Denver where to buy Euros

Do you need to place a down-payment on a rental as soon as you arrive? If not, then don't worry about it, just get your cash at an ATM when you land.

To answer your question, Wells Fargo is probably the most reasonable in the Denver area with fees in the range of 5%. Maybe better if a customer.

"Maybe better if a customer" I'm a Wells Fargo customer, and the rate I get is the same as shown on the website, 5% over, on average. A few years ago, I tracked Well Fargo's USD/Euro rate for months, getting up every morning and checking their website and Oanda. Wells sets their rate early in the morning (?) and the Interbank rate shown on Oanda varies throughout the day, so sometime Wells was more than 5%, sometimes less, but on average it was 5% over. At the same time I tracked B of A, and it averaged 5½%. Buy the way, that's for Euro. Other currencies have higher rates. A year ago I was going to Germany, then to the Czech Republic. I was entering the CR from a small town in Germany and buying my train ticket at the border. The owner of the Gasthaus told me that the ATMs did not give Czech Koruna, so I bought enough for the ticket from Wells Fargo, at 14%. I only bought $40 worth, so it wasn't so bad. I did notice in Prague that they had the ticket prices posted in Koruna and in Euro. I didn't think to ask the woman at the ticket counter in Zelezna Ruda if she took Euro.

I just checked Wells Fargo and Oanda. For Euro, Wells wants 5.04% over Oanda. For Kc it's 13.2%. BTW, the plural of Euro is Euro, not Euros. Look at a 5, 10, 20, 0r 50 Euro note. It says "Euro".

Probably you can find an on-line map of the airport where you are arriving. Often these maps identify locations of ATM machines and/or banks. Go there once past security and customs. Otherwise the information booth will be able to help you find a machine although that can be slow. Some airports now have ATMs in the luggage hall where you will wait for your bags.
-The only caution is to try to avoid so-called "grey" ATMs that are not run by banks. They can be more costly. Good advice for Denver, too.

If I were flying to NYC, I wouldn't take all the Dollars out of my wallet and leave them at home (after all, I can always get more at the airport, right?). There is always the chance that the computer lines would be down, (that actually happened to me in a small town in Germany) and none of the ATMs worked. I've heard of people arriving in Rome during an ATM workers strike, and all the ATMs at the airport were empty. Once I arrived in FRA with three ATM cards and the first two said "call your bank". It was a technicality, but the cards wouldn't have worked in any other ATM, either It's not the probability of not being able to get cash from the ATM, it's the consequences.

Another vote for Wells Fargo. Yes, you can wait until you're there but having a little bit on you to begin your trip provides you peaces of mind. As Lee states, it is the consequences of not being able to do it upon arrival which matters most. Bring a little bit home with you from this trip and for your next travel you'll be ahead of the planning. Happy travels!

Last time I tried to change some Canadian dollars back into U.S. dollars at Wells Fargo, the local branch didn't know what to do. Or, they didn't want to fool with it. Just wait to your entry point to find a bank ATM. All the airports and train stations have ATM's readily available.
-When we need Euros, we have no problems obtaining them.

Phil,

Nothing like waiting until the last moment to do things.

You can try your own bank and have them rush ship the funds.

or you can also probably do it at the airport here and eat the exchange/fees. Or use an ATM when over there.

happy trails.

Or, he can go down to his local Wells Fargo bank and get Euro at 5%.

Nov 3, for Euro, plenty of time.

In going to Europe every summer for 11 of the past 12 years, I have never taken any European currency with me from the US. It has always been too convenient to get local currency from an ATM at my arrival airport. If I were to ever encounter a problem like some of the unfortunate folks who have posted about their experiences about not being able to get local currency, I would simply try other ATMs or as a plan of last resort, I would go to one of those "money changer" booths that accept credit cards and get some local currency knowing I am getting the worst possible exchange rate and fees possible.

There is also a money exchange at the east end of Park Meadows Mall.

The currency exchange at Park Meadows is a Travelex store.

The Interbank rate right now, per Oanda, is $137.49 per 100€. On their website, Travelex is showing $151.98 per 100€ (10½% over). Wells, on their website, shows $144.25 per 100€ (4.9% over). There is a Wells Fargo bank ¾ mile west of Park Meadows Mall.

B of A, by the way, shows $144.56 on their website.

I checked with US Bank (another bank in Denver). They use Travelex, but their rate is a few percent lower, at $149.48 (8.7%). Almost twice as much as WF, $5 per 100€ more. So much for "all the banks will be the same or close".

JPMorgen Chase has foreign exchange, but doesn't show the rate online (we all know what that means). I called them, and the rate they told me is the best, $141 per 100€ (2½%), but they don't have Euro in stock; if you have an account you can order it, and they lock in the rate at the time of order.

So, Phil, if you have a Chase account, try them. But the rate I got over the phone was just information, not an offer to sell.

"In going to Europe every summer for 11 of the past 12 years, I have never taken any European currency with me from the US."

Charlie, if you've been going every summer, you're planning to return. Why not just bring back a few hundred Euro each time? That's what I do.

Phil,

when it comes down to it, do what gives you the warm and fuzzy feeling.

Everyone has their way of doing things and it may not fit your style. Its also not to say its the ONLY way either.

On my most recent trip i acquired my foreign currency in just about every way possible to actually determine how much it was going to cost me. I posted this before, but in the end you will not win. Only the banks do. PERIOD. So accept you will loose some $$$ in any transform of one currency to another.

as was mentioned in the previous post, if you plan on going back, keep the spare change for the next time. Ive been giving the coins to my nephews as gifts and keeping some as souvenirs and $$$ for when i return..

happy trails.

I am by no means an expert and am not a serios traveler like most of thesr good people. But I researched this site far in advance and felt I would feel more comfortable in having euro before leaving the states. I checked with my bank which said they could order it or go to one of the local branches which had it on hand. Went to that branch (3 weeks early) and was told by the manager they had it. When I finally saw the teller she checked and said they were out but was getting a new shipment in the next week and took my info. When I called the next week they said it hadnt come in and to check back. Called the following week..no euro. Gave up went to AAA and ordered $500 in Euro. Paid the same price as the current OANDA rate stated and picked up the Euro 2 days later.
BTW I got a call from my bank 3 weeks after I got home telling me they finally had Euro for me. LMAO. Unless I check MONTHS earlier I will stick with AAA. At least they were reliable!
Bon Voyage

"went to AAA .... Paid the same price as the current OANDA rate "

Me thinks that was a coincidence. I've checked with my local AAA many times, and as I understand them, they stock some Euro and sell them, to members, at the same price they paid. One time they told me they got them from Wells Fargo in Denver, at Wells Fargo's price when the bought them, more recently it was from Travelex :(. As far as I know, they have no Interbank rate source. If the rate has been going up, as it has recently, they might have sold you Euro at the marked up rate from earlier. However, I don't think there is a standard rate for all AAA clubs; each one is different, depending on where the local club gets it foreign currency.

By the way, there are many "Oanda rates" displayed, varying from 0% to 5% over the Interbank rate.

@ Lee thanks for the tip. I am not a savvy traveler like most of you, but I always like the advice!!

Just to expand a little bit on Lee's comments. The ONLY rate that counts is the Interbank rate. Before you engage in any foreign transaction you need to know the Interbank rate so that you can judge the rate you will be offered. The rate is easy to get - just plug in the Goggle search. In all of my somewhat limited experience with AAA, I have never seen a rate less than about an 8% markup and sometimes around 10%. At one time their cash card was charging 12% for currency. Remember, there is seldom anything known as a free service.

I wait until I get to the country and buy at the ATM.

A few years ago, I asked my local AAA office in Arizona about getting Euros. They had no idea what I was talking about, even though it is clearly listed as one of their services