Hello all. Just curious about getting Euros while in Europe. My husband and I will be celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary starting in Amsterdam (3 nites)then to Bruges (3 nites)then to Paris (4 nites). I used to use travelers checks, but last time in Paris, the ATMs seemed more convenient.I just got a VISA debit card that is linked to my checking account.
1--Is this the best way to obtain Euros while in Europe?
2--I have a 4-digit PIN for the card. Is this what I need? I had read about some %26quot;pin%26quot; issues in the travel section of my local newspaper. I also plan to have a credit card as a backup and to pay for the hotels and some meals.
Does anyone have any feedback or additional info that would be helpful?
Merci mille fois!
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This question has been much discussed on this forum. A simple search can yield pages and pages of information.
In summary however:
1. Travelers%26#39; checks are virtually obsolete, made so by the ATM.
2. ATMs are ubiquitous and free. What your bank may charge for an %26quot;out of network%26quot; withdrawal is another matter.
3. I have never heard of a 4 pin problem, only that the card used for withdrawal must be tied to a checking account. If you have a problem with one ATM, try another.
4. There are several locations in Paris at which one may be able to exchange dollars more cheaply than what his credit card is charging him for international usage. It really pays to ask an informed individual at your bank (you may have to ask persistently to find the right information). For dollar to euro exchanges in Paris:
http://www.bureaudechange.fr/index.php
http://www.ccopera.com/
http://www.fcochange.com/
5. Debit card? Is this the same as an ATM card? If not, it sounds awfully expensive to use.
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Bonsoir!
Yes, I think the best way ks the ATM.
You neen a PIN of 4 numbers, so you have the right card.
Have fun!!
Nikita
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You%26#39;ve got it spot on! Enjoy the trip
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Call your bank and let them know you will be in Europe!!! Some banks have to activate the card for use in Europe (for security purposes). Same thing with your credit cards. My bank and credit cards were activated for the specific dates we would be there. It%26#39;s a good security feature. The numbers and cards won%26#39;t work there now that we are back.
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Your best money exchange is the one that is used the most, usually a credit card. However, your bank ATM (with or with not a Visa or Mastercard logo) and some credit cards are likely to charge you an international fee, and at times, a higher exchange rate. We encountered none of these problems on our American Express Sky Miles and a Capital One Mastercard.
Our bank ATM charged us an international fee, and we used this card, using a PIN number, for cash withdrawals. We withdrew as much as we were comfortable carrying at a time, and this is necessary as some European locations required a 15 Euro minimum for card use.
If you typically use an American Express card when you travel, a Visa or Mastercard is necessary as may locations do not accept AE. At the time of our travel (October, 2008), the Capital One Mastercard was the one that appeared the best to avoid accelerated international charges.
Talk to your bank and do your research. Banks change their policies and let them know you are traveling. Banks and credit card companies can shut you down if you are posting charges that they don%26#39;t see as typical to your habits.
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Thank you all for your helpful responses! My %26quot;pin%26quot; question was in regards to a 4-digit pin vs. a 3-digit pin number that reportedly had been difficult to use in France. I had read several articles about the need for a specific type of pin number, and was hoping that I had the correct number of digits, as I have lost the old newspaper article.
I have multiple credit cards, including Capitol One, and have used them abroad in the past, so this is not my conern.
I do not know that travelers checques are obsolete, as I just used them last summer. I just felt that the ATMs were more readily accessible than were the bureaux de change or banks.
Again, I thank you all! Happy travels!
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I%26#39;ve only had a four digit PIN and have never had any problem using my debit card anywhere in Europe, including France.
I think the best way to pay for your trip is to use the Capital One card as often as you can and pay the card off when you get home. I actually heard this from the %26quot;Money Guy%26quot; on talk radio before we left on our trip. I followed his advice and had no surprises when we got our statements. I don%26#39;t know if all American Express cards work this way, but we did not have transaction charges and got a favorable exchange rate on our SkyMiles card as well.
Talk to your credit card companies before you leave.
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I have just come back from paris and used the ATMs all the time, however I have a Nationwide bank ac which means there is no charge for using card abroad, I still think using the ATMs are your best bet, they are everywhere and you just use them the same as at home
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Okay...travelers cheques are not obsolete, in that they are still available.
BUT...
you can only exchange them at a bank. Not just any bank, a bank that advertises that they will accept travelers cheques. This means that you have to find a bank that accepts travelers cheques, AND is open when you need to exchange them.
You%26#39;ll receive a nawt-so-grate-akshully exchange rate, and get the pleasure of paying a commission on top of that.
There aren%26#39;t very many stores, hotels, or restaurants that still accept travelers%26#39; cheques..there are a few, but they%26#39;re mostly in the high-tourist-traffic areas, and will give you a really horrible exchange rate.
Compare that to traveling with a credit card and a debit card...usable 24 hours a day, in any location in the world, up to your daily limit (which you can even increase if you ask your bank nicely), with exchange rates much closer to the official rate, with only nominal fees added on (check your cardholder agreement to find out how much these are)...
so technically, you%26#39;re correct -- travelers%26#39; cheques are not obsolete.
In reality though, they%26#39;ve gone the way of buggy whips.
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