General Europe

If you can't get to an ATM or for some reason you can't use your debit/credit cards (bank freezes it, it gets stolen, etc.) you have some emergency cash you can convert.

thanks, Toni- that's exactly what my husband said, but I wanted to be sure!

Few months ago during Hurricane Irene, the computer center for a popular credit union in my area was put out of action for a few days because of flooding. Those without some sort of emergency cash on-hand were out of luck. It's always smart to have some stored in your money belt in case of emergency.

I always carry $100-$200 when I go overseas, but ever since ATM's were invented, I've never once had to use a single US dollar in Europe in years of traveling. We usually wind up using it for the taxi between our home & O'Hare, or maybe for snacks or a bottled water or magazine at O'Hare before we board. So I guess I still carry dollars by force of habit, not much else.

Jeanne I have no idea why, I think its a dumb idea,, I have never done in in dozens of trips to Europe( including England) I would take about 20-40 dollars of my currency to use in the airport in transit to europe,, but not to use in europe. I think the idea is its "emergency "money,, but during an emergency you will have to find a bank that will exchange it,, and hope its during banking hours,, no store will take American cash, no gas station etc,, so what exactly is the advantage,, I have no idea. Does Rick think Canadains should take Canadian money, and Australians should take Australian dollars?? I wonder..... The days that the American dollar had some clout are just long gone. I take about 100 euros, or 50 GBPs with me( obviously depends where I am landing),, often left over from a previous trip, if not its easy for me to get some at my local banks. I know there are ATMS in the airports etc,, but after a 20-24 hr travel day I want to get off the plane , get through immigration and go straight to my hotel period..

If there's a computer shutdown at the bank that issued your debit card, you can just use one of your credit cards to get a cash advance. If you don't know your credit card's PIN, you can usually go to a bank and get cash with your credit card and a photo ID, such as your passport. I've never had to do this myself, but that's my understanding. That's why it's a good idea to know the PIN for at least one of your credit cards. Then you can just use it at any ATM.

It's always a good idea to carry extra cash with you. If it's your first time overseas, then carry your local currency. (If a repeat trip, it's always best to save a few extra "notes" for the next trip. In case of emergency, almost any hotel will convert money for you. The exchange rate will be terrible but you can get local currency. And all tourist areas have exchange bureaus. Also terrible rates, but, if you need cash, they'll come in handy. There are a myriad or reasons why you may not be able to use any type of plasticdebit or creditso having cash on hand helps.

Jeanne I'm with Pat. The only reason to take US Dollars is to use in the airport before you leave or for getting back home after your trip. But do take enough in case you are diverted on your return and must get a meal or expensive taxi. And add a cushion. I also agree with getting Euros before you leave about 100 Euros per person. This will get you transportation to your hotel, a meal, or whatever. I just want to get through immigration and customs and out of the airport, not get money out of the ATM. Just be sure you order from your bank early enough, since they do not have foreign currency on hand. Bobbie

Just to maybe reassure first-time travelers: every international airport in Europe has ATM's and they're usually easy to find. If you have trouble finding one, just ask at the travelers' information desk (also ubiquitous) and they'll point you right to one. Maybe I've been lucky, but in my experience there are rarely more than 3 or 4 people in line and in 5 or 10 minutes you're on your way with all the local cash you want.

And just to remind everyone else, you pay a high fee for Euros from a bank.

Maybe at your bank,, my bank doesn't charge me a fee, there is the conversion, but its usually pretty decent. Still wondering,, if anyone has actually been able to convert their currency in an emergency,, since if bank or atm is closed you are just hoping your hotel will do it for you,, I know for a fact that many smaller hotels will NOT do it for you.. but I suppose if you are staying in the large chain hotels like Marriott or Hilton they will.

My travels are very city-centric, and playing the odds most others are traveling that way as well. In any large city anywhere in the world it's never a problem to change USD (or Canadian Dollars) in a pinch: airports, banks, change bureaus, full service hotels, train stations and major tourist sites. In places like London and Amsterdam I've spotted exchange offices in the city center open until midnight seven days a week. The stash is only used in emergencies so it's not cost effective for me to change it to the local currency if the likelihood is that it won't be touched.

Jeanne, I wonder how "dated" that advice is? I can't think of any reason why it would be necessary to take several 20 dollar bills to England (or anywhere else in Europe). If these had to be used, I'm sure the exchange rate would be "less than favourable". I always travel with currency of the first country I'll be visiting (Euros / Pounds / Swiss Francs), so always have cash available to last for a few days if needed. When I get settled in the Hotel, I visit the nearest ATM to "top up" the cash supply. Of course, I also have a small amount of my home currency for use during the trip so I could also use that, but it would be a "last resort". Cheers!

I bring a couple hundred dollars as emergency money. Normally, it comes home without being converted or spent. If I don't need it, I save the cost of converting it to local currency plus the cost of converting it back to dollars when I come home.

I understood Charles to mean that converting those cash dollars to euros at a bank would incur high fees - and a lousy exchange rate to boot.

The point is to have some cash on hand if you have a problem with your card or the ATM machine. While local currency is the best option, U.S. dollars or Canadian dollars work in a pinch. Just about every airport and major city in Europe still has a place where you can exchange foreign currency. Granted, it is not the cheapest option, but if you lose your ATM card or find that the ATM is not working, it can be useful. When I lived in London, my wallet was stolen on a Saturday. I happened to have some foreign currency from my travels in a drawer in my flat. I was able to go over to the exchange at the train station and change that currency into pounds. That was able to get me through the weekend until my new card was delivered on Monday. Similarly, I had a situation in Italy once where my ATM card was rejected at three different machines the day I arrived. Because I had brought Euros with me, I was able to go about my day normally (take the bus from the airport, go to lunch, see some sights, etc.) Ultimately, I tried a fourth machine later that day and my card worked fine. That is the only time ever that I have a problem with my ATM card during travels (and I have no idea what the problem was). Most of the time, ATMs and credit card work fine ... but it is always good to have an emergency backup

I always take some US cash when we travel and it's my back-up if I do not have local currency from a prior trip or all of the ATMs at the arrival airport are empty/broken (never happened). In a pinch, I can exchange a small amount of US currency to get by. Following the above, I have avoided all high fees and/or bad exchange rates to gain euros, etc., in America.

A good example of an emergency situation where cash of any kind might come in handy...the recent
floods in Thailand. The ATM's were out of cash.

I think the recommendation is appropriate. We always have about $200 buried as the ultimate backup. We have never needed it but as an old engineer I like redundancy. The reasons for the twenties is that the fifty dollar bill is the most frequently counterfeited bill. Even in the US your 50s are often questioned.

It may not be plan B or even plan C, but having some greenbacks might see you through a bad time. Yes, yes there are ATM's everywhere, but tell that to the people who lived through Katrina. Also, I will always remember the Guesthouse owner on Mull who was totally convinced that 9/11 was going to bring down all the banks as was only accepting cash-- pounds or $$. So, don't stash hundred's, but a $20 bill is accepted as payment in a pinch in a lot of places. Pam