Our Christmas Markets trip is planned and booked, and now I'm working on the finer details. I will arrive in Zurich with plenty of Euros, but obviously need local currency, and I assume the Xmas Market vendors will want cash. I know there's a large indoor Xmas market at the Zurich train station, which we will want to explore, before going onto to Basel for a few nights. Where in the airport/train station complex is an atm that doesn't have high fees? I know that going to a bank-atm is the best option, but will I be able to access one in the complex?
Thanks in advance to our Swiss experts here who are so helpful with practice info!
Posted by
Florida
1450 posts
There are lots of bank ATMs in the airport. You won't have any problems finding one.
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
8062 posts
I think it is a misconception to think that Bank ATMs have "low" fees and other ATM's "High" fees.
When using an ATM any fee for use charged by the ATM will be made clear and you will have the chance to decline and cancel the transaction. Also, you might consider that for the convenience, a few Dollars equivalent might be worth it to get some cash. Both Bank ATMs and Independent ones can charge fees.
The other cost to be aware of is DCC, this is when the people running the ATM offer to perform the currency conversion for you. Unfortunately this is usually always done at a bad rate, and there is no need for them to do the conversion, the banking system can. If an ATM offers to do the transaction in your "home" currency or, in this case, Swiss Franks, choose Swiss Franks. If the ATM "tells" you how much in US Dollars the transaction will be, that is DCC as well, the ATM is only concerned with dispensing some amount of local currency. Decline any offer and the transaction goes through at no added cost. This also can occur at any type of ATM.
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
I second what Paul says. It is not the ATM that is charging you fees, it is your bank charging you "foreign usage fees", and that is the same whichever ATM you use. That is why there are so many posts on this forum "Which bank will give me a no-fee card?".
That is, as long as you refuse the dreaded "DCC" and insist on getting billed in Franks.
There are ATM's in Zürich airport arrivals, I can't remember where. You can pay for your train ticket from the airport into the city by cash or plastic.
As for Zürich station, a station plan is here: https://www.sbb.ch/content/dam/infrastruktur/trafimage/bahnhofplaene/plan-zuerich-hb-a4.pdf
Look on the key on page 5, under "services"
- 108 Postbank Automatenbank
- 110 UBS Automatenbank
- 112 Zürcherkantonalbank Automatenbank
If you want to get rid of your Euros, there is also:
- 101 SBB Geldwechsel
That gives the best rate for changing physical money, but still not as good as your card company will give you using an ATM.
Posted by
OP
San Diego, California
5618 posts
Thanks all. I'm a fairly experienced traveller, but sometimes I have needed cash and could only find the "expensive" atm machines.
This past April I was on Murano, and found an artist in a small shop, who did not take credit cards, and wanted cash only. I really liked her original pieces. I did not have any choices on Murano, and could only find the atm machine by the Coop grocery store. For my $100, I was charged $130 NOT by Bank of America, but by the poor conversion rate. I indicated I did not want the conversion to US Dollars.
I really like the original piece I bought, so such is life, but I don't want to be given such a poor conversation rate again.
Thanks for all your time, and thanks Chris for the links to the train station.
Safe Travels.
PS I always keep my Euros- I'll be back!
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
8062 posts
I am not sure what "expensive" ATM machines are. If you are talking about currency conversion services, then yes, that would be like DCC I mentioned above. But an ATM, as long as you decline DCC and it does not have a really high use fee (I don't think I ever saw a fee over the equivalent of $5 US) is an ATM.
Posted by
Knoxville, TN, USA
7209 posts
Some ATMs really do a great job at hiding the DCC option to decline. To have spent $130 to withdraw 100Euro indicates to me that you mistakenly accepted the automatic conversion rate (DCC).
Posted by
Houston
3522 posts
Some ATMs in Europe have started charging a fee just like most of the ATMs in the US do if you don't have an account with that bank. It is usually 5 of whatever the local currency is (Euro, Franc, Pound) which is the maximum allowed by the ATM networks unless the customer accepts DCC and then the upcharge can be 15%. This fee is not DCC, it is simply an additional amount added to the withdrawal. This has been mostly reported in Portugal and Spain, but can happen anywhere. But this fee is required to be clearly displayed before the transaction is finalized so you can cancel and not get charged and unlike DCC, if you refuse this fee, you can't continue the transaction.
Posted by
The Heartland USA
8973 posts
Yes, we saw 5€ fees at three different bank ATMs in Sicily this year.
Posted by
Medford, OR, USA
5837 posts
I just found an ATM on the way to the airport train station and didn't get an added ATM fee (other than what my credit union charges). Plenty of airport bank ATMs: https://www.ifly.com/zurich-airport/ATM-banks-currency
Credit Suisse
'Die Post' (Swiss Post Office)
Raiffeisen
UBS AG
It seems banks are plentiful in Switzerland. Who would have guessed?