Currency for travel to Spain

Before you go, let you bank know you will be in Spain and using your card. That is the most important thing. Some cards apparenly do not have the proper "upgrades" to be used overseas. Most today will be useable. Again, check with your bank. I have had no trouble with my visa.

Credit cards in the EU are imbedded with a smart chip, and their owners then use a pin number when using these cards. Our old fashioned U.S. credit cards will work in most places in Europe; I've never had a problem when I handed my card to a server or attendant......but they usually don't work at self-service gas stations. It is very important that you check with your credit card company, to see what their limits and fees, etc will be, for both your debit and credit cards. In general, per Rick Steves 2011 Spain book" chip and PIN is not common in Spain". Rick does a good job of covering this subject in his book.

Chip and pin is mostly a northern European thing. It won't be a problem in Spain other than possibly some automated machines.

Yup. My European/Spanish credit cards have the embedded - yet visible - chip in them. As mentioned above, it's imperative to notify your bank when traveling abroad otherwise you may get stuck. A New York friend told me just today that he went to pay his hotel bill and it was rejected. He called his bank and they told him, "You should have told us before traveling, sir." He had to answer a thousand security questions, pay for the oversees phone call, but they told him it'd take 24 hours to lift the hold for its use abroad. Saludos, MadridMan @ you-know-where!

IF the ATM gives you a choice to continue in "Euro" or "USD", choose "Euro".