We have never been to Europe for an extended stay/travel. I've been to Rome and Prague but only on business. My boys and I are going to be in Europe for 14 days. Need to know how best to manage money. How much to take (rought estimate). How to get more (atm, atm at banks, etc). Are credit/debit cards ok? Are there lots of fees (both in europe and here(USA)). Just looking for any input that might be helpful with managing our finances during our visit. Thanks for your help.
Posted by
Spokane, WA, USA
121 posts
ATMs are abundant in Europe. I've been to Europe on numerous occasions and have never had an issue getting cash from an ATM in any city. I usually carry about 200 euro on me (or equivalent). The only issue I've encountered with the use of credit cards was when I forgot to inform my banks and credit card companies that I would be traveling. The cards were refused in restaurants (except for AmEx) until I called and notified the banks and credit card companies. My fault, not theirs. We haven't encountered many surprise fees, but be aware of expensive tolls on the major interstates.
Posted by
STUDIO CITY, California, USA
21 posts
I have always used my ATM card (from Chase) with no problems. However,there is a fee of 3% of the withdrawal after conversion to US dollars. For instance, a withdrawal of the equivalent of $100 will cost you an extra $3. Check with your bank about their fees. Be sure you give them a "vacation alert" for the period you'll be gone so that your card won't be denied during your trip. Get your first euros at an ATM in the airport NOT a money changing operation. That way you'll have taxi fare and spending cash when you leave the airport. I think it would be best to have cash rather than use a credit card because: 1) you'll be using your own money without incurring interest charges and 2) less chance of a hassle with cash. While it might be tempting to pay for your hotel with a credit card, remember that many places will give you a discount if you pay cash. I recently found out about Charles Schwab which offers an ATM card with NO fees. You can open the account online, fund the account, get their ATM card in 5 days and you're on your way.I just opened my account and will fund it tomorrow for my two week trip to Spain in June.
Use RS and Trip Advisor to find hotels and make reservations online. Trip Advisor has traveler's photos of the hotel and their comments about their stay along with helpful tips about the hotel. There is also an interactive map so that you can check the location of any hotel you're interested in and see what others are nearby.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
Any fee on the ATM will be charged by your bank at home. For the most part, there are no additional fees imposed by European banks. Some travelers on this website like to arrive with about €100-200 in the local currency. Personally, I don't think it matters. At a minimum, every international airport in Europe will have at least a bureau de change, and most also have easily locatable ATMs. If I'm headed to a non-Euro country, I never obtain the currency in advanced.
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
Just three more things. Beware of establishments who offer to convert their bills to dollars for you. They are also offering to charge you a mark-up for this service, which you don't need anyway. If your bank card and/or credit card charges a hefty commission, it may be worth opening a banks account or credit card elsewhere with a no-fee provider just for the trip. Otherwise, the credit card is great for charges, but don't use it to get cash. If you do you'll pay interest on your whole balance.