Best way to exchange US dollars for euros

Are you asking about physical US dollars?

The best way to get Euro is to use your bank's ATM card and get them out of an ATM in Paris. You get a much better exchange rate. You may not need a lot of cash anyway. The last 2 trips I've done most everything on my ApplePay app.

Exchanging physical cash is inherently inefficient. Humans are involved that need to be paid a living wage nd expensive rent for the location. ATMs have no humans and the footprint is tiny. You get Euros that are stored in the machine, not just for tourists, but locals as well. The exchange rate is taken care of by the card network at the best possible rate.

Decline any offer that shows how many USD you will be charged, since it will be worse than what the network will give you, you just don't know exactly what that will be. Use real bank ATMs, not Euronext or other ripoff outfits.

Take from your bank that has no foreign transaction fees or out of network fees. If that is not like your bank, open an account at a bank that does not. Credit Unions and Community banks are often the best.

always at a bank ATM

Read the TRAVEL TIPS section here on this site - lots of good info on this under the MONEY section.

Do not take US dollars to Europe with the idea you are going to walk into a bank or whatever and get Euros for them. Take your ATM card and then use a European bank ATM to get your Euros for the best fees or no fees depending on your bank.

The best way is to do a search on this forum.

We arrive with usually 100€ easily exchanged at our local bank. The remainder of our trip, usually around 3 weeks, we rely on our credit card or an ATM. We use very little cash other than tips to guides.

Absolutely agree with everyone about using a bank’s ATM upon arrival in Paris. I wouldn’t take out too much; I have found every trip needing cash less and less and ending up taking some home (or spending in airport).

One more word advice regarding ATMs (and this goes for paying via credit card as well). You’re usually offered the choice of Dynamic Conversion (in currency of YOUR country) or Local Currency. Always opt for Local Currency and not dynamic conversion. Dynamic Conversion usually comes with a poor exchange rate and other fees that can make the transaction more expensive than if you simply made it in local currency.

BJL's advice is gold here. The new grift is dynamic conversion. You go to the ATM and it offers you an exchange rate and you click yes -- and what that does is add a layer to the process that will cost you several % more. Always decline and proceed and you will get Euros at the international rate plus the built in small conversation rate. click that you agree to the conversion and you pay a lot more. The machine presentation makes it seem like you have no choice i.e. that i tis 'informing you' of the rate, but that is not so, it is asking 'will you pay us a bunch of extra money?' and you can decline that.

In stores you may be asked if you want to do the transaction in dollars and you think 'well I pay my bills in dollars on this card, so that makes sense' -- if you fall for that, you will pay an inflated exchange rate that bolsters the store's profits. Essentially you are paying the conversion twice and the first time at an inflated rate. It is easy to fall for this the first time you encounter it. We saw it a lot in Spain and the last couple trips to France we are setting it now crop up there at stores like Galleries Lafayette. It is a scam/grift to be avoided.