It looks like I need to use Zloty in Krakow - we arrive next Saturday. Where would be the best place to withdraw funds - are certain ATM's better than others? Our bank does reimburse me for fees charged from other ATM's. Use the currency exhange at the airport?
Thank you.
J&K
Bank-affiliated ATM is always the best option. Never the currency exchange at the airport. Depending on where you're staying and how you're getting there, you might not need any cash immediately, giving you time to locate a bank-affiliated ATM. I would also check with those who have been more recently than I have whether you actually need cash or can pay for everything with a card.
Do you have any leftover currency from other trips? Last year on the way to the CR, I took some leftover British pounds and Swiss Francs (small quantities), and used the airport exchange to get some Koruna. Yes it was a bad rate, but I accept that for the convenience of it. Later, I got some at ATMs near our hotel. To me, the fees are not significant in the greater scope of trip costs.
The only thing we needed Zloty for in Krakow Poland last week was coins for the bathroom. Everything else was by card. We bought 100 euro in Zloty in Munich and spent our best before returning. Anyway, it's nice to have some cash.
Since your bank reimburses ATM fees, the main thing to worry about is conducting the withdrawal transaction in local currency rather than dollars.
I have definitely run into fee-charging ATMs in Poland. When I went to Czechia in 2018, I had the unpleasant experience of encountering at least two ATMs where the transaction (withdrawing about $40 worth of currency) halted when I refused the DCC offer and opted to conduct the transaction in koruna. I suspected the ATM owner didn't want to give me currency when it was not going to make a profit off of me. That is just my supposition, of course; it could have been a case of empty ATMs, despite the timing of the error message. In any case, I learned to allow extra time to find a worksble ATM. I would guess there's less need for cash in Czechia these days, so you may only need to find a good ATM once.
I spent 10 days in Poland in July-August and only used cash to buy a few things in a small town I visited. You really don’t need more than 100 PLN in cash. Go to an ATM of a bank and select local currency and don’t pay in your home currency, though they try to trick you with a lot of confusing numbers.
No need to use kantors or any other place:
I was in Poland and Czechia this past May. I was also in Poland last May.
I never bought any local currency. Everywhere I went, they accepted cards.
YMMV.
I was in several Polish cities this past May. Cards work everywhere except for small vendors (crafts, foods, souvenirs, etc.) at less tourist visited locations (Zakopane, Sopot, Masurian Lakes, etc.), charges at most public restrooms, and admission when visiting churches and synagogues. Like others have suggested, get about 100 zloty for those costs.
Banks and ATMs are easy to find in your airport arrival city. Pick an inside ATM on a weekday if possible (safety and assistance in case the machine keeps your card).
Last summer we needed zero zlotys and zero Czech koruna, spending a total of 3 weeks between the two countries. Re-think whether you'll really need cash, as excess zlotys or koruna aren't much use.
It is always wise to have a small amount of the local currency. You don't know until you do! Like others have said, street vendors, small shops in villages, and restrooms are the most significant reasons.
I'm bringing some other foreign currency from countries I doubt I'll returned to. I will bring that if I need to use a currency exchange since the bills just I laying around in my desk have little value.
I have traveled extensively and learned this lesson. In New Zealand, which claims to be cashless, I needed coins for a locker at the entry of a museum. Fortunately, the receptionist told me the lockers on the second floor were free. Problem solved.
