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Currency Exchange in Lisbon Airport?

I don't have a bank local to me where I can purchase Euros. Can they be purchased at the airport in Lisbon?

Posted by
20254 posts

Use your ATM card to withdraw Euros from an ATM. Inform your bank of your travel and decline to have the transaction in $. The network will take care of the exchange rate at the best possible current rate

Posted by
20254 posts

If your ATM card is connected to one of the international networks, like Visa, or Mastercard (look on your card for one of their logos) it should work fine. I don't know what you mean by "not an option at my bank".

But by all means talk to your bank. "Will this card work at an ATM in Portugal?" Ask about "out-of-network" fees and foreign currency conversion fees.

Posted by
15225 posts

Inform your bank of your travel and decline to have the transaction in $.

Let's split this for better understanding.

Inform your bank of your travel. If your bank sees you trying to use an ATM card in a country outside the US, they might think it's stolen and block the card. Most banks, if they want one, let you add travel notices to your account online.

Decline to have the transaction in dollars. This means you might be given a choice of being charged in the local currency or in dollars at the ATM machine. Always ask for the local currency. Your bank will give a better exchange rate than these machines. Your bank does not have to be informed of this.

Posted by
2752 posts

And first, open a free account with a bank such as CapitalOne or Schwab. Use it solely for travel. Fund it online. Use it for foreign ATM withdrawals. No fees, interbank exchange rate.