Travelers Cheques??

You will pay way more using traveler's checks than using your ATM. Don't travel with checks. Perhaps, get a debit / credit card from your bank and load it with the cash you've saved for your trip.

Better still, look into using a bank that has NO ATM fees. Compass is one of those in Denver. Open an account now before you go, get an ATM card. You will only pay the exchange rate.

Talk to the bank so you understand how the ATM fees work, but Compass offers a no fee anywhere in the world.

Some Credit unions also offer no fee ATM cards.

Bottom line...it will cost you lots more using traveler's checks than anyother way of paying for stuff - they are totally OLD SCHOOL. They are NOT cash, and most hotels, B & B's don't even know what they are anymore !!

Hi Halley, No one uses tc anymore.. I haven't used them in 15 years...
They are hard to use, and especially in small hotels and cafes, they won't take them.

It is better to use your atm card, have your limit raised so you can take out money every 4 or 5 days,,and keep bulk in your money belt or hotel safe, only carry a days worth with you .
Shop around for a bank or credit union that has the least amount of fees. I am lucky my bank account has no fee foriegn withdrawals , but it is a Canadain bank,, I am sure there is an American one that can work for you.

Halley

What Pat said.

Traveler's checks are 20th century. ATM's are everywhere.

Halley, this subject has been beat to death endlessly. Use the search box for prior comments. NO experience traveler uses or carries traveler check. They are nearly impossible to use.

Not true! I always carry $300 Travellers Checks squireled away in my shoe. That way if anything ever where to happen to all my stuff I wouldn't starve. I've been carrying the same $300 for 7 years.

Same $300 TC's, Trotro, but the same shoes?

Lets see -- $300 at any average rate of return would be worth about $450 today. And if you actually need to use those TCs, you probably would pay a high fee to cash them IF you could find someone willing to do that. Somewhere there is a recent posting where the poster complained about that a bank was only place they could cash TCs and it was expensive to do so. You would be better served by putting three, one hundred dollar bills in your shoe. TCs are worthless, worthless, worthless and serve no purpose.

European banks generally charge fairly large per-check fees to cash travelers checks. In fact, paper checks of any kind are extremely rare there. Between the fee and an exchange rate that is worse by anywhere from 7-12%, you could lose more than 20% of your money cashing travelers checks. A much better option is to have an extra credit card in a different location from your other cards (ATM and credit).

I have to agree, I was just being a little cheeky. I keep the same $300 because it is essentially like free money, I've had it for so long. But yeah TCs are worthless.

Trotro, no doubt a travelers check in your shoe would be much more comfortable than a credit card!