Thanks for the great suggestions. on How Many Euros & Swiss Francs Do I Need?

Not sure what you mean by RST recommends carrying cash. I have not see that recommendation before or the context. I think it is handy but not critical to enter the country with a little bit of local currency in pocket just to cover some quick initial expensive like a taxi or a snack. We try to have an amount equal to about $100 dollars US. After that we rely on credit cards and cash as needed using a debit card at a bank owned ATM in the city. It just depends on how you use your credit card vs cash. WE tend to use more cash than credit card but for others use their credit card for nearly everything. If you need a little cash then the debit card at an ATM is the solution. It is the cheapest option.

Are you thinking about obtaining currency before you leave the US, or upon arrival using a debit card at an ATM? I recommend the latter, easy to do, and far better exchange rates.

Just take out nominal amounts, no more than $100 of each? And if you need more, get more, but once you are on the ground, and see how readily you can (or can't) use a CC, you may get more cash or decide you do not need any more cash than that.

Personally, I like having enough local currency on hand when I first arrive in Europe to pay cash for a taxi from the airport plus maybe a snack or even my first meal that evening, so I like having upwards of, say, 150 to 200 euros for me and my wife. To have that on hand for "next time" I usually come home with some Euros at the end of a trip. I don't like to bother with getting cash from the ATM at the airport, prefer to do that on Day 2 in town when I am a little less jetlagged, a bit fresher in the mind...you will get lots of opinions, this is mine.

Thank you for your responses. This has helped with our decisions. Plan to take about $100 equiv in each currency before departing the US. That way, we don't have to stop at an ATM when we land. Definitely taking a Contactless credit card. Thanks again.

Keep in mind that many of the public toilets in Switzerland are pay toilets. So, you may want to make sure you have some coins on hand for those. Although if my memory is correct, the toilets at the Lauterbrunnen train station and murren cable car station are free.

I have both Euro and Swiss Francs left from my last pre-covid trip, and I will take them because otherwise they will just sit in the drawer. I fully expect to return in July with pretty much all of them to put back in the drawer. I find that my phone works pretty much everywhere now.

I know it is neither Switzerland nor Germany or Austria, but two days ago I was at a 3-Day Eventing horse show way out in the middle of nowhere, extremely rural Rutland county, England, and all my costs at food huts and merch stands were paid for by Apple Pay on battery operated scan pads linked to the vendors' phone. Even in the middle of nowhere there was plenty of 4G.

Do you remember the cost of bathrooms in Germany or Switzerland? Just want to have the right coinage so I don't have to find somewhere to break paper money?

We took E500 that we had brought home from a previous trip. We only used E350 of them in 3 weeks, as we almost always used a credit card.

Plan to take about $100 equiv in each currency before departing the US.

We are Bank of America customers, and they have very reasonable exchange rates. We have used the online order / next day Fed Ex delivery for this service before, very convenient, but for what you are doing, if not Bank of America, your bank may have similar services and even have currency exchange at your local branch.

Good luck.

Barbara, I was in Switzerland this past Sept. and the pay toilets were 1-2 CHF. They were super clean so we were more than happy to pay. 😊 You will want to buy something with your paper money to get some coins. Not sure if you are familiar, the smallest paper money is 10 CHF. The coins range from 5 cents to 5 francs.

JoJo, good to know about BAC. I plan to get £100 and €200 before my September trip. The branch said to order online but pick up at the branch.

JoJo, good to know about BAC. I plan to get £100 and €200 before my September trip. The branch said to order online but pick up at the branch.

We live in Colorado Springs, and until about 6 months ago, we had no branch of BofA here, the closest was in Castle Rock about 45 minutes away. That may be why we were given the no cost overnight Fed Ex option several years ago, can't really recall the circumstances. Regardless, great service and good exchange rate. And they will buy back any bank notes from you at the same good exchange rates, too.

Two comments on current situation in Passau, Bavaria.
After 5 days here, have only spent 3 € cash for a drink at a small, privately organized concert in a nearby village. Have paid everything else contactless or with PIN (Mastercard or European debit card). During previous visit 4 years ago, had to pay cash in most places.
Pay toilet in Passau railway station is now accesible through a turnstile, after paying 1 €. Also here, contactless cc worked.