was "bleeding euros" and its true how quickly they escape your pocket!

 

Sounds like we are taking same cruise. Did you hang onto those euros til end of tour or pay them at beginning?

 

 

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[havatampa]

We would hold onto payment until the end of the tour. If our guide was exceptional, we also tipped with euros. Our cabin had a safe where we kept all our money and credit cards. My husband also wore a money belt so he was in charge of cash. My purse carried the camera and also I made photo copies of our passports. We traveled with our four teenagers and many museums gave discounts for students so we had them bring their student ID's as well. Hope this helps and that you have a fantastic vacation!

[infoprof56]

You and Bob provide the best information.:) thank you.

 

When you get your money from Wells Fargo do you do this before you leave from your bank or online? Or from a Wells Fargo ATM? We live in a rural area and have a PO box. They will not deliver to that. So we would need to pick it up at our bank.

 

I read through the website and it does not appear to be a service charge for this. Is there?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

I just purchased currency through Wells Fargo and had it delivered to the local branch. There is no service charge as long as you get at least $1000 US worth of currency, if less you pay the same $15 shipping fee you would to have it sent to your home.

[lawblond7]

New to cruising in Europe. Sorry if this sounds silly, but what is the best way to get Euros. Should I get them all from my bank or just a little and then use the ATMs in the airport.

What about writing a check on the cruise if I need more. Wil they give me euros or us currency??

Thanks!

 

I always order some from my bank Wells Fargo - you can have them delivered to you local branch or house. I like to have some when I arrive at the airport son I do not need to go searching for a ATM. If I need more I will use a ATM in the country I am at

Sharon

[DragonOfTheSeas]

I just purchased currency through Wells Fargo and had it delivered to the local branch. There is no service charge as long as you get at least $1000 US worth of currency, if less you pay the same $15 shipping fee you would to have it sent to your home.

 

Thanks--that is great to know. I think this is what we will do. I am sure we wil need at least that much for 3 days in Barcelona and 4 ports of call that use euros. :p We are not doing our excursions through the ship.

[navybankerteacher]

Are there any additional fees for using the ATMs at the airport versus using the ones in town?

 

No. Just make sure that you use a bank-owned ATM which would be same as one in town, rather than a proprietary one - which can charge outrageous fees. If you travel frequently, you will find it worthwhile to get an ATM card issued by a bank that not only does not charge you use fees but also rebates whatever fees (usually up to $3) the local bank charges -- and hopefully applies spot-rate exchange. UBS, for one - and I am sure there are others. A typical US bank ATM card used in Europe is likely to cost you your bank's $3.00 fee for using another bank's ATM, and they will pass along that bank's fee of another $3.00 or so, and may hit you with a 5% or 6% exchange fee for giving you euros against your dollars.

[slidergirl]

Before you buy any Travelers' Checks, be absolutely, positively, sure that your excursion operator accepts said checks. Otherwise, you'll spend your trip carrying around useless paper. There have been some other threads (Italy ports of call most noted) where there are less than maybe 10 AMEX locations in Europe (and not a ports of call) where you could cash in those checks. Most banks won't accept them, most all business won't take them anymore.

 

If you do need hard cash for paying excursions, I'm not sure which I would do. That one would be your comfort level. If you buy at home, you'll just put the money in each safe you encounter until you pay. I wouldn't be worried about getting robbed for the little time you spend between your house and the airport, destination airport to hotel, hotel to ship. Just use common sense. If you do the ATM thing, yep, you'll have to do multiple withdrawals. I don't sweat the fees - it's not enough to worry about it. It's part of doing business. $5 for a withdrawal fee is a drop in the bucket for a trip that is costing thousands already (just my opinion).

 

One thing the European Union has done is make it easy for us cruisers where the itineraries have us in different countries - one currency is all we need! I don't miss those good old days when you had to carry lira, francs, pesos, drachma, all for one trip.

I always have at least $100 worth of the local currency already with me when I land. I like to hit the ground running and not waiting in line with the 100 others trying to use the ATM at the airport arrivals hall. I can get out there in the taxi rank or the bus or train right away (and grab a cup of local coffee to get me alert for the trip to town). In the case of Europe, and Canada, I know I will return, so I always make sure I come home with $100 worth of that currency. That way, I have my money ready for the next trip...

[Shak]

As long as the cruise line continues to accept travers checks I will continue to bring them. Loss and theft are real possibilities when traveling.

 

Shak