US Dollars to Euros

Your best bet is to visit an atm machine and withdraw cash with your debit card. The airport where you are landing undoubtedly has one. Just check the airport terminal map to find them. The following link is very helpful especially telling you which atm’s to avoid that will charge usurious fees.

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money/cash-machine-atm-tips

Be sure to notify your credit card companies and bank that you will be traveling or your credit card and debit card may be refused.

Go to a bank operated ATM upon arrival. Don't take out too much, you can use a credit card most of the time.

As above.

There is never a good place to EXCHANGE your dollars for Euros. It its not an exchange, it is a purchase, and the provider/seller will make significant money on this. As explained so many times on here over the years, withdraw cash from your bank account, it comes out in the local currency, the international network does this for a minimal fee, (as long as you do not let the machine tell you how many DOLLARS this will be, that is an exchange at their rate).

I hope you meant a minimal fee!

Yup, my eyes did not pick up the auto-correct. Edited

Guess it depends on where in Spain you are or are going. I always go to a Deutsche Bank ATM when I need more Euros.

Do a search on Google maps for ATM and their locations will show up. Prior to a trip, I’ll look up ATM locations for the places I’ll be visiting. On a good note, you shouldn’t need many if you’re staying in larger cities and popular tourist destinations.

Edited: if exchanging physical U.S. dollars to Euros you’re probably stuck using one of the currency exchange places with terrible rates. I think the days of walking into a bank in Spain and having currency exchanged is long gone. If it’s anything like U.S. banks, unless you have an account, they won’t even exchange large bills for smaller ones.

The way Debbie has worded her question, I wonder if she is planning to (physically) exchange US cash for euros once she is in Spain. If that is the case .... let us hope she finds a currency exchange service that has no worse than ugly rates and not criminally bad rates.

Are you certain you will need Euros? US credit cards are taken almost every place - if asked, denominate the purchase in Euros, not US dollars.

I just returned from 3 weeks in Spain - Madrid, Andulacia, Barcelona. I had about $200 Euro with me from a previous trip. One small restaurant in Granada preferred cash to my credit card, so I accommodated them. The rest of my Euro stash returned home with me.