ATM that dispenses Euros in Copenhagen

An easier solution would be to get Euros from your bank at home before you leave for your trip. Just enough to get you through a few days. This may come with a fee, and may require you to order them in advance, but will save a lot of headache. Once you get settled at your destination, you are sure to pass banks as you are sightseeing. Depending on your destination, you may not need much cash at all.

You do not say where your destination is. You might want to just suck it up and buy a couple hundred Euros at home before you leave. Might cost a bit more than getting it from an ATM, but it is "peace of mind" insurance.

Yes, there are ATMs at the airport where you can get a few euro notes. Those claiming that airports are the worst place to exchange money probably refer to the manned exchange booths. An ATM is an ATM.

Just make sure you use a proper bank ATM and avoid the Euronet and other unofficial ones.

I don't know where your final destination is, but I've never heard of a country where ATMs are closed on sundays.

Since no one has been able to tell you where in the airport the ATM is located. Or if it's a bank or other type ATM (not that I would care about a $5 fee for a one-off thing like this), I say bring them from home too. So simple and no stress.

No 1st hand experience, but I suspect if there are ATMs at CPH that dispense euros the exchange rate will be ugly.

Probably be better off to get a couple hundred euro from your bank at home, if you feel the need to have some in your pocket when you get to your destination and do not want to deal with an ATM there on arrival.

@ Mel

My contacts in Copenhagen tell me the official Danish currency is Krone. (They have good government connections) The Danes voted to stay with Krone rather than Euro. Bit like the English did. An ancient sovereignty hangover. Afterall, they have a handsome prince with a super model wife and a handsome son next in line. Would be surprised if an ATM dispensed other than the national currency. I would suspect it would be a bit like expecting to get Mexican Pesos at an ATM in Los Angeles. Then again maybe it happens in Los Angeles.

Regards Ron

We were in Copenhagen all last week. The only time we spent cash was to pay for our bike tour with Mike. He takes various currencies, cash only, and says he has an ATM near his shop. We had enough US dollars on us so we paid with that. Otherwise, we never needed cash the entire week. Never. Paid every time with our no foreign transaction fees credit card. Since we used the credit card, i don’t know if shops would have taken Euros but doubtful since it’s not the currency of the country.

The OP is connecting at CPH to a destination that uses Euro currency (I would assume), so cares not that stores in Copenhagen are cashless. If the OP is connecting to Germany, we all know the Germans love their cash. The OP also knows that Denmark uses the Krone, thus the specific question for ATM's that dispense Euros.

Sam, kinda my take on it too. Even among the RS elite, there seems to be assumptions about Europe that lack in accuracy from time to time.

Thanks everyone. My final destination is Italy.

And it isn't that the ATMs would be closed on Sunday, but rather, the banks. I have read that the safest place to use an ATM would be an ATM inside a bank. I am sure there are ATMs available, though. I just was planning to go the bank route.

I actually have a little bit of Euros left over from a previous trip. So, I very well may be fine.

I haven't 100% what to do with transportation when I get there, but what was advised to me, and what I was leaning toward was taking a taxi from the airport. And, in that case, it was also suggested to use credit card, so there is a trace of it.

So, more than likely I won't be needing it. I probably have enough to get me through for a bit. I just fear I will forget about it or get busy.

melmay14, what we saw and used were ATMs (bancomats) that were in a secured enclosure on the outside of banks. You had to use your card to get the door open, and then while inside, no one else could get in. These were therefore available in off-hours. That may not address your concerns but take note when you do see them.

{edit] Rick's advice was actually: "When possible, withdraw cash from bank-run ATMs located just outside that bank. " I think thats inline with what I said. I think the main advantage in that is that if there's a problem (like your card getting eaten) you can go inside for help when bank is open. Ive had that happen.

re: airports are the worst place to exchange. That advice probably dates back to pre-ATM days when the "currency exchange bureaus" in airports were the only option. If you only need some euro, then it's a viable option. Yeah, the rates will not be great, but it might be worth it for convenience sake. In airports, there are travelers going in both directions, so it would not be unreasonable to expect to be able to get either currency from an ATM.

When you arrive at the airport in Italy, there will be ATMs available there, no matter how late you arrive. Yes, an ATM might be “safer” when attached to a bank, but really, an ATM is an ATM, just like at home. I don’t worry that much about whatever fee is charged by the ATM. It’s a minor cost in the scheme of things. (However, often the fee is the same regardless of the amount of money you take out, so you might as well get a little more money in one go. I always find a way to use it up.)

Also, I say “safer” because even if an ATM is IN a bank, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the bank can actually help you on the spot if you have a problem. ATMs are sometimes serviced by a whole separate employee group, NOT the staff AT the bank. I once had my debit card eaten by an ATM (long story) and the bank’s staff could not access the interior of the machine. Several days later, the employee who fills the ATM with cash came to the bank on his usual rounds and retrieved my card. This is why I carry several cards as well as some US cash to exchange in the worst case scenario.

I actually have a little bit of Euros left over from a previous trip. So, I very well may be fine.

Not sure how much "a little bit" of Euros is, but you are very wise to try to avoid the hassle of getting additional funds immediately upon arrival. As many have suggested, the best way to avoid the hassle and stress is to simply get a couple of hundred Euros from your local bank before you leave. Yes it will cost a little more than getting it from an ATM upon arrival, but that cost will really be miniscule compared to the total cost of the trip. And as the less stress goes down, the enjoyment goes up.

At CPH airport there is a Euronet ATM behind the escalator to the metro. I think it has both DKK and EUR. For DKK it has no fee, don't know about EUR, maybe the airport forces them to have no fee. It will try several times with dynamic currency conversion, it is possible to avoid for DKK, but again I have no idea for EUR. So in general I agree with the recommendation to avoid Euronet but there is a chance that it is the cheapest option.

If you have currency exchange stores near you, get a couple of hundred Euro from there instead of the bank. Rates will be much better.
There’s a tram from Florence Airport right into the very edge of the centre of town.
It’s easy to use.

At CPH airport there is a Euronet ATM behind the escalator to the metro

Euronet is one ATM you should avoid. Almost as bad a a currency exchange booth.

Would be surprised if an ATM dispensed other than the national
currency.

Then be surprised, but it's not uncommon for ATMs in Europe to dispense Euro, even in countries with other currencies. Especially at airports. Not Copenhagen, but Arlanda has several ATMs and most (all?) of them also offers Euros. And some are equipped with other currencies as well.

Euronet usually dispenses Euros. Worth the small fee if you need Euros.

I'm in the camp that says to just wait until you land in Italy, find an ATM at the airport, withdraw your cash. Simple and easy. Unless you have something planned where they are asking for cash only, get out only 50-100 euro, you likely will not need more than that.

People take "ONLY" using an ATM in or near a bank way too far. There is no evidence to suggest that the fees are less, that you are "safer", whatever that means.

You should be able to get Euro at an ATM in CPH but highly unlikely to get any at random ATMs outside the airport. But unfortunately no guarantee the rate would be all that good. I would avoid the currency exchange booth unless you are only getting €100 or so.

I would do as others suggest and just wait until you get somewhere that the Euro is the national currency and use an ATM there.

Good luck.

Remember two conversions will take place behind the scenes.

The currency of your card (presumably dollars) will be used to buy Krone (the currency of the dispensing bank in Denmark), and then the Krone will be used to buy Euros.

Stan- oh thank you! This is such helpful information.

As far as using a card to get the door open, I wonder if that means you have to be a member of that bank though? And use that bank's debit? Otherwise, will any card get it open? That wouldn't really make it very safe. If any card could open it. Hmmm.

Thanks to everyone for all your insight. I am reading and considering each and every one of your replies. I am definitely going to look at my bank and see what their exchange rate and all of that is, and see about getting Euros before leaving for overseas. The convenience may be worth the cost.

If I don't, I think my plan at this point would be to play it by ear....which is not a normal me thing to do. I don't play things by ear. I plan. That's why I am here. Haha.

If I happen to run into an ATM at CPH, I may stop and see what my options are, what the cost would be. But, I won't seek it out either. I'm not going to go out of my way to find one. And, if I don't run into an ATM...or the exchange rate is much more than I hoped it would be, I may just wait till I get to Italy.

melmay14

As far as using a card to get the door open, I wonder if that means you have to be a member of that bank though? And use that bank's debit? Otherwise, will any card get it open? That wouldn't really make it very safe. If any card could open it. Hmmm.

As I recall it would only allow one entry at a time, so once you're in no one else can enter until you leave. And yes any real, active, card would work. Maybe someone else can confirm.

As far as using a card to get the door open, I wonder if that means you have to be a member of that bank though?

No. Any card can be used.

Update: my bank does not exchange currency.

I did look at another bank, and they charge a $10 processing fee, plus $10 if the amount is under $300.

At this point, I'd say I am better off the just do the ATM thing.

My bank charges $5 for the ATM transaction, so it will probably be the most cost-effective thing.

melmay 14 I'm traveling soon and will be in a similar situation regarding access to ATM's and have come to the same conclusion as you and will wait to use an ATM upon arrival at my destination. But this thread has me wondering do bank ATM's charge the same fees and exchange rates at the airport as their ATM's outside the bank? Thanks to anyone who might share their knowledge!

I haven't read every reply but at the risk of being cavalier, you may be overthinking things. Most likely the ATM at the airport will be fine. They are in crowded places so thieves, not pickpockets, will prefer less populated sites. Worst case, you're not getting a large amount of money, so even a higher ATM fee won't likely be terribly significant`. Foreign Exchange Shops in my experience, tend to be wildly high at airports, but ATMs are usually system related. Don't use a credit card, use a debit card , like Capital One's to get your money from your bank. Also never do Dynamic Conversion. You can read about foreign transaction fees here: https://www.capitalone.com/learn-grow/money-management/foreign-transaction-fees/

You can find out about ATMS in the airport by Googling "Copenhagen Airport ATM " like this: https://www.ifly.com/airports/copenhagen-CPH-airport/terminal-map#amenities?p=6111e09f8a744a9bbba26f5c571f65a3 or this: http://www.worldairportguides.com/copenhagen-cph/currency_atms.php

Good luck

But this thread has me wondering do bank ATM's charge the same fees and exchange rates at the airport as their ATM's outside the bank?

ATMs charging a flat use fee are becoming more common. My experience is that nearly always, an airport ATM will have a fee, though once in a while I get a pleasant surprise. Bank ATMs in the town may charge a fee, sometimes not.

As for rates, there is no difference for any ATM, they all have about the same exchange rate (~1%) determined by their network. If the rate is over that, you likely are in a DCC transaction.

As for where to get a few euros, where ever it is convenient to use an ATM.

I flew from CPH last week. I saw well-marked ATMs that dispense DKK and Euros. These were in Terminal 3 (before Border Control) and near where the Metro departs.

Use any bank ATM when you arrive in Italy even on a Sunday to get your cash in €. To get € or any foreign currency in the US is like opening up your wallet and tearing up all of your bills. You will be grossly overcharged.