Lisbon & Crete - Money exchange and the Wise - Global Money app.

It works like a debit card. You can get a physical card or a virtual, and just load the virtual onto your google pay or apple wallet. Works just like a regular debit card would in that situation.

But no, you can't usually use a virtual card at an ATM, you'd need to pay $9 i think, for the physical card.

I used the virtual card on my google pay app in Spain this spring with zero issues (yes, I use a debit card, generally, when I travel, but I am notified of every purchase and only have $xx of funds in the acct anyways).

I have a Wise account for bringing currency from my US bank to my French bank. but not a card. The exchange rate isn’t better than your bank unless your bank charges you a percentage or for using another bank’s ATM.

I’d stick with what you’re already doing, that’s basically the gold standard.

Wise is good, but mainly for slightly better exchange rates and low fees when paying. It’s not really better for cash, since ATM withdrawals are limited before fees kick in.
So in practice: Credit card (no FX fee) is best for most spending, the ATM withdrawals are best for cash, the Wise is a nice extra, but not essential.

If your card has no foreign fees, you’re already doing it right

Unless you have a card with high fees, there is no financial advantage to using Wise. Exchange rates are no better, maybe a bit more than your card, credit or debit. Some might use it out of "safety concerns", but I don't see it or would be that concerned to go to the effort. Wise does have advantage for money transfers, but mainly because they seem to be somewhat difficult or costly going through your US bank.

I just tell my home back that I'm traveling and use the ATMs (outside of the airports) to withdraw euros for tips, treats, etc.

There are a few "extra" things to consider that can/do save more money. Some banks have "free" withdrawals from non-affiliated banks - ie they waive/reimburse any ATM fees associated with using a different bank's ATM to get your money. They may give you "unlimited" or maybe just a few of those each month/year, so knowing that would help you plan "one big withdrawal" or "multiple smaller withdrawals".

A second is that some banks have "partners" scattered about the world. A bank like Bank of America lists their partner banks where their ATMs are treated as BoA ATMs, so no fees added. It's not a huge list, but covers a lot of places we have traveled to, and made it stress-free to know I could just grab cash when needed.

Of course, I still have leftover Euros from years and years ago. Cash has become a rarity for me to use, and usually, a CC is accepted quicker in many places in Europe now. I always have Euros - but almost solely for tips these days.