How to get Euros from a US bank

Yes, no bank would be willing to do this, and if they did, the fee would be hidden somewhere. Do what Norma said: get cash from an ATM as soon as you get there and you'll be in good shape. Open a checking account at a bank that will charge you the 1% and a minimal withdrawal fee. Most credit unions work like this. Or try Capital One bank.

Don't be misled by a US financial institution that claims "no fee" to give you euros. To see the bank's actual markup, divide the dollars you will pay by the euros you will get, and then compare that number to the current exchange rate, to see what the bank's actual markup is.

Doesn't exist.

Why would any bank do that for you, particularly if you don't even have an account in that bank? If you must have euros before you travel, order as few as necessary and get what you need at ATMs in Euros.

Not sure what you mean by "charged fees". Some banks might charge you a flat fee per transaction. All banks charge you an exchange rate, in $/Euro. Some are closer to the Interbank rates than others. In his earlier DVDs, Rick distinguished between rates and fees, something like 'If they have no fees, their rates are terrible, if the have good rates, they have high fees.' Right now the Interbank "rate" (Oanda) is $1.3649/Euro. A big bank like Wells Fargo (and others) would charge you today, at a European ATM, a rate of $1.4058/Euro, 3% over the Interbank Rate. They will also charge you a fee of $5. With a max withdrawal of $500, that is equal to a rate of 4+%. Small local banks will charge you $1.3785, a rate 1% higher than the Interbank rate and they might charge you a, say, $2 fee. On $500, that's 1.4% at ATMs over there. The best rate I have found for cash over here is Wells Fargo, $1.4618/Euro today. That 7%, high for them; they are usually 5½% avg over the Interbank rate. There is a shipping charge if you get a small amount over the Internet, buy no fee at a main branch. A few banks have a no discount, no fee rate, usually for special depositers.

August 23, 2010 I bought 2,000 Eur through Bank of America where I have a checking account. I was charged $2700.60, with no additional fees for shipping or service charge. The interbank rate for that date was somewhat lower, maybe $1.25-$1.27. So I paid something in the transaction, around 6-7%, but no "fee." It took about 3 days to get the money after I ordered it at my local BofA.

And our CapitalOne Hi-Yield Money Market Account has always allowed us to withdraw local currency from ATMsat a rate about .8-.85% higher than the Interbank Rate with No Additional Charges. So a withdrawal of $500 (and they now allow $600 per day) is still only .8% or so.

My credit union charges 1% but NO per-use fee for withdrawing from ATMs in Europe. My second credit union charges absolutely nothing extra - they absorb the 1%. Shop around for the best deal. And as a previous poster said, if you must have euros in hand before you go, just buy a very few from your bank.

I purchased a couple of hundred euros and pounds from Bank of America. The rate was about 5% over the interbank rate plus a small fee to send the cash via fed ex.

Earlier this year some Wells Fargo branches in SoCal would order euros for their customers for "no fee". The exchange rate was rather expensive compared to the interbank rate. Non-customers could not order euros from them at all. You could check with WF up your way to see if they have the same deal. As the others said, the best deal is to get euros from an ATM when you arrive in Europe.