Need help with currency and international travel

I just get money from an ATM when I get to my destination. That will work fine in Spain.

Thanks to you both.

You don’t need cash. Notify your credit card that you’ll be traveling and use it. You’ll always get the best exchange rate this way.

Your bank will get you some Euro often in 1-2 days for free. I always get at least $300 in foreign currency wherever I’m traveling. Street vendors give you a better deal in cash.

After that use your credit card if it has no foreign fee. Be aware that some cards aren’t taken commonly in specific countries. For example, almost no one takes Amex in Belgium. Visa is fine almost everywhere.

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I just get money from an ATM when I get to my destination.

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Make sure your bank won't hit you with a high exchange fee.

Some banks like Capital One will give you a good deal on currency exchange rates if you want to have the Euros on you when you arrive.

I'd suggest not using the exchanges at airports in the US or Spain as you'll get hosed.

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Is this still even a thing you need to do? Last few times I traveled this year Chase didn't even care when I told them so I stopped doing it

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Me too. They were like "uh, you don't need to do this anymore".

Get a $1000 in AMEX Travelers Checks. Make it rain.

Seriously…this thread remained me of when Travelers Checks were a thing.

Get a Charles Schwabb debit card, they won’t charge you a foreign transaction fee and any ATM fees are reimbursed at end of the month.

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Get a Charles Schwabb debit card, they won’t charge you a foreign transaction fee and any ATM fees are reimbursed at end of the month.

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This. Heard about from a friend. I'm in Lisbon right now and using ATM, declining the conversion and get close to market rate on withdraws. If you don't decline you pay like $1.22/EUR currently, current actual rate is ~$1.08. It may just be Lisbon, but using more cash than I thought I would.

You'll have to setup a brokerage account with Schwab in order to open the checking account. I don't think the debit card for the checking account is sent until it is funded. Google promos, I got $100 for depositing $50 in the brokerage. Once you open the brokerage account open the checking account and then transfer the $50 into the brokerage so they send the card. Also keep in mind if you ACH money into the checking account it won't hit for a few days and then there is something like a 4 day hold before you can withdraw. So if you are using a lot of cash plan ahead. I'm here for a month and put 1k in the checking account before leaving and seems like I won't have to add more. Most major places here take cards but smaller shops seem to be 50/50.

Edit: If you don't have a good no international fee card check out the USBank Altitude Go. 4% back at restaurants, 2% everything else (double check me), no int'l fee.

Edit 2: Make sure your credit card is one you can "tap" to pay or add to apple/android wallet. My buddies was chip read only and he had a lot of problems trying to use the chip insert. Was able to add it to his apple wallet and use tap to pay that way and no issues since.

I’m 100% in the get cash when you land but I’ll say if it makes you more comfortable being $200 -$300 of the local currency with you. I’ve landed and had ATM problems as in I couldn’t find one because the one in my terminal was broken we had arranged a driver I needed a tip for. I’ve also landed and what seemed like 50 people waiting in line for the atm so if I’d have had $100 already it would have saved me time when I was jet lagged.

Make sure you go to the bank atm and not those shite foreign exchange places as those will bend you over on the exchange rate.