I know that alot of people use credit cards, but if it%26#39;s not going to be too much of a hassle finding places that will change travelers checks for euros that%26#39;s what I%26#39;d like to do. What do you think?
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In terms of transactional time, fees, convenience, available banks and currency shops vs. ATMs everywhere -- I think going with a bank card (for cash withdrawals) and credit card is clearly the way to go.
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No ... way
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Travellers checks-- NO. Too many hassles finding places to cash them and fees are high.
ATMs - Yes. Easy.
Make sure you get a four digit numerical PIN , put your cash in your chequeing account( French ATMs do not draw from savings accounts) use credit card for big exspences like hotel.
ATMS are everywhere.
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I guess it%26#39;s been quite some time since I%26#39;ve traveled to Europe. I believe I%26#39;ll opt for using ATM%26#39;s, but isn%26#39;t there a transaction fee involved there too?
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It WILL be a hassle as well as being very expensive to use TCs. Most businesses and hotels will no longer accept them, and exchange places will give you a lousy rate of exchange and probably tack on hefty fees. The transaction fees for ATMs are quite small — about 3$ per withdrawal — and the exchange rates are much better than any other transaction method. bank of America customers can use Paribas ATMs without any fee. To minimize the impact of the ATM fee, withdraw a few days supply of cash at a time, carry what you need for the day and leave the rest in your hotel room safe.
Use the ubiquitous ATMs (which have an English language option) for your smaller purchases, credit card for anything over about 25€ except in the increasingly few establishments that do not accept them.
Don%26#39;t forget to advise your bank and CC issuer that you will be travelling before you leave.
You can take a few — perhaps a hundred — Euros with you to get you started if you wan tto, but I%26#39;ve never had a problem getting cash from an ATM at CDG. (I usually use the one just at the top of the stairs/escalators going down to the RER/TGV station.)
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Thank you all for your travel smarts!
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I heartily second every single thing IrishRovr just said. We used ATM%26#39;s (credit cards for one large purchase) and it couldn%26#39;t have been easier. All ATM%26#39;s have an English language option, and they%26#39;re on every street corner; it is no more difficult than using your local ATM and the fees are nominal.
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out of curiousity, can%26#39;t I just bring a good amount of euros with me and leave some in the hotel safe when i go out? why do people wait to get there and then withdraw from ATM%26#39;s? unless the rates are better...
also, do credit cards charge you a fee when you use it in another country? haven%26#39;t done too much international travelling.
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%26gt;%26gt;%26gt; unless the rates are better... %26lt;%26lt;%26lt;
You just answered your own question. They are. MUCH better. Usually by between 6% and 10%...
Never mind that I for one hate carrying large amounts of cash *especially* when I am travelling...
%26gt;%26gt;%26gt; also, do credit cards charge you a fee when you use it in another country? %26lt;%26lt;%26lt;
Not as such. You will be billed in US$ and the exchange rate will be the bank rate for the particular day (and time) your transaction posts. Visa and Mastercard will charge you a 1% fee on each transaction. All in all a pretty good deal...
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Hi Irish welcome back! I missed your posts! Did you have a good trip?
You just wrote %26quot; Visa and Mastercard will charge you a 1% fee on each transaction.%26quot;
My two cards would have charged me 3 % fee for each transaction that is why I got a Capital One CC ( they ate the fee so I had no charges for each transaction), My American Express said they would have charged me a 2 % fee on each transaction.
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