Rookie mistake, I guess

You should still be fine. Where are you going in Europe? I've found buying a bottle of water or two in a grocery store is an easy way to break a larger bill.

A grocery store of some size is a good suggestion. I'd try to go late in the day, when there's likely to be a good bit of cash in the till. They won't want to give you a bunch of small bills in the morning.

I got Euro from an ATM last Fall in a smaller city in France and was given 50’s. There was no choice of denominations given. I tried using one at a restaurant which was very busy and they did not have change for my 25E dinner! The next day I tried at a grocery store, pulling the bill slightly out of my wallet and asking OK? The clerk looked at me like I was nuts and said (in English, lol) “No problem”. So…you should be able to get them changed by buying small items as suggested above. If the first place you try isn’t able to break it, try another.

By the way. I have not used much cash the last 4-5 years. I’ve used Apple Pay almost exclusively. I got cash last Fall as I was on a tour and eating with others so it was sometimes easier to pay cash.

Cash is used much more in Europe than the US so a 50€ note is much, much more common there than a $50 note in the US.

I’ve had no problems getting a hotel (or businesses) to provide change.

You will not have an issue whatsoever changing 50€, 100€ or even 200€ bills. I have mostly 50€ and 100€ from my past trips. People are more likely to carry those, than 20€ bills. Just go to any store and buy something of smaller value and they'll give you change. One day, over 10 years ago, I had a few 500€ notes in my wallet so I asked the shop where I was buying something if it was ok to pay with 500€ bills so I could break them in something smaller (they don't make them anymore, but before 2020 they were available). The guy replied: "of course you can pay me with 500€! I wish I could have lots of those!"

For any future trips: the cheapest way to get currency in many countries is typically to use a debit card to take cash out of your account from an Automatic Teller Machine after you arrive. Then if you can manage to go into a bank while it is open, you might be able to get some smaller change. I have had multiple experiences when vendors and taxi drivers didn't take cards and they didn't have change. Of course this won't work in the unlikely chance that you travel to Russia or Belarus, where you have to carry in all the cash you will need for your trip. Can you get a debit card from your bank? I have two checking accounts and a debit card for each one. In case I lose one I still have the other one until I get home and my replacement card arrives.

Oh, wow, thank you all! I was under the impression it would be very difficult to change them out.

We’re visiting Italy soon, and wanted to be prepared. We typically use Amex and Visa, and I know Amex isn’t always accepted. Thank you for easing one more worry from my frantic brain!!

See if you can get a debit card/ATM from your bank before going. But also ask if there are commissions for use overseas.
Debit card/ATM work also in some automatic kiosks that require a PIN (you will have a PIN on a debit card), while they don't always work with US issued credit cards (which generally have no PIN). Also merchants prefer debit cards to credit cards because by law they have to pay lower commissions (I think under 0.2% and even zero for small amounts under 5 or 10 euro). Most Italians are more likely to use debit cards/ATM cards for payments rather than credit cards.

Smartphone payments (google pay, apple pay) work too in most places.

There is no mistake at all on your part. The bank made the mistake, plain and simple.

Everyone accepts 50 Euro denominations. Eateries in train station, say you order food amounting to 14. 65 Euro. You hand over a 50, (I've done that). No problem on their part giving you change.

Hotels will gladly accept 100 Euro bills, I do that too (especially in Metz and Paris, when I don't pay with a credit card in Paris).

If you're going to Austria and Germany, having this cash with you is even better.

Cash is used much more in Europe than the US

Not in France !

A few thoughts.....

• As others have mentioned, you could set up one of your credit cards on Apple/Google pay and use that for purchases.
• It might be possible to make enough payments on your card to create a credit balance, and then use ATM's to withdraw cash using that. It would be prudent to review that with your bank to see what the service charges would be.
• Are you planning to use a money belt for storage of larger amounts of cash, some of your credit cards, etc.?
• You shouldn't have any problems using €50 bills.
• I always like to have several payment methods available, and travel with a couple of debit and credit cards, as well as cash. I top up the cash using ATM's whenever necessary. Some hotels will provide a discount for cash payment of the room charges, so it's useful to be able to get extra cash when required.
• When making payments, watch for DCC (Dynamic Currency Conversion). If the payment machine asks if you want the payment processed in your home currency or local currency, choose local currency - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_currency_conversion .

Cash is used much more in Europe than the US

I travel all over Europe, and never use cash. Even in Germany where cash is still very popular. In other countries like France and the Netherlands it is even increasingly the case that cash is no longer accepted!

What is however different is that most Europeans will use debit cards, not credit cards. And systems that do instance bank transfers (like Weero, etc...) are becoming popular.

I like to carry cash too. Just old fashion that way. Every once in a while its worth it when I forgot the tip on the credit card or their credit card machine is down because of the crummy internet here or on rare ocassion its a cash only place here. I can think of that once in the last year (House of Houdini). But in Germany, each trip I relearn the lesson and dont show up with enough cash. I dont know what it is about the Germans but it seems like every time I walk into a restaurant they want cash only. Maybe because I rarely go to a large city. Or maybe its the region (Rheinland-Pfalz) I go to. Not coming from a Euro country I never show up with enough and have to go out hunting for a high fee German ATM. Way past a rookie mistake.

Thanks everyone. I do have all my CCs set up with Apple Pay, I just wanted to have cash for tips, bathrooms, places that don’t accept CCs or Amex. Just in case for some reason our cards were compromised, I wanted to have some cushion.

Don't think anyone mentioned it, but one thing you should do before leaving, is check with the credit card companies to see if they need to be alerted of your travel plans. Some do and some don't. Never hurts to make sure so they don't see a "suspicious" transaction and freeze the account / card.

"Just in case for some reason our cards were compromised, I wanted to have some cushion."

Since you mentioned this, I'll tell you that if the cards you have in your Apple Wallet are compromised, when you notify your CC company they will automatically update your card in your Apple Wallet and it will be ready to use immediately. I had my AMEX card compromised here at home (overnight!!). I called the next AM and the guy said...I see this is in your Apple wallet, I'll update that right away and you can use it before you get the card in the mail. Yep, he did and yep, it worked!

So yes, it's good to have a bit of cash BUT don't worry too much about compromise as the cards update.

I'll add that when I last traveled to Italy in 2022 I used Applepay for everything, including 3E gelato...just to see if I could. No one batted an eye even at small shops. I would just hold up my phone and ask "ApplePay OK?" and they would hold up the terminal. VERY easy.

Here is an unexpected disapointment. I watched locals using their Apple or Google pay to get money from ATMs. So I put my ATM card in my Google Pay. Nope, doesnt work. I can use it to buy stuff that way, but not for cash. Maybe its something the bank can fix for me. Maybe next week I will write and ask them.

Why does it matter? My ATM expired. The new one is in the US and I dont want to fool with shipping it to Europe. Mail deliver in Hungary isnt like the US. Neigher is DHL delivery. Lots can go wrong. I havea friend bringing the card in April, but till then i have to get creative.

True , about France re: credit card usage, far more so than in Austria and Germany.

Comparing and contrasting France, Austria, Germany where I have spent most of my last trips the last 3 years, mainly in France, counting the nights, Germany is by far the most cash oriented society to the frustration of some foreign tourists (Americans among them...I've seen that).....bravo, .hopefully it stays that way.

One can get along by avoiding using cash in Germany. That can mean no eateries in train stations where some are cash only, even in Hamburg and Berlin . As of 2023 the large " Biergarten at Viktualienmarkt " in Munich was "cash only" which did surprise me.

Mr. E, after both my ATM cards were swallowed up by ATMs in Antwerp, I found replacement cards waiting for me at home. Being without a working ATM card was a bit scary even though, even though my trip was due to end in a few days and I had a bit more than 20 euros in my wallet.

Soon after I returned home I tested both cards, one of which was a Capital One card, at a local Capital One office. Both cards worked but even the Capital One card wasn't tap-enabled for use in a Capital One ATM. That surprised me. A staffer told me they are working on tap capability. I certainly hope that doesn't mean I'm going to run into another ATM card that gets canceled in the middle of one of my summer-long trips when they issue a replacement card with the tap feature.

My ATM card does work as a tap card. I wont stick cards in an ATM any longer. I had one machine take my card then offer instructions in Russisn. The lady In line behind me saved me.

When my card expired I had a friend in the US open the new card envelope and send me pictures of the card. I activated the card online then put the information in my Google pay on my phone. Google pay required I call the bank which I did and they did their approval thing. I went and bought lunch with it. Perfect. I went to the bank for cash, nope. It read it and it accepted my pin but would not pay out the cash. I tried 4 different banks.

I have a Hungarian bank account too that I keep a little cash in for emergencies and that will work for now.

Good that I don't use an ATM card.

Having a card swallowed by a bank happened only once ages ago in downtown LA. It was on a Sunday and I was staying close enough to go to that bank Monday to retrieve that eaten credit card. I didn't bother, just left it, although the account was in order and in good standing. Having 4 credit cards on me in Europe plus their respective PIN is good enough.

I called the next AM and the guy said...I see this is in your Apple wallet, I'll update that right away and you can use it before you get the card in the mail. Yep, he did and yep, it worked!
I would just hold up my phone and ask "ApplePay OK?" and they would hold up the terminal. VERY easy.

Pam, thanks so much for this! I hope I don’t have to call them, but it is nice to know!

Also, when using ApplePay, do they kick it out if their shop or restaurant doesn’t normally accept Amex?

I have also had ATM eaten up by the machine when the bank was closed. Luckily, we were there for a few days so I got it back.
But I always travel with two ATM cards just in case!

And I wanted to make sure everyone saw what Ken wrote, it’s one of the scams so here is his advice and it’s very important:
DCC (Dynamic Currency Conversion). If the payment machine asks if you want the payment processed in your home currency or local currency, CHOOSE LOCAL CURRENCY.

"Also, when using ApplePay, do they kick it out if their shop or restaurant doesn’t normally accept Amex?"

Yes, it will not process if the store/shop/restaurant doesn't take AMEX. I usually have AMEX set as my default payment here at home but change it to my VISA when I am traveling just because it's easier.

And I'm glad my experience was helpful to you.

Having my ATM card eaten up by the machine because I accidentally entered the wrong PIN more than once has always been my fear, so I always use ATM machines attached to banks and always withdraw money during the bank opening hours so that, if that happens, I can ask for help from the staff to retrieve my card. Credit cards in Italy must be accepted everywhere and for any amount by law, however there are times when you might need hard cash, such as:
-Public bathroom entry (generally 1€ in Italy)
-Automatic payment kiosk (e.g. public parking or metered parking) where your US card without PIN may not work.
-Gas Station pump (often not accepting US cards without PIN)
-Tax dodging taxi driver who tells you that his POS machine is momentarily broken and therefore cannot accept cards.
So use cards as often as you like but keep some hard cash just in case, including 1€ coins for bathrooms.

In Sweden and other Nordic countries, I have not even obtained cash the entire trip and been fine. I always start with about 50 euros saved from each trip and I saw places in Sweden that do not take cash at all. They stopped during covid and never looked back. I was in Vienna last year and did not need cash until 6 days in when I ate at a local place that, without notice, was cash only; and I had to go out and come back ( trusting biz owner), as did many others. A few stores and the easter markets were about the only other cash places.

I agree with Pam, we could use Apple Pay everywhere. I got some funny looks when I asked if they accepted it even for the smallest purchases in Southern Italy, but of course!