Spending money

ATM...altho you can go to the main branch of your local bank or to one of the forex bureaus to get, say 100 Euro to keep you going until you hit an ATM. ScotiaBank has agreements with several European banks that waives the ATM transaction fees...none of the other Canadian banks do. Click here for details.

Debit cards, leave the travellers cheques. Not everywhere takes VISA because I think the vendors have surcharges, most prefer cash. Some Banks have arrangements with foreign banks and ATM's, so that a withdrawal doesn't incur any charges.

I've never had a problem using Visa in Europe:

I took my Debit card and credit as a backup. I used my debit for more expensive purchases, but mostly withdrew money from ATMs. Definitely better than changing money.

We have never had a problem using VISA in Europe, but we use cash for all small transactions.

We use our debit card and take out at $100 EU at a time. We have never had a problem with the debit card either...well, once I waited too long and the ATM swallowed it. That taught me a lesson about EU ATM's!

We use the VISA for meals and major transactions.

Steve...even ATMs in North America will "swallow" your ATM card if you leave it in the slot long enough. It's a security measure to protect those who may have walked off without it.