Students traveling with Debit/ATM card without security chip

NO, they don't need a chip. European cash machines (ATM) can still work with an old-fashioned magnetic strip card.

There are plenty of posts on this forum discussing this issue.
I don't know about where you come from, but in all European countries I know you can't get a credit card if you are under 18. Credit cards DO NEED a chip and a PIN if you want them to work in unmanned machines (for example a ticket machine), but that isn't your case.

One piece of advice, open two accounts, one for each, so they have different cards. Then if one looses their card and you have to call the bank to block it, the other still has a usable card.

I hope your 17-year-olds have lots of fun.

Everyone accepts cash and many businesses prefer it, so using their Debit/ATM cards to get cash as they go is the best plan. Deibt cards with a Visa or MasterCard logo are widely accepted, no chip needed in ATMs. See also http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money/cash-machine-atm-tips.

sharon,

As the others have mentioned, they shouldn't have any trouble accessing ATMs using an old fashioned magnetic strip card. However, POS debit purchases at unattended locations (ticket machines) may be a problem.

"only credit cards seem to have them."

If you're from the U.S., credit cards may have a chip but these may only operate on a "Chip & Signature" basis, rather than as a true EMV Chip & PIN. Those cards may also NOT work at unattended locations.

On an organized trip, most of their big expenses (lodging, transportation, many/most meals) will be pre-paid, correct? So you're talking about walking-around money, souvenirs and extra food (they ARE 17) which should probably be covered by cash withdrawals from ATMs using the debit cards which work fine with or with out chips as long as you have the PIN number and notified the bank that they will be used in specific countries. I opened a checking account for my daughter when she started high school (in my name and her name) and it included a debit card.

I used chipless credit card in France, Germany and Austria this January with no problems -- just signed as at home.
And sit them down for the money-facts-of-life talk before they leave -- never loan the card to a friend, the card isn't 'magic money', maybe even that they will be expected to account for what they spent.

Just back from Scotland, England, and France. The mag strip debit card worked fine everywhere. Make sure they use bank only ATMS.

Notify the bank that the card will be used in other countries so they don't assume it is fraud.

Make sure they use bank only ATMS.

Travelex ATMs mostly appear in airports but they should be aware that they're not like a bank ATM. A bank ATM passes the Euro amount to your bank which converts the withdrawal to dollars, but a Travelex ATM handles the currency conversion calculation itself at a rate that makes money for Travelex.

If they ever do use the debit card to charge a meal or a souvenir they might be asked if they want to be charged in dollars or Euros (or Swiss Francs). They should always ask to be charged in Euros, because once again the conversion to dollars is intended to make money for the middleman doing the calculation.

Like the others I've never had an issue using my non-chip debit card in a European ATM. A non-chipped card can be used at most retail establishments geared toward tourists.