Dollars to Euros...Where?

[Mississippian]

We always get them before we leave. Is there a premium...sure....but gives us piece of mind and when we arrive, we just start having fun.

I like to change money before I go as well, usually with Wells Fargo. I generally pay a five percent premium. Many ATM cards charge a 3.5% currency exchange fee plus an ATM fee, so changing in advance really doesn't cost much more, plus no hassle of having to look for a machine or worry about an ATM card being eaten.

 

In year's past I've always carried a couple of thousand dollars in US dollars, so that if I ran out of euros I would just change more money. I did this this past summer and found it is now virtually impossible to exchange American currency in all but the capitol cities, and even then the rates are terrible. Most banks no longer change money. Just thought I would provide this warning.

 

I don't have an ATM card, but I will get one before my next trip. I'm still going to take a pocketfull of euros with me, though.

Edited October 20, 2014 by Mississippian

[IECalCruiser]

With foreign ATMs, your bank that issues the debit card decides what to charge for foreign transactions. Wells Fargo and many other debit cards charge 3% which is built into the exchange rate you will see on your statement. CatitalOne and some others have 0% added to the actual exchange rate.

I actually use a Wells Fargo debit card and for my account there is no transaction fee and essentially no exchange fee as the rate we received each time was within 0.2% of the average daily exchange rate. I also brought a Wells Fargo chip and pin credit card to the Mediterranean this year. I was never asked to enter the pin but rather signed a slip for each purchase. This was in Spain, France, Italy and Greece.

 

 

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[Cruise Junky]

OP you don't state where you're from. We have fantastic exchange places in Vancouver. I get Euros every payday for our trips and then when I run out I use an ATM that is affiliated with my bank for no fee.

[spunks]

I have a Schwab account and use the debit card to get euros or pounds or whatever...Turkish lira once. It has worked in any ATM from the Azores to Istanbul. I pay no conversion fee and Schwab picks up all ATM charges anywhere. It has allowed me to NEVER worry about carrying a large amount of cash. I get the exchange rates that are current for the day. For instance..if I got 100 euro today I would be charged $127.16 off of my account GDP charge would be $160.10 for 100 pounds.....safe, simple,

 

Doug

[azdmelani]

Can cruise critic experts suggest where is the best place to exchange dollars to euros for a Med cruise (Venice to Rome or vice versa)

 

I found a place in NYC before leaving that had great exchange rates. Since I use Chase for my bank they charge a $5 plus 3% fee at ATMs abroad, so this was my best course of action.

[Thrak]

Has anybody encountered problems using an ATM card with a magnetic strip rather than and embedded chip? I found some ATMs in Vancouver that wouldn't accept my card due to lack of a chip. There was no "reader" for the magnetic strip.

[caribill]

Has anybody encountered problems using an ATM card with a magnetic strip rather than and embedded chip? I found some ATMs in Vancouver that wouldn't accept my card due to lack of a chip. There was no "reader" for the magnetic strip.

 

I have not experienced that at an ATM, and that is experience in Europe.

 

However, if chip and sign, it will not work in machines such as train stations and gas stations if chip and PIN is required

[IECalCruiser]

Has anybody encountered problems using an ATM card with a magnetic strip rather than and embedded chip? I found some ATMs in Vancouver that wouldn't accept my card due to lack of a chip. There was no "reader" for the magnetic strip.

ATMs in Estonia, Spain and Italy took our magnetic strip ATM card with no problems.

 

 

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[Jojiboy]

Has anybody encountered problems using an ATM card with a magnetic strip rather than and embedded chip? I found some ATMs in Vancouver that wouldn't accept my card due to lack of a chip. There was no "reader" for the magnetic strip.

 

Didn't encounter any problems using ATMs in Montreal, Spain, Italy, Turkey and Greece with my magnetic strip debit card.