Getting Euros

Best, easiest, cheapest way is to just hit the ATM when you arrive. Make sure you tell your bank where and when you will be travelling so they don't block your card.

Without a doubt, from an ATM. If you don't want to get dinged by your own bank, set up an account at a credit union or other financial institution that does not tack on outrageous foreign ATM fees which can add up. In 2010 I added up a total of $75 ATM fees from 17 day trip, and I learned my lesson. Second, if you plan on using your credit card for lots (or any) of your expenses, make sure you have one that does not charge the customary 3% foreign transaction fee. Capital One is the only big one that I know of that doesn't.

As an American living in Europe, I've got to agree with Sam. Use the credit card when you can, but keep a supply of Euros gotten at ATMs. My wife and I typically carry two to three hundred in cash in addition to our credit card and we use the card when we can. Transaction fees on credit cards are typically lower than on ATM transactions and both are far better than rates at currency converters. When you get to Paris, go to major bank's ATM and get cash. You'll be fine, provided you keep your bank aware of where and when you're travelling.

Use a debit card to get cash at the airport. Using a credit card in Europe will be costly because of transaction fees. No to mention possible theft and misuse. Pay cash for everything. Use the CC only for emergencies. Wear a money belt.
http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/money-travel-tips.htm

I'll dispute with Claudia just a bit, in that there is nothing wrong with using a credit card, provided it does not have fees. Also smaller mom & pop type places prefer cash because they, as merchants, get dinged by the credit card companies, and that is where the bargains are. Various places are going to all PIN&chip cards, which we don't have. So a stash of cash in a moneybelt is a good thing to have.

We had some trouble in Scandanavia, as our VISA did not have the pin & chip technology, and was refused. Also, got hit with foreign transactions fees. For our upcoming trip to Austria, Hungary & Germany, we have the J.P.Morgan Select VISA card by Chase.....pin & chip technology, no fees, rewards program, $95. annual fee waived for the 1st yr., and other goodies. Auf wiedersehen!

"If Dutch Rail can get away with not accepting magnetic strip cards for 10+ years now, that policy doesn't mean very much." True, but it's still a violation of VISA's policy. Merchants like Dutch Rail & the places Rosalyn encountered are just trying to slide out of the fees they'd have to pay to VISA if they accepted your card - fees to which they agreed when they signed up with VISA. Basically what they're doing is scamming VISA. They're also misleading their customers by displaying the VISA/MC logos and then not accepting the cards.

Any merchant displaying a VISA logo HAS to accept your card, chip-and-pin or not. Those are Visa's rules. If a clerk refuses your card, you should ask for a manager. If they still refuse, Visa wants you to report the merchant online. It's explained here: http://usa.visa.com/personal/using_visa/travel_preparation_faq.html Of course, the rule doesn't apply to unmanned electronic credit card terminals, such as electronic ticket kiosks in train stations. Many of these work with chip-and-pin only.

"...Any merchant displaying a VISA logo HAS to accept your card, chip-and-pin or not..." If Dutch Rail can get away with not accepting magnetic strip cards for 10+ years now, that policy doesn't mean very much.

What is wrong with foreign credit cards in Europe and elsewhere is that they can be more expensive than using cash. Do not assume a card that charges no fees back home will also incur no fees on foreign soil. I've just received one that takes 2 1/2 per cent on every purchase and the calculation is on the retail, not wholesale, currency rate. At home, it costs me nothing. So, abroad, it will be strictly back-up. I can take out the equivalent of $500 on my ATM card, however, for a flat $5 which works out to 1 per cent.
Bank fees vary greatly and you need to read the fine print before you hand it over for every small purchase. Or shop around for a cheaper card; this and other forums brim with discussions on varous brands.

We use our ATM cards to get cash at ATM machines in Europe. In addition, for our upcoming trip to France, we ordered Euros from our bank and now have them in hand. We were not charged a fee, and the exchange we paid was the going rate. Some banks probably do charge fees or higher exchange fees so it's best to check around. Regarding the chip and PIN system in Europe, I had an extensive conversation with Capital One about this today. They informed me that if I use a PIN number to make a credit card transaction, it will be processed as a cash withdrawal with the associated fees and initiation of high interest charges on my total account balance. So it's very important to get the transaction processed on paper or to pay in cash. I also was told that merchants are required to process credit card payments without a PIN, but I agree that there is little immediate recourse if the merchant refuses to do so. This appears to be an overall policy with both VISA and MasterCard.

To piggyback on what Michael just posted about the requirement that vendors displaying the visa logo accept your card . . . We have several times had our cc rejected in places that displayed the logo. One was a restaurant in Nice. Couldn't call the manager, she was the one doing the rejection. Once, in Turkey. Most of the other times were in Italy under the ruse that the machine - - whatever kind it was - - wasn't working. It being Italy, one could almost believe it. I'm glad to have Michael's info, maybe just demonstrating to a recalcitrant merchant that you know the ropes will cause those darm machines to start functioning. I have gotten really tired of that particular game, and I have newly resolved just to walk out of any shop where they start playing it. However, when you have just eaten a meal or are checking out of a hotel, it's a little dicier. Do you want to stonewall and see who blinks first?* The good news for the original poster is we've never had a problem in the places she's going; but for newbies following this thread, be aware this can happen.
*BTW, the Nice experience happened in the pre-euro days. We really didn't have much left in francs, as we were leaving for Italy the next morning and had chosen the restaurant because it allegedly took cc's. The manager insisted that my husband go to an atm to get the cash while I stayed as a hostage. She was an experienced player at the game; we were novices.