getting Euros before leavin usa

What does your bank offer? Generally any bank can get Euro for a fee. And I think there are web sites where you can order euro for delivery. But, you can wait. Many people do and there are some posters here who almost boast about arriving with zero money in their pocket and hitting the first ATM in the airport. Personally I like having a hundred euro in my pocket on arrival and I will pay the fee necessary for that convenience. It is just one less thing to worry about on arrival.

You can wait. I always like to have a bit of Euros, but I would say you don't need to. Plus, its not the most economical place, but you can get Euros at a currency counter at your departing airport, or at the currency counter in Amsterdam airport, or ATMs at the Amsterdam airport or anywhere in the city.

I never "cash in" my remaining currency after the trip because you lose money on the transaction

I got a Wells Fargo account just to get travel currency, so I've kept it, but its really not that great of a deal. They don't officially charge a fee, but the currency rate is not what the currency rate is on the market. They basically give themselves a cut. At my Wells Fargo they aren't that forthcoming regarding the rate. The last time I knew the conversion rate on the market that day and realized I was not getting a fair deal.

In Europe I try to mostly use my credit card and in the currency of the country I'm visiting.

You can get cash easily from the ATM at Schipol airport. Use ABN AMRO at Schipol; for more privacy there is an ATM near the baggage carousel versus the one past customs where the public is standing.

Find out before you go what your cash withdrawl amount limit is per ATM visit.
When you try to take an amount over your limit it will not let you. And that can make you worry.
Keep in mind that 200 euros is 234 dollars.

ING Group is another major bank to use not at the airport.

A couple of years ago there were four ING terminals arranged back to back in a little circle just outside the TI office in the airport. Since it was a couple of years ago, they could be gone.

Chase bank, Wells, B of A all want me to have accounts before selling me Euros. Since all of my banking is done at credit union-a pain !! I will just tough it out! Thanks for intelligent feedback !!

You can wait, it’s very easy to get there and cheaper too.

But if you really want to get them ahead then try AAA. They do this but I am not sure of current fees.

There's no need to get them in advance. Now, I know others will disagree and have a list of, 'What ifs? But, 99.99999% of the time, the entire ATM network isn't down. And, yes, banks are getting so strict on anti-moneylaundering that they'll usually refuse business with any non customers.

If you have friends, family, or coworkers that have been to Europe recently, you could ask them if they have any leftover. Also, if you're on good terms with any tipped employees, you could ask them as well. Occasionally customers will leave tips in foreign currency.

"Many people do and there are many posters here who almost boast about arriving with zero money in their pocket and hitting the first ATM in the airport." Perhaps I am the type referred to, as I never seek foreign currency before international trips. My strategy is to use a bank affiliated ATM at the arrival airport if there is no currency in hand from a prior trip, such as euro. If the machines are unavailable or not functioning, then walk to a currency exchange booth and exchange US currency for the local currency. I've never had to do this and countries visited extend well beyond the eurozone. My debit/ATM card has no foreign transaction fees not other fees. Any fees assigned by the bank issuing foreign currency are rebated. Search the Travel Forum for debit/ATM card suggestions. Why pay extra gaining foreign currency in advance asks this frugal traveler? If you are nervous, then secure euro before you depart and don't give it another thought. Enjoy your trip.

tobymom, did you ask a bank at which you do have an account? Even if they don't do foreign currency exchanges themselves, some banks will order some from a bank that does for you.

Have you looked in your town for a non-bank money exchanger that is a mom-n-pop type shop? In my town we have a well known estate jewelry/coin/currency exchanger that offers a better rate/fee than banks. He always has euros on hand and I usually hit him up about 2 days before our trip (and I work at a bank). Even if you need to travel to the next town over it would be worth the effort.

Letizia-what a good suggestion!! I’ll check it out!

I don't get foreign currency before leaving but I do understand that feeling of just wanting to be sure about something. I have a whole list of those worry items, cash doesn't happen to be on it.

That being said, I have friends and family who work at banks and when they know I'm traveling they offer to get currency for me. I guess some of the big banks offer employees a better rate or some such deal. Check with friends/family who may work for financial institutions.

AAA sells packs of foreign currency. Each pack is usually equivalent to about $100. The exchange rate isn't great= but usually not horrible. If you want to have a small stash on hand when you land, this is an option.

call your AAA office first. Not all offer this service (each state - based AAA is run independently). Mine would have to order from the neighboring state, with an added fee and wait, for example.

Be sure to read RS Currency and Cash tips included in a list of helpful advice and it is usually found along the right hand side of several of these web sites. In 17 years of going go Europe I have never purchased any European currency before I got to Europe and have never had a problem.

I love the RSForum!! Thanks to everyone for your suggestions-I called AAA, in California they don’t do foreign cash. I have a few coins left from last years RS tour in Italy-do I have enough until I arrive in Amsterdam!!
😘😘😘

tobymom, I always bring a few hundred USD with me as an emergency backup - because I know I can change it at the airport if my ATM card(s) won't work and I can't use one of my credit cards and MUST have cash at that moment - then I'll accept the poor exchange rate and fees. But so far, I've never needed to change my USD in that last resort.

The chance of the ATM not working and not being able to use credit cards and not being able to change my USD at the airport as a last resort is really low - so I never get Euros at home before going to Europe. I just don't see the point. Maybe if I needed a lot up front for an apartment or something or I was flying to some third world country I would but not to Europe.

Last year in Italy, absolutely no problem with credit cards or getting cash when needed at ATM-I used debit with chip and pin in all ticket machines-pretty sure Netherlands will be even easier!! I just liked having some cash to start!

Actually, the train ticket machines in Amsterdam were the ones I had the most trouble with - they would not work with my chip and signature credit card, had to use my chip and PIN visa. (Two years in a row.) Not sure if you get the same ability to make purchases with your debit card, but I guess you can try it! If not, be prepared to pay cash. I wound up using cash later anyway because they charge a 50 cents per train ticket surcharge to use your credit card there.

I got cash at the ABN AMRO at Schiphol. I used the one on the public side of the facility. The whole place is open, but there is one machine that is a bit more private than the ones on the wall outside. I do carry-on only, so I don't have any need to slow down for the baggage carousel. Note that there is an ABN AMRO on the map (see link below) shown on the air side at Arrivals 1, but there was lots of construction so I'm not sure it was open or even still there when I came through.

Go to the Schiphol Map. Click on Services on the left side of the screen. Click on G - Plaza & Arrivals on the right side of the screen (drop down box which will likely show 1 -- Departures & Gates when you first see the box). Under Services, click on ABN AMRO Financial Centre Arrivals 3 -- After security. Expand the map and you will see the ABN AMRO Bank next to the ABN AMRO Financial Centre and catty-corner from the Albert Heijn grocery store. You will also notice a handy toilet nearby where you can transfer that cash to your moneybelt.

I was in Schiphol 4 times last month. I got cash there twice because I stayed at the same B&B at the beginning and end of my trip and they preferred cash. There is a lot of visual input, especially on arrival from an overnight flight. Mess around with the map so you can see some landmarks, like parts of a plane or a red checkered meeting point near the trains.

It's not really as big as it feels when you first get to the public side, but it is kind of curved reminiscent of the canals in the city. If you are going to take the train in to Amsterdam Central, you can talk to a very helpful person at the desk that is marked NS (domestic) tickets on the map. I got "return" tickets (Schiphol to Amsterdam Central and return to Schiphol ). The part marked Trains is where you tap your ticket and go down to get to the express trains that take only 20 minutes for the trip. The helpful people who sell you the tickets can tell you what to do and how to do it.

One bit of advice, do not ask the Information Desk for the closest bank. They sent me down to a construction area with no bank in sight. If you have to ask, specifically mention ABN AMRO and/or Albert Heijn. And don't be surprised if they point you "straight down this way." Like the canals, it ain't straight.

Chase bank, Wells, B of A all want me to have accounts before selling
me Euros. Since all of my banking is done at credit union-a pain !! I
will just tough it out! Thanks for intelligent feedback !!

Why would you let anyone, while you're in the US, "sell" you Euros? Talk about asking to be taken advantage of! Wait until you arrive at Schiphol and go to one of the MANY ABN/AMRO cash machines.

I just liked having some cash to start!

Ok. Before you return to the US, take out additional cash from an ABN/AMRO cash machine and have it in place for your next trip. In the meantime, as many others have responded to you and given you the "intelligent feedback" you specifically requested, you can get cash when you arrive at Schiphol.

I find any euros or pounds we have from previous trips, but do not get from my bank-when I asked, they discouraged me because of high fees or exchange rates(I don't remember which). I confess that I do use the first ATM I see in airport, even if it's Travelex.

You shouldn't have a problem getting money from an ATM but take some U.S dollars with you. Should for some reason the ATM's are down and your CC won't work, you could always get some Euros from a currency exchange counter. The exchange rate won't be great but you can get enough to get you into town.

I traveled heavily for 35 years...... If I have any cash left from a previous trip and if I remember to bring it, that is all I carry other than my credit cards and a few hundred USD. The USD are for an emergency and the card is for the rest of my cash. I try to limit my use of cash when I can but street food vendors in Taipei or the durian tents in Penang want cash....
If you have not planned ahead and made arrangements with your bank, they will shut it down the first time that you try to use it...that can be a real bummer...let them know when you are traveling and where before you travel. There is nothing worse than running out of cash and not being able to use your card..I've done it and it is not fun.
Airport exchanges are not a great place to get money, but in a pinch, do it. Losing a few dollars on the exchange should be the least of your travel expense worries.
If you end up with too much cash on hand at the end of a trip use it to settle your hotel bill but make sure you have enough left over for cab fare and tips as you go. In Asia also pay attention to airport fees.

As others have indicated, most larger banks will get foreign money for you. I usually bring some money with me. My go to place is AAA for money. I don't like to do errands before I leave the airport (or at all, ever) so I bring money since my first trip. Due to all the discussion on this forum, I paid attention to the ATMs when I went through Schipol in March. The first three ATM machines that everyone walks between on the way to the exit to the secure area had lines. That's the last thing I want to do after getting off of the plane. I imagine there were more in the unsecured area, but I wasn't that interested.

I opened an account in Charles Schwab they charge no fees and pay for atm expenses.

We always take some Euros with us, and it saved our life this May trip to Venice, the CT, Lake Como nd Zurich. I had notified the bank way ahead of time as I usually do about our dates and countries of travel. I double checked one week before we left. "Yes, you should have no problem using an ATM abroad" I was reassured. Since we had some Euros with us, we didn't try to withdraw cash until a day later. Guess What! The transaction was denied! After 5 other tries at 4 other ATM's all over Venice, and 5 frantic phone calls to the bank's international number, we finally got it resolved. What happened was that we had fraud alerts on our accounts after all the security breaches. Someone at the bank didn't pass along our travel info to the Fraud desk at the bank!!! And this is a major bank in Ohio!!! Sooo, ya never know what is going to happen! We will ALWAYS take some money with us just in case. Hope this never happens to you. It certainly cut I go our touring time trying to address this issue.

Barb. When you say you informed your bank, do you mean you told someone at a local branch office? I always, always, call the fraud number (on the back of the card) to tell them I am traveling, where, and when. The people working at the bank (tellers and customer service reps) just dont seem to understand the issue. Heck, most have never been outside the country.

And that is exactly why we carry two debit cards tied to two separate accounts and test both with a few hours after landing. Fortunately we have never had a problem with either cards but there is always the next trip.

The bank was 5th 3rd, and we Sat down with a rep in an office, not just a teller. We watched him enter all the info on our account! This is the first time in all our years of traveling that this happened. We got all kinds of excuses from the folks at the international number. One reason they gave us for denying the transaction was that they had just mailed out our new cards so deactivated the ones we had!! Can you believe THAT one? You have to call to activate a new card, so how can they deactivate a card until the new one is activated??? Excuses, excuses. I can not tell you how much my husband complained to the bank once we returned back to Cincy.

Any credit union or bank could make a mistake, and my ATM card may not work someday. If it does - then what? First of all, I too carry two debit or ATM cards from different credit unions. Second, I carry a few hundred USD I could exchange at an airport with fees and poor rates as a last resort. Third, I can use my credit cards in most places. Fourth, if I HAD to have cash no matter what, I could take a loan from the ATM with a credit card (not cheap - but if I had to have cash...) But so far, I've never had both of my ATM cards denied.

I also can make free calls to US numbers like my credit union's phone number, using Google Hangouts on my smart phone. (No need to call collect - just call the same number I'd call for customer service at home.) I assume any problem can be cleared up fairly quickly if not immediately.

I still see no need to go to the trouble and expense of buying Euros at home before going to Europe. The odds of neeeding them seem really low.

We were once on a two-day small group tour of Normandy sights. It was just us and one other couple, we had all arrived the day before. For some reason, the other couple's ATM cards wouldn't work and they couldn't withdraw the Euros they needed to pay the guide. The guide was gracious - saying they could pay him on the second day, and we offered to lend them the money.

It all worked out by the morning of the second day - but that's no way to start your European vacation.

What's the best way to dress like a European while getting euros before a trip to put in my hard-sided wheelie suitcase since backpacks are gauche?

Oh, Fasteddie, if you're getting Euros at home BEFORE your trip you want to wear shorts (baggy), sneakers, baseball cap -- so the bank will be able to know you're a regular Murican. ;-)

It all worked out by the morning of the second day - but that's no way to start your European vacation.

Yep - they should have made sure they had euros before meeting the guide, not assumed they could just go to the ATM at random.

Yes, always call the 800 number rather than talking with the friendly person at the bank. The person working at the bank itself may want to help, but often they don't know the procedure for flagging your card for foreign use. Typing a nice long note on your account explaining that you're going to be in Europe is nice, but if they don't actually make the internal change to suppress foreign fraud alerts on the days of your trip, the automated fraud algorithm will still deny you. Most of the bank employees in a branch are focused either on sales and new accounts or else the routine day to day business of deposits and withdrawals.

Yep - they should have made sure they had euros before meeting the guide, not assumed they could just go to the ATM at random.

Andrew H - They had been trying to get Euros since they landed, and had informed their bank of the trip before leaving. This was a fairly expensive tour, and even I didn't take out enough money for the full payment before we left the States.

The only time I'd try to get euros before going to Europe is if I knew I needed more than I could get from an ATM right when I arrived.

The next level of worrying about it is to figure out what gate you will arrive at, then look at a terminal map and find an ATM.

Personally, I just expect to find an ATM at the airport. It's not usually a problem.

traylaparks:

Andrew H - They had been trying to get Euros since they landed, and had informed their bank of the trip before leaving. This was a fairly expensive tour, and even I didn't take out enough money for the full payment before we left the States.

Not trying to belabor the point here, just trying to say that your example still doesn't convince me that getting euros before leaving the US is very important. Unlike your friends, I would have called my credit union at the first sign of trouble at the ATM to resolve any issue they would need to fix, not just keep trying ATMs every few days and hope they would start working. And if my ATM card would just not work, period, then I'd change my few hundred USD at the airport (expensive but they are a last resort) to get euros and use my credit card as much as possible.

The only reason to get euros ahead of time in the US that makes sense to me (for going to Europe, anyway) would be if I needed a lot of them soon after arriving. If I were going on a tour like yours the day after I landed and needed to pay a lot of euros in cash right away (or need to pay for an apartment or something), then I might worry about ATM daily limits and go to the trouble of buying euros ahead of time.