Exchanging money

Don't take cash! You can't have it both ways. If you take cash, you have to pay more than if you use an ATM, so why would you take cash in the first place and then complain about the charges ahead of time? I don't get it.
Just use an ATM instead of taking wads of cash.

This has been discussed about a thousand times but searching this board isn't easy otherwise I'm sure you would have done that first. Exchanging cash will cost you. I opened an online banking account with Capitol One. No fees and free ATM card. Deposit money into account and withdraw as needed in Euros without any additional exchange fees. Notify them a week before your trip that you will be in Europe. Choose only a four digit pin number. We had a $600 daily limit per card.

Bob: I just got back from Normandy and Paris. Bank of America has the most efficient, and timely, cash exchange. If you have an account there with an ATM card, just go online and order your cash. I got mine for a $7.00 exchange fee. but only take enough to get through the toll booths, etc. (although my CapitalOne card worked there, too) Now, once you're over there, and need more cash. don't use anything but your Bank of America debit card at any BNP Paribis ATM, as they are a sister bank of B of A and THEY DON'T CHARGE ATM FEES!, so the exchange is automatic at the machine! (In Bayeux, Normandy, they have a handy ATM right off the market square) (BTW, I just exchanged back my remaining Euros into dollars yesterday at B of A, and the exchange rate had dropped to $1.34 per Euro, and they charged me NO FEE to exhcange back to dollars! Have fun!

And don't even think of buying and taking travelers checks! Try to cash them! Go ahead? You'll be running to the first ATM to draw money and pay any fees for it. I know, we did and finally found a bank that would cash them. All kidding aside, just take a few dollars for the USA airport and use the advise from the other travelers in the post, they are dead on. I try to withdraw the maximum daily allowed for the first time and try to figure how much I will have to withdraw the next time I need money. The fewer times I withdraw the less fees I'll pay and the less I'll have to exchange at a rip-off rate. It's not full-proof, but I usually end up bringing back a few euros (5-20 euros). There is a great deal of apprehension when you think that if you are in some small town in Europe, you might not find an ATM that works with your card. I have used mine in sticks-ville Spain with no problem. Believe me I thought it wasn't going to work, but everything went fine. Now I don't even think about that any more (my wife though is always freaking out about it). Just make sure to notify your bank when you will be using your ATM in Europe. If not, I guess you won't be able to use it. Check with your bank. I would rather end up at an airport in Europe with a few euros left over in my pocket, than nothing at all. Besides you might need a snack or a drink and that's when you can use it in the airport.

Yes, you want to pay for most everything with cash, but eurocash not dollars. I used my credit union ATM card (1.5% transaction fee) in France, Germany, and Italy with no problem. Just be sure to tell the bank when and where you're travelling and make sure you know your 4-digit pin number. I left with $80 American in my wallet and came home with the same four twenties. Try to plan things so that you don't have a lot of euros leftover when it comes time to go home, otherwise expect to get beat exchanging them for dollars.

In the past, many people have suggested having credit or debit cards from more than one bank in case something goes wronga block on your account and you have to call to get it unblocked, or your bank or credit union issues new cards due to a security breach while you are out of the country....both of which have happened to us.

I assume that you have no debit card thus the necessity of taking cash? You have plenty of time to open an account at some financial institution before you leave in September that would provide you with a debit card to use at ATMs in Europe.
Capital One seems to be the favorite among those on this web site as its fees are nil. Have you been to Europe in the last few years? ATMs are everywhere nowadays.

What do you mean by "cash". The day when US dollars were worth something in Europe are gone. Today, US Dollars are considered play money in Europe. You'll never get a good exchange rate with dollars. Getting Euro from ATMs is the only way to go.

As Bets posted, we were lucky we had two debit cards from two different financial institutions as good old Chase Bank cancelled one of our 2 cards when we were in Ireland a couple of years ago. Thank goodness for having a backup.
Chase later told us that we had not told them that we were also visiting Ireland that trip. In fact, it was the only country we visited that trip. Do we still have a Chase card? NO

Unless I've been misreading Rick, he seems to think you should bring a substantial amount of cash in American dollars to Europe. But I've never understood why. I brought American dollars to London last week, and it just sat in my wallet.

"Unless I've been misreading Rick, he seems to think you should bring a substantial amount of cash in American dollars to Europe. But I've never understood why." He gives his reasons on p 165 of 2011 Europe Through the Back Door: " American cash in your money belt comes in handy for emergencies, such as when your ATM card stops working. I carry several hundred US dollars as a backup."