Our daughter is going to the Vianden Chamber Music Festival in Luxembourg in a couple of days. We are wondering the best way to send money with her. A small amount of cash changed into the right currency? Then what? Travelers checks? Credit card?
Thanks
Kathleen
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
There are smaller, local banks, those without foreign currency operations, that charge 1% over the Interbank rate for ATM withdrawals and credit card uses. Seattle First National might be one of them; Wells Fargo, Chase, or USBank definitely are not (they mostly charge 3% or more). If you can find such a bank, and get her a debit card for ATM withdrawals and a credit card, that will be her best deal. You can get cash for her arrival at Wells Fargo.
Travelers checks are no longer a good method, because a lot of places won't take them and the rates will be bad if they do.
Europe is not as much a "plastic" society as the US. Many places only take cash, so it would be good to have a source, and that is the ATM. However, occasionally, in some cases (some ticket vending machines) will only take a credit card.
Posted by
OP
Seattle, WA, USA
2 posts
Thanks very much1
Posted by
Freedonia
16302 posts
When I travel overseas, I have the following on me:
1) Some money in the local currency (in this case Euros). Usually I have some left over from a previous trip or I'll get some from my local bank. (Yes, this is expensive and some posters here foam at the mouth because it costs me about $5 more to do it this way.) Having some cash in Euros, in my opinion, won't force her to look for an ATM as soon as she arrives.
2) Credit cards
3) ATM/Debit card (the best way to get money while overseas)
4) U.S. Dollars--just in case. (Yes, the same foamers are now running through their homes screaming with the thought of actually changing U.S. dollars while overseas but I carry some just in case I have no alternative. I usually bring all of it home.)